Jon Gruden knows what a great defense looks like. Everyone remembers Gruden overseeing the legendary 2002 Bucs defense featuring four Hall of Famers, with a strong argument for a fifth Hall of Famer in edge rusher Simeon Rice.

Having that experience to draw from, the former NFL head coach wants general manager Jason Licht to trade for another superstar pass rusher this offseason.

Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

Gruden coached Crosby from 2019 to 2021 and knows what kind of player he is. That is why, during a recent appearance on The Drive w/TKras, he urged Licht to make the kind of move that would turn Tampa Bay's defense around.

Jon Gruden: "If You're Anybody, You Make A Big Play For Maxx"

There is no denying just how impactful Maxx Crosby is. Crosby, despite playing for one of the worst teams in the NFL, is the identity of the Raiders' franchise. "Mad Maxx" is a badass who instills toughness and makes the players around him better. It is getting to the point though where the 28-year-old is getting frustrated about regularly competing for the No. 1 pick rather than the playoffs.

Raiders EDGE Maxx Crosby – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Eric Hartline

"Yeah, I don't give a shit about the pick, to be honest," Crosby said late in the season. "I don't play for that. That's not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. That's what I focus on every day. Being a great leader, being an influence. Being that guy on a consistent basis for my team."

Crosby has been "that guy" for Oakland/Las Vegas for years now, with five Pro Bowl selections to his name. Since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2019, he has 69.5 career sacks. That includes four double-digit sack campaigns, the latest being 10 sacks in 2025. Crosby also led the league in 2022 and 2023 in tackles for loss, with 22 and 23 TFLs, respectively.

There is no denying his production and just how much he lifts up a perennially bad defense.

With that in mind, how far could Crosby take the Bucs defense?

Tampa Bay is not where they want to be yet, but getting a tone-setter would help re-establish the unit with a gritty, physical identity under head coach Todd Bowles. Jon Gruden believes Crosby is the missing piece to the puzzle.

"Yeah, I mean, if you're anybody, you make a big play for Maxx," Gruden said. "If you're the Raiders, you're one of the dumbest franchises in America if you let him out of there. He's under contract, and he's the best player on the team. I think he's arguably the most impactful edge rusher in football. Absolutely. I think that's a winning edge that a great defense has. It's a fourth-quarter pass rush. When we got Simeon Rice, things changed for us."

Former Bucs HC Jon Gruden – Photo by: USA Today

There is no denying how critical Rice was during the Bucs' 2002 Super Bowl season. He served as the tone-setter and playmaker, affecting games with his ability to bring down the quarterback and force fumbles. Crosby would serve the same role for the present day Buccaneers, and trading for him is the kind of move a team serious about contending makes.

Will Bucs GM Jason Licht Consider A Deal With The Raiders For Maxx Crosby?

Jon Gruden went on to point to the Packers trading for Micah Parsons as an example of a playoff team taking the next step to win the Super Bowl.

"I think the Buccaneers need to take a page out of the Green Bay Packers [book]; they went out and got [Micah] Parsons," Gruden added. "Perhaps Jason Licht can swing a deal to get a great rusher. I'm sure he's looking at the guys that are available in this draft, as well. That's an area that the Buccaneers – I think we all realize they've got to improve upon."

Gruden even saw it in Green Bay himself back in 1993, when he served as the wide receivers coach for two years. The team signed Reggie White as a free agent that offseason, and he catalyzed the rest of the defense, serving as a key part of the team's turnaround and 1996 Super Bowl-winning season. To that point, Crosby would check the box of being the great rusher for Tampa Bay next season.

They could always draft someone at No. 15 in the 2026 NFL Draft. Take your pick of a top prospect the team could select, but with a defense that has so many question marks already, is that really the best course of action?

Bucs GM Jason Licht and now Raiders GM John Spytek – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Considering Licht's track record, his best acquisitions to improve the outside pass rush have come from trading for Jason Pierre-Paul and signing Shaq Barrett. Recent draft selections at outside linebacker, like first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and second-rounder Chris Braswell, did not pan out. Yaya Diaby has produced as a No. 2 pass rusher, but he is not an elite-level player the unit needs.

Drafting another pass rusher is a lottery ticket you hope wins.

Trading for a pass rusher like Maxx Crosby would be cashing in.

It would take quite a bit to get Crosby in red and pewter, likely two first-round picks and navigating a potentially difficult negotiation. While it could prove challenging to make the contract and cap logistics work, that is nothing Licht and assistant general manager Mike Greenberg can't figure out.

Luckily for them, each has strong connections with the Raiders in general manager John Spytek and Tom Brady, who is a minority owner. No one else around the NFL brings that level of familiarity working out a deal, and now is the time to make that kind of move.

Jon Gruden believes Jason Licht should push his chips all in for Maxx Crosby, and it's hard to argue with the logic. The Bucs can continue swinging at pass rushers in the draft and hope one hits, or they can go get a proven game-wrecker in his prime and redefine their defense overnight. If Tampa Bay is serious about contending again, this is the kind of move that separates good teams from great ones.