While it can be argued (and Simms and I definitely argued about it this morning on PFT Live) that the Raiders and Ravens should have handled various aspects of the failed Maxx Crosby trade differently, the outcome presents an opportunity to make changes aimed at preventing such outcomes in the future.
Simms had a good idea. Before a major trade in the offseason, all potentially interested teams get a chance to perform a physical on the player before proceeding. Then, the trade agreement (if there is one) happens without the condition that the player must pass a physical. Once the deal is done, it’s done. (Obviously, it would be difficult to use that approach for in-season trades.)
Throughout the morning, I’ve been running the idea by folks around the league. And here’s our official proposal, not only as to players who may be traded at the start of the league year but also as to impending free agents.
They all go to Indianapolis during the Scouting Combine. They go through the same medical review process that every incoming player experiences. And because it’s a collective process, no one will have to declare themselves as being interested in any player before getting the medical information.
Then, after the Combine, a trade can be negotiated without the requirement that the player must pass a physical. The new team takes the player as is, with the benefit of the information freshly gathered in Indianapolis.
It would avoid glitches, like the one that happened with Crosby and the Ravens. It also would prevent situations in which a free agent agrees to terms during the negotiating period, shows up to sign the contract, takes a physical, and something unexpected turns up.
That happened in 2023, with the Raiders and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He had a foot injury that prompted the Raiders to re-do the contract in order to secure protections against the foot not healing properly. It also happened in 2014, also with the Raiders. Former Rams offensive lineman Rodger Saffold agreed to terms. The Raiders then determined that he failed the physical. (Saffold re-signed with the Rams, for less than what he had been offered by the Raiders.)
All of this can be avoided, if the teams interested in an impending free agent have access to a physical conducted at the same place and at the same time the league at large is poking and prodding the incoming players.
The doctors are already in Indianapolis. And the player will have to take a physical at some point, anyway. Given that 32 different teams could have 32 different opinions about a given player’s overall condition, it makes sense for all of them to have the relevant medical information before any of them negotiate a contract with him.
It’s the most obvious solution to a problem that was highlighted by the Crosby situation. He could have done a physical in Indianapolis two weeks ago, with a trade deal being reached after the medical information was obtained. Any/every other player who agreed to terms this week could have done the same thing, eliminating the possibility of finding out too late that the team isn’t comfortable with something about his overall health.
The fix is simple. The Crosby fiasco cries out for it. There’s no reason to not adopt it by the start of the next new league year.
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