Sources: Crosby shut down Rams trade talks, wanted to stay with Raiders

• 

Before there was Myles, there was Maxx.

The Los Angeles Rams turned the NFL on its ear this spring with their blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett. But if the Rams had their initial wish, it would've been Maxx Crosby instead.

Sources told NFL Network that Los Angeles pursued Crosby shortly after his trade from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens fell through because of a failed physical.

Other teams were interested, but the Rams, with their propensity to swing big, were the strongest club pushing for a deal, according to sources.

But before there could be anything official, Crosby let it be known to anyone interested that he did not want to be traded. He wanted to remain with the Raiders, and he let his own organization know as well.

Crosby famously responded to the failed trade with: "I'm a Raider. I'm back. Run that (expletive)." The five-time Pro Bowler delivered a similar message to the Rams and other teams who wanted him.

Of course, the original plan was for the Raiders to trade Crosby to the Ravens in what was one of the biggest moves of the offseason, with two first-rounders heading back to Las Vegas. But with Baltimore not comfortable with Crosby's surgically repaired knee, the deal was off.

Sources say several teams came to the Raiders hoping to do a trade, but nothing even came remotely close because teams wanted "pennies on the dollars," in the words of one source.

In other words, those interested teams hoped Las Vegas was trying to dump Crosby for a cheap price, which was a non-starter.

Other teams such as the Eagles, Cowboys, and 49ers were monitoring and interested.

Yet no deal was coming, prompting the Rams to turn their attention to Garrett for their blockbuster this summer.

As for the Raiders team Crosby returned to, after they spent hundreds of millions in free agency, they were a much more talented team than when the Crosby trade to Baltimore was initially executed.

Once Crosby made clear he did not want to be traded again, it was over. As for Crosby's knee, sources say he's had no issues and is said to be in excellent health.