The New England Patriots are coming off their best season in years, but there are still areas that need to be addressed in order for them to keep finding consistent success. One of the most glaring among them is the defensive edge, which saw some solid performances but is nonetheless facing questions heading into the offseason.
One of those is whether or not the team should try to throw its hat in the ring for one of the top players the position has to offer: Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.
A five-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro selection in 2021 and 2023, Crosby is rumored to be on his way out of Las Vegas. Even though new head coach Klint Kubiak recently claimed that there would be no doubt “we want him to be part of our success moving forward,” the rumblings do point at some form of disconnect between player and franchise.
Could the Patriots try to capitalize on it, and attempt a trade for Crosby? Let’s assess the arguments for and against such a move.
Why the Patriots should pursue a Maxx Crosby trade
Blue-chip talent: There are a lot of elite edge rushers in the NFL, and Crosby is right up there with the best of them. At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.64, he offers an enticing athletic profile and combines it with some outstanding production: in his seven seasons since entering the NFL, he has registered a combined 70.5 regular season and playoff sacks as well as 11 forced fumbles. He also is more than just a productive pass rusher and has proven himself capable of setting a hard edge versus the run, allowing him to be a high-impact player on all three downs.
Addressing a need: As noted above, the Patriots have a need along the defensive edge. At the moment, they have four players under contract for 2026 — Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson — plus another, 2025 sack leader K’Lavon Chaisson, headed for unrestricted free agency. All of them are solid players and with the exception of Swinson showed some real flashes in the new system last season. That said, none of them has Crosby’s disruptive ability and potential to be a playmaker for what has already been a very good defense.
Age: Even though they advanced all the way to the Super Bowl in 2025, the Patriots are still in the early stages of their rebuild under head coach Mike Vrabel. They are, consequently, not in a position to think “win now” and have been operating accordingly since Vrabel came aboard last January. Crosby would fit that mindset: at age 28, he is still in his prime and capable of becoming a starter-level contributor for years to come. That is especially true given that he is under contract through the 2029 season.
Character fit: “Culture” has been the Patriots’ big theme since Mike Vrabel’s arrival, and the team likely would not have to think twice about adding Crosby from that perspective. A five-time team captain with the Raiders, including twice alongside now-Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane, he has been a strong presence in the Las Vegas locker room and would likely be the same in New England. Sure, his current situation is the topic of speculation but there is no questioning that he could continue flourishing as a tone-setter following a change of scenery.
Trade chips: We will speak about the questions with the asking price in a second, but for now let’s just state that the Patriots — in theory — have the capital to acquire Crosby. They are projected to have around $42 million in salary cap space, three draft picks within the first 100 selections, plus some tradable assets like wide receivers DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. If they want to, they could produce a package to make a trade work.
Vrabel factor: The Patriots would likely have to beat out several other teams in order to bring Crosby in, and any edge they can get over their competition could end up making the difference. For them, one potential edge is their head coach: according to a recent report by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Crosby told her that he “wants to play for Mike Vrabel.” While that might not be the ultimate reason New England brings him in, it does play in New England’s favor if push indeed comes to shove and would also effectively guarantee immediate buy-in from Crosby.
Why the Patriots should not pursue a Maxx Crosby trade
Asking price: The reasons listed above why the Patriots should go after Crosby this offseason are also why he won’t come cheap. What exactly would the Raiders be looking for in a potential trade? That is hard to assess without knowing his true desire to leave plus the competitiveness of the market (several teams would likely be interested in his services). However, considering his age and past production, it would not be a surprise if Las Vegas was looking for at least a first-round draft pick plus additional high-level capital. Given that New England is not set to pick until the 31st selection in Round 1, those add-ons could become quite substantial.
Team building: As mentioned above, the Patriots would be investing in Crosby with a long-term vision in mind. That is fair, but it might also contradict the team’s approach to roster building. While seemingly no longer as tied to the “draft and develop” method as EVP of player personnel Eliot Wolf pointed out the team would be in 2024, a trade to acquire Crosby would still leave New England short some valuable assets, be they draft picks or players. A team in rebuilding mode might think long and hard before parting with those.
Injury questions: Over his first five seasons as a pro, Crosby was a model of availability: he did not miss a single game between his 2019 rookie campaign and the 2023 season. For comparison, he has had some issues over the last two seasons. In 2024, he dealt with a nagging ankle injury and eventually had to undergo season-ending surgery in December. Last year, he also ended the season early on injured reserve because of a meniscus issue. He still only missed seven combined games, but with 111 games on his résumé the wear and tear might be starting to add up.
There is no denying Maxx Crosby is one of the best outside linebackers in football and a “rising tide lifting all the boats”-level player on that side of the ball.
The Patriots, especially if they do not retain K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency, are in need of that kind of talent on the edge even with Harold Landry still around and Elijah Ponder seemingly having a bright future ahead of him. Crosby would still bring a different level of playmaking skill, and pairing him with Christian Barmore and Milton Williams would probably give opposing offensive coordinators some sleepless nights.
Obviously, though, there are plenty of questions. The biggest among them has not even been discussed above: are the Raiders willing to part ways with him? There are only rumors for now and no official statements, but they hold all the cards at the moment even if Crosby wants to go the nuclear route and threaten a holdout to increase the chances of a trade.
There is little the Patriots can do as far as that particular situation is concerned, but they could force Las Vegas’ hand with a competitive offer. Whether they would be willing to present such an offer is a different question, but there is no denying that the return would have a positive impact on New England’s pass rush and defense as a whole.
What do you think, though? Is Crosby worth pursuing? And what do you believe it takes to bring him to Foxborough?