Amid the chaos of roster cuts, the Patriots find themselves in the middle of trade rumors involving Christian Gonzalez, their superstar cornerback, who should already have received a contract extension by this point.
Because they haven't agreed on a deal and we're now less than two weeks until their Week 1 Super Bowl rematch, we're starting to see the idea of a potential trade becoming the end of this ongoing negotiation, despite how valuable Gonzalez has become to the Patriots' defense over the past three years.
Assuming that the Krafts are the ones causing the hold-up due to money, there's a small chance that they'll decide trading the Pro Bowler is more worth it than extending him beyond the 2027 season, and in that case, they could reach out to a team like the Raiders about a blockbuster move that would set the league on fire.
That's at least the idea being floated by the panel on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show in recent days, and given that they suggest Maxx Crosby, it might not be a trade some Patriots fans would object to, even if it meant Gonzalez would suit up elsewhere.
A new trade has the Patriots sending off a superstar for another in return
While discussing the now-very-public negotiations between the Patriots and Gonzalez, the radio hosts floated the possibility of the Krafts getting on the phone with the Raiders to reopen the conversation about Crosby after the Ravens returned him earlier this offseason.
Given that their defense is seriously lacking a legitimately threatening pass rusher, Crosby makes a lot of sense.
But getting him by sending off Gonzalez? That is a bit questionable, regardless of how many fans were hoping he would be traded to New England before he was sent to Baltimore in the spring.
Christian Gonzalez for Maxx Crosby?! Hypothetically... If Patriots and Gonzo can't come to an agreement, what about a Crosby deal? Thoughts? Patriots fans, would you do the deal? #MaxxCrosby #NFLTradeRumors #Raiders #Patriots #ChristianGonzalez pic.twitter.com/8LwEOAzjUK
— WEEI (@WEEI) August 27, 2026
What all the trade would entail beyond the palyer for player swap is up for debate, but it is fair to assume there would need to be a lot of draft capital involved, and that doesn't make this proposal much better.
Obviously, there are a lot of question marks surrounding their current defensive line, especially since Harold Landry has missed all of training camp, so adding Crosby into the mix solves a lot of issues.
That might be exciting for many fans and even the team, but trading away a homegrown talent like Gonzalez feels like a regrettable decision, especially when the return would be a player the Ravens canceled the trade over because of a worrisome injury.
On top of that, beyond their starters (Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones), the Patriots are very thin at cornerback, so sending away their best player could stop them from being a legitimate contender any time soon.
The Patriots would have to be sure that Crosby is good to go and will be for the foreseeable future to trade their 24-year-old superstar cornerback and what his absence in the secondary would do to the defense.
Otherwise, there's no reason to seriously consider this trade idea.
Ideally, they'll give Gonzalez the contract he's looking for and deserves, and this won't be a lingering conversation throughout the season. And although adding Crosby to the roster would be impressive, it would be better not to come at the cost of trading away a star player like Gonzalez,
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