At the end of the season, NFL teams have reasons to drop a game or two. The Raiders placed Maxx Crosby on IR, but he was publicly frustrated with the team's decision to do so, as Las Vegas is looking to secure the first overall pick.
Pete Carroll is on the hot seat in Las Vegas, and it seems reasonable that a new coach might try to trade Crosby for draft picks to initiate a full-scale rebuild.
Crosby is no doubt a valuable player and one of the NFL's premier defenders. He hit double-digit sacks for the third time in his career this season, and ranked 8th in the league in pass rush wins. His run defense is incredible for such a productive edge rusher, with his 125 wins the highest in football.
Eagles' Jordan Davis ranks second with 108 wins. His 39% win rate is the highest among edge defenders.
Crosby would be an excellent addition to any NFL team, so it wouldn't be cheap to acquire the 28-year-old. Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox listed five teams that could put together trade packages for the silver and black's star, and the common theme was multiple high-quality draft picks.
Four of five suggested trades sent at least two first-rounders, while the Bengals sent a first-rounder and Shemar Stewart, their 2025 first-round selection. Of the trades, there is one Patriots fans should be praying doesn't materialize.
The Bills trading for Maxx Crosby would be a nightmare for New England
One trade Knox suggested was sending Crosby to the Bills. In exchange, the Bills would ship their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, a 2026 4th round pick, and wideout Josh Palmer to Las Vegas.
The trade would make sense for both sides. The Raiders grab three draft picks, though they do have to take on Josh Palmer's bloated salary. He's had 302 yards in 11 games this year, but at 26, age is on his side. The Bills would add a premier pass rusher to pair with Greg Rousseau.
Buffalo's passing defense ranks first in the league, while its overall defense ranks 12th. Despite their strong numbers, their 2.2 sacks per game ranks them 19th in the league. Ed Oliver has missed time, but their pass rush could still use improvement. Joey Bosa and A.J. Epenesa are pending free agents, so they could look for outside options to improve the edge.
Drake Maye was sacked seven times across his two matchups against Buffalo this season. Should they add Crosby, that number could get even higher. Against the Raiders in Week 1, Crosby totaled seven pressures, tied for his highest total this season. New England's line has no doubt improved through the year, and will likely continue to do so in the offseason, but Crosby would be a difficult player to face twice a season.
Add in the fact that Maye's two worst games in terms of completion rate and QBR came against Crosby's Raiders and the Bills, and the future outlook looks all that much more gloomy if Crosby lands with the Bills.
He has 3.5 sacks in four career games against New England. The Patriots will likely try to make a push of their own for the star pass rusher, but if they opt not to or are unsuccessful, they'll have to pray he doesn't land in Buffalo.