According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Las Vegas Raiders could be open to trading defensive end Maxx Crosby, the franchise's number-three all-time leader in sacks.
Making a deal this offseason for the four-time Pro Bowler, who recorded 73 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception during the 2025 campaign, would undoubtedly help a New England Patriots defense that ranked tied for 22nd in sacks per game in 2025.
"Maxx Crosby’s Raiders future is also being questioned around the league. Las Vegas shut down its five-time Pro Bowler last week against his wishes, and the relationship between the sides remains strained. It’s a dramatic shift from just two months ago, when Crosby and Davis nixed any trade discussions ahead of the Nov. 4 deadline.
Many believe Las Vegas will be open to moving its star pass rusher if the relationship remains at an impasse, allowing Crosby, who will turn 29 this summer, an opportunity to compete on a team built to win now."
However, if the Raiders are after a haul similar to the one the Dallas Cowboys received from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for their star pass rusher Micah Parsons, New England should walk away.
What the Patriots would have give up to pull off a trade for Maxx Crosby
When the Cowboys moved Parsons, they did so for a package that included Green Bay's 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, as well as three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Las Vegas is expected to be in search of a similar return for Crosby, as illustrated by some recent trade predictions from Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox.
Knox listed five potential landing spots for Crosby: the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Detroit Lions, and the San Francisco 49ers. In the trade scenarios he cooked up, all but one of those teams would have had to part with a pair of first-rounders (plus at least one depth player of some value and/or mid to late round picks) to acquire Crosby.
Only Cincinnati's hypothetical offer did not entail multiple first-rounders. Instead, Knox had the Bengals send out 2025 17th overall pick Shemar Stewart, along with a 2027 first-round and a 2026 second-round pick.
If New England were to compete with packages like those, it would mean parting with multiple premium draft picks, plus an already productive player at the minimum. We're talking offers like two first-rounders and Anfernee Jennings, or maybe a first, second/third, plus additional late-round compensation, and Christian Barmore for Crosby.
That's just too many assets for New England to forfeit in exchange for a single player, despite Crosby's undeniable talent and the Patriots' glaring need for a star pass rusher.
There new regime shouldn't take a risk as high as this blockbuster trade
We've already seen during the 2025 campaign alone how moving premium draft capital for a single player can go wrong fast in the NFL. While the Packers made the playoffs this season (albeit with a worse record than they had a year ago), Parsons tore his ACL in Week 15 and now faces a lengthy recovery process.
Now, as the Cowboys could potentially add a pair of players with first-round talent on team-friendly contracts to their roster over the next two offseasons, Green Bay will be lucky to get a handful of games out of their $188 million pass rusher over that same time span.
The Indianapolis Colts are another example of a franchise that may be feeling buyer's remorse after trading away significant draft capital for a single player. When Indy moved their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 (as well as wide receiver Adonai Mitchell) in exchange for New York Jets two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner, it was as an aggressive but understandable move for a 7-2 team with what appeared to be legitimately high postseason aspirations.
However, the Colts collapsed down the stretch after their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, went down, ultimately finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs. Instead of taking their place among the NFL's elite squads, Indianapolis ended up on the outside looking in while taking on the most expensive contract for a defensive back in league history.
The Pats must manage their contention window responsibly
With just two years remaining on Crosby's three-year, $106.5 million contract, the Patriots wouldn't be committed to him financially for long in the event of a disastrous injury like Parsons, but they'd still be down some important draft picks at a time when hitting on those selections is more important than ever to maximize their ability contend with quarterback Drake Maye throughout the coming years.
While the MVP-caliber play of Maye should incentivize the Patriots to make big moves that put talent around him so the team can win now, they can't go about it recklessly. Though a Crosby deal likely helps the team a lot in the short-term, his potential price puts their long-term future in jeopardy.
The Patriots have some financial flexibility in their immediate future before they will eventually need to pay Maye (and possibly cornerback Christian Gonzalez as well) a mega-deal. By that time, Crosby will be well into this thirties, and a pair of former first-rounders with a few years left on their rookie deals are likely to be more valuable for the team.