Could the Washington Commanders pull off the offseason stunner to land Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby ahead of 2026?
Maxx Crosby to DC - yes or no?
With a long list of needs and questions to answer, the Washington Commanders are beginning to finalize its 2026 coaching staff with a Big Ten assistant reportedly on board. But the next phase of the offseason will turn to plugging the several roster holes as general manager Adam Peters looks to bounce back from a five-win season behind a top-ten selection and favorable cap standing and over $67 million in cap space.
That number could grow to north of $80 million if Washington elects to move on from cornerback Marshon Lattimore, one of a handful of roster cut candidates, after his most recent arrest and poor play in his season and change with the organization. Washington will also likely watch wide receiver Deebo Samuel move on with projections that he heads back west but with the Los Angeles Chargers as they look to fill his role among several free agent targets, but they were also projected to prioritize a pair of wide receivers in the trade market this week.
Bleacher Report pointed to a pair of wide receivers from NFL teams in Florida in Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. and Dolphins' Tyreek Hill as top targets for Washington this season.
Thomas is coming off 48 catches for 707 yards and 91 targets, all second on the team to Parker Washington, while he also notched a pair of receiving touchdowns in Jacksonville's division winning season. Hill, meanwhile, saw his season cut short after suffering a torn ACL in week four of the NFL season, ending a short year with 21 catches for 265 yards and one touchdown on 29 targets.
But if Hill materializes into a trade target, Kansas City could be an intriguing homecoming destination with Eric Bienemy now back as offensive coordinator while the Chiefs need upgraded weapons around quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Thomas could be the more realistic target of the two and has a connection given he spent two seasons with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels at LSU before both materialized into 2024 first round picks.
But maybe the most intriguing projection is the inclusion of Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby as a top trade target, who drew headlines late in the season.
The star edge rusher was benched for Las Vegas' final two games of the 2025 season with the front office viewed to be eyeing the chance to secure the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a move that drew headlines around the league at the time given Crosby's competitiveness. Speculation quickly turned to Crosby as likely to remain with the Raiders in the days after the news, but heading into year two of a three year, $106.5 million contract, that tune drastically changed on Wednesday.
Jay Glazer of FOX noted that he believes Crosby's time with the organization is over following the team's decision to end 2025, prompting a fresh round of trade speculation. Glazer then added the trade return for Crosby could surpass Micah Parson, who landed in Green Bay in exchange for two first round picks and a three-time Pro Bowler in defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network refuted the possible trade price for Crosby because "[Parsons] was younger," albeit by just two years.
But for a team that made clear that adding a pass rusher is a focus, coupled with the reported decision to add a front seven specialist to the coaching staff, Crosby would serve as a big boost for a Commanders defense that registered just 42 sacks in 2025.
The question is, with limited draft capital in 2026 and so many needs, will Washington be able to build the most attractive trade package? And after noting the need to get younger, is adding Crosby the move that Washington needs?