A blockbuster A.J. Brown trade idea lands the Philadelphia Eagles a five-time Pro Bowler.
The Philadelphia Eagles are widely expected to trade WR A.J. Brown this offseason and one NFL analyst believes Howie Roseman should target a five-time Pro Bowler.
Matt Okada of NFL.com proposed the following blockbuster trade idea:
Philadelphia Eagles get: Maxx Crosby, 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 67)
Las Vegas Raiders get: A.J. Brown, 2026 1st-round pick (No. 23)
This is a massive trade idea. The Eagles are trading Brown to the Raiders for Crosby, who was traded to the Baltimore Ravens before the Ravens backed out of the deal because of medical reasons.
Crosby would take the Eagles' defense to another level. The talented defender is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. He had 10 sacks in 2025 for the Raiders despite playing on a torn meniscus.
The 28-year-old Crosby has been in the NFL since 2019. He has 69.5 sacks, 278 solo tackles, 133 tackles for loss and 164 QB hits in 110 games.
The Eagles' defense finished fifth in the NFL in scoring defense last season, giving up only 19.1 points per game. Philadelphia's 56.8% completion percentage allowed led the league, while its 75.4 passer rating ranked second. Those numbers would likely be even better with Crosby in the fold next to Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
It will be fascinating to see if the Eagles trade for Crosby, who doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract. Philadelphia lost Jaelan Phillips to the Carolina Panthers in free agency, so its defensive pressure could drop off next season. Adding Crosby to Vic Fagio's defense could make Philadelphia the overwhelming Super Bowl favorite for next season.
The Eagles would absorb a dead cap hit of over $40 million if they trade Brown before June 1, compared with less than $20 million in dead cap if a trade is consummated after that date. The team acquiring Brown would be responsible for his $29 million salary in 2026 and around $4 million in guaranteed money in 2027.
Brown and the Eagles agreed to a three-year, $96 million extension in April 2024. That's a lot of money for a guy who was grumpy and unproductive last season.
Brown had 78 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He and QB Jalen Hurts weren't on the same page.
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