Maxx Crosby in Mike Vrabel's defense would be elite.
The New England Patriots have been predicted to make a blockbuster trade during the 2026 season.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report predicts that the Patriots will acquire Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders.
"The Raiders will go through rough patches as they grow together, but Crosby, who turns 29 in August, may not have many optimal years left," Moton wrote. "General manager John Spytek may decide it's best to trade the star edge-rusher for a first-round pick and more while he's still playing at a Pro Bowl level on a team that may be a year or two away from playoff contention.
"The New England Patriots may seek help for their pass rush in the second half of the upcoming campaign. They allowed K'Lavon Chaisson to walk in free agency. According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Harold Landry III underwent offseason knee surgery."
New England racked up 35 sacks in 2025. That was good for only 25th in the NFL. Mike Vrabel needs an elite pass rusher to lead his defense and Crosby fits that bill to a T.
Crosby would take the Patriots' defense to another level. The talented defender is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL. He has 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.
Las Vegas traded Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, but the Ravens backed out because they had medical concerns about the pass-rusher's knee.
Crosby has said he's happy to be back with the Raiders, but the team could revisit trade offers if it goes into sell mode near the 2026 midseason deadline.
The Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl last season. Adding Crosby to Vrabel's defense would make New England more formidable defensively, especially when attacking opposing QBs.
In Year 2 of the Vrabel era, the Patriots face the Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Raiders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. That's a pretty tough schedule.
New England may need to bolster its defense with a signing to make the playoffs.
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the "Join" button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
