If the latest price on Maxx Crosby is real, the Patriots have to be on the phone.
A deal that once looked like it was off the table has apparently found new life. Crosby was traded to the Ravens earlier this offseason, only for Baltimore to back out, and the Raiders have continued to say they intend to keep him. Even so, the noise around a possible move before this season’s trade deadline hasn’t gone away, and New England has been tied to the possibility of landing one of the league’s most disruptive pass rushers.
The key change is cost. What would have been an absurd ask earlier in the offseason now sounds a lot more manageable.
Bryan Broaddus of Crown Global Media reported that a 2027 first-round pick and probably a mid-round choice in 2028 would be enough to get a deal done. That is a far cry from the Ravens’ reported package of the No. 14 overall pick in this year’s draft and next year’s first-rounder.
For a Patriots team that has already shown a willingness to spend premium draft capital to add top-end talent, that kind of price should not scare them off. They sent a 2028 first-round pick and a fifth-rounder next year to the Eagles for A.J. Brown, a move that made clear they are not thinking small.
Their defense, though, still needs a centerpiece on the line. Right now, the pass rush is being led by Harold Landry, who began training camp on the PUP list, and Dre’Mont Jones, whose track record has been mostly underwhelming. Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson have flashed at times, but both remain unproven and risky bets to count on for a full season.
That is where Crosby fits. He would instantly give the Patriots a player they could put on the field without second-guessing, a leader who could change the look of their weakest unit from day one. If the price has truly dropped to something in this range, there is no real excuse not to explore it.
There are still caveats. Crosby is 28 and comes with alleged lingering injury issues, and if he starts the season at a high level, the market around him could heat up fast. But that should not stop New England from making the call now.
The urgency is obvious. The Patriots finished the 2025 season against the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, and they are already being written off by plenty of people this year because of a tough schedule and the reality that young quarterbacks do not often get back to the big game that quickly. Mike Vrabel and company need every edge they can find.
Crosby would be that kind of edge. If the Raiders really would move him for a 2027 first and a mid-round pick in 2028, the Patriots should be all over it.
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