For all the talk of a potential A.J. Brown trade, you could argue the Patriots would be better off making Maxx Crosby their top offseason acquisition.

One of the top pass rushers in the NFL, Crosby would fill a major need for New England while raising the ceiling of its already-excellent defense. But will the Las Vegas Raiders even trade Crosby, and if they do, are the Patriots a realistic destination?

Insider James Palmer of Bleacher Report and The Athletic offered an update on both fronts this week.

“I think there’s a chance that this happens this week,” Palmer said on a recent “Wake Up Barstool” episode. “Is it a Micah (Parsons) deal? I don’t know if it’s all of that. … I think New England’s in it.”

 

What team is Maxx Crosby going to play for in 2026 @JamesPalmerTV pic.twitter.com/lbDLzgD6sN

— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) March 4, 2026

 

As Palmer noted, Crosby might not fetch the kind of return the Dallas Cowboys received for Parsons, who was traded to the Green Bay Packers last offseason for defensive lineman Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Packers also immediately gave Parsons a four-year, $188 million extension.

Nevertheless, Crosby likely will cost a team at least a first-round pick, along with additional assets. The five-time Pro Bowler still is just 28 years old (29 in August) and posted double-digit sacks in four of his first seven seasons in Las Vegas, including a career-best 14.5 sacks in 2023.

Whether the Patriots would be willing to trade valuable assets and extend Crosby, who only has one season of guaranteed salary left on his contract, remains to be seen. But all signs point toward them having a genuine interest in trading for one of football’s premier defensive playmakers.

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