The Patriots still have one game to play — and a big one, at that — but it isn’t too early start speculating about offseason additions.
To that end, a particularly juicy rumor arrived on Wednesday afternoon courtesy of The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” show, Russini revealed that Raiders superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby “wants” to play for New England head coach Mike Vrabel.
“As for this upcoming offseason, outside free agency, the thing that I’m going to be watching are these players that perhaps want trades,” Russini said. “That’s what I want to see. Maxx Crosby doesn’t seem too happy in Las Vegas. Is he going to … ask out? I can tell you, I know he wants to play for Mike Vrabel. He’s told me before.”
Now, there’s a difference between wanting to play for Vrabel and wanting to play for the Patriots. It’s possible that Crosby told Russini about his affinity for Vrabel sometime before Vrabel became New England’s head coach. We just don’t know.
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Still, it stands to reason that, if Russini’s reporting is accurate, Crosby would be interested in playing for the Patriots. Plus, he recently expressed significant respect for New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was Crosby’s head coach in Las Vegas in 2022 and 2023.
Rumors about Crosby potentially being disillusioned with the Raiders surfaced late in the season, fueling speculation he could request a trade this offseason. Crosby isn’t guaranteed any money after next season, when he’s due $30 million along with a $35.7 million cap hit, making him a prime candidate for either a contract restructure or a trade.
Any team trading for Crosby would inherit the aforementioned contract details, so an extension likely would accompany any deal. Whether the Patriots would have the appetite for such a transaction remains to be seen, but Crosby is one of the NFL’s best players at a position that happens to be one of New England’s worst.
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It’s also fair to wonder whether Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, who plays a significant role in roster decision-making, would want to trade his team’s best player to the Patriots.
Crosby, who’ll turn 29 next August, earned five Pro Bowl nods and two Second-Team All-Pro selections over his first seven seasons with the Raiders. He posted 10 sacks, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and 73 tackles last season.
Featured image via James Lang/Imagn Images
