Patriots Among Teams Trying to Land All-Pro Defender

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has identified that defensive end Maxx Crosby is potentially on his way out of the Las Vegas Raiders, and the New England Patriots are in the mix to land him.

"There’s also logic to the idea that it’s time for Crosby, who very badly wants to win, and the team, to move on," Breer wrote. "The Raiders will almost certainly have a rookie quarterback playing in the fall, and it could take a year or two to get the roster to where it needs to be. Would Crosby still be in his prime then? Would the Raiders be able to get the same price a year or two from now that they might bring home this week? These are the questions the Raiders will have to ask themselves, weighing keeping one of the NFL’s best players against having more capital to build a team that Fernando Mendoza has a great chance to grow with."

Breer also identified several potential landing spots for Crosby, which includes the New England Patriots.

"We should know soon enough which path the Raiders are taking, with teams like Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, New England, Philadelphia and the Rams keeping tabs on his availability," Breer said.

Who Could Maxx Crosby Be for the Patriots?

Standing at 6’5” 255-pound, colleague Mike D'Abate identified that Crosby is signed through 2029 at an average payout of $29 million per year. The Raiders would absorb only $5.1 million in dead-cap charges by trading him. New England’s current cap situation would allow them to incur the cost provided additional cap-clearing moves were made to ensure sound operation.