Patriots Named Trade Suitor for Raiders Superstar

The New England Patriots have been named a possible trade destinations for a Las Vegas Raiders superstar.

Dec 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates after a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are set to enter what should be a very busy NFL offseason. With lots of cap space and a lot of draft capital, the Patriots are in a great position.

Looking at the roster, there are quite a few areas where New England needs to improve.

Obviously, they have two glaring offensive weaknesses at wide receiver and on the offensive line. They badly need to build a better offense around young rising star quarterback Drake Maye.

However, there are also areas that the defense needs to improve in a big way.

Arguably the biggest need defensively is a better pass rush. Throughout the entire 2024 season, the Patriots could not get to the quarterback consistently. Thankfully, there are a few options to look at.

New England could consider targeting an elite pass rusher like Abdul Carter in the 2025 NFL Draft at No. 4 overall. They also could pursue on in free agency or in the trade market.

Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team has named a massive potential trade target for the Patriots. He thinks that Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby could make sense for them.

"The Patriots ranked 23rd in pass rush win rate this year, with just two players having more than 20 pressures on the year. Keion White looks like he could be a serviceable long-term EDGE, but could be better utilized by being paired with a star playing opposite of him," Brooke wrote.

"Christian Gonzalez is the only real star on New England's defense. A pass rusher like Crosby could make Gonzalez's job a whole lot easier and allow the Patriots to keep building out a defense alongside a competent offense for Drake Maye. The Raiders may be a bit less eager to trade Crosby within the conference, but at least the New England Patriots are a ways away from hurting Las Vegas as both teams try to rebuild their franchises."

During the 2024 NFL season with the Raiders, Crosby ended up playing in 12 games. He racked up 45 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and five defended passes. Back in 2023 in 17 games, Crosby ended up with 90 tackles, 14.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and two defended passes.

At 27 years old, Crosby could still fit the long-term picture for New England. He would be a perfect trade target depending on the price tag to get him.

Expect to continue hearing a lot of rumors surrounding the Patriots. They're one of the teams expected to be the most aggressive in the offseason.

Crosby may not end up being a target, but he would make an awful lot of sense to fix one of the biggest issues on the entire roster.

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