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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders takes the field prior to the game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Eagles are under a large microscope and enormous pressure.After winning the Super Bowl in 2024, their offense sputtered in 2025. Yes, they won 11 games. Yes, they were competitive most weeks. But success in Philadelphia is shaped in January, not September and a wild card exit at the hands of a depleted San Francisco 49ers squad erased much of the goodwill built the year before.
The Foundation Feels Shakier
Longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland has moved on. Landon Dickerson’s future is uncertain. Lane Johnson could be nearing the end or potentially following Stoutland elsewhere. The Eagles’ identity has long been built in the trenches. If that identity is even slightly compromised, then the response cannot be subtle.It has to be seismic.
The Case for a Blockbuster
That is why trading for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby is not a luxury. It is imperative.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports labeled the Eagles as a team to watch in a potential deal, projecting it would take a 2026 first round pick and 2027 second round pick to get it done.
“Howie Roseman is never shy about making a splash in the trade market. Oftentimes, he’s leading the charge on jaw-dropping offseason moves,” Sullivan writes. “In fact, Roseman and the Eagles reportedly checked in with the Cowboys to see if they’d trade (Micah) Parsons when that saga was unfolding, which suggests they could be interested in Crosby. Philadelphia did make an in-season trade to address its pass-rushing deficiencies, landing Jaelan Phillips from the Dolphins at the deadline. Before that deal (Weeks 1-9), the Eagles ranked 14th in pressure rate and were tied for 25th in sacks. After Phillips arrived (Weeks 10-18), they jumped to sixth in pressure rate and tied for fifth in sacks.”
The Eagles need disruption. They need to instill fear and create chaos. They need the kind of pass rusher who tilts protection schemes before the snap and wrecks game plans after it.
Crosby and Carter and Pray for Reign
Imagine what an opposing quarterback would be thinking trying to go through his pre-snap reads while feeling the vioation that’s about to come with Jalen Carter and Maxx Crosby kicking back some dust like two prize bulls ready to seek and destroy their target across the line of scrimmage.
You are talking about one of the most violent interior forces in football paired with one of the league’s most relentless edge rushers. Offensive coordinators would not sleep comfortably the week they face the Birds.
Crosby enters his age 29 season in 2026. That is not decline territory for elite edge players. It is prime territory. He is signed through 2029, but with just $30 million in guarantees remaining in 2026. Any acquiring team would likely explore an extension, spreading cap impact while securing one of the NFL’s most productive defenders.
The fourth round pick in 2019, 106th overall, out of Eastern Michigan, by the Raiders is not a one year rental, he is a window extender.
In seven seasons Crosby has racked up 69.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, 278 solo tackles and one interception.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the Eagles will be among the top teams in the mix if Crosby becomes available. “I would put the Eagles in the top three, five, whatever [teams] for Maxx Crosby if and when this thing opens up — and I do believe it’s going to open up,” Garafolo said Friday on The Anthony Gargano show.
As United States gold medal winning hockey coach Herb Brooks once famously said, “Great moments come from great opportunities.”
Well Howie, this is one of them.
This Is Where Howie Has to Be Howie
If you are Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, this is the moment you lean into your reputation and do your job.
The quarterback is the most important player on the field. The next most important non-quarterback? A game wrecking edge rusher with apologies to Left Tackle Nation.
The NFC is not waiting for Philadelphia to regroup. Contenders are loading up. If the offense has taken even a slight step backward, then the defense must take two steps forward.
Standing pat sends the wrong message. Trading for Crosby sends the only message that matters.
Message: We Are Not Done
The Eagles built their Super Bowl run on dominance up front. If the offensive line is entering a period of transition, the defensive line must become overwhelming. Crosby gives them that. He gives them edge setting, a relentless motor, playoff intensity, and weekly production.
The price will be steep. It should be. Franchise edge rushers do not hit the market often. But the price to not trade for him will be higher. Thus, Howie’s assignment should be crystal clear.