Expectations have been significantly raised for the Patriots in 2026.
In Year 1 under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots went 14-3 during the regular season and unexpectedly made the Super Bowl after finishing 4-13 in consecutive seasons. Now it’s about figuring out how to get back to the Super Bowl and win it all.
Vrabel and top front-office executives Eliot Wolf, Ryan Cowden and John Streicher have over $40 million in cap space (with other means to free up more) and 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Herald is publishing a daily series with five offseason fixes that cover the draft, free agency and trades that can help the Patriots get back to the Super Bowl.
No. 1: Trade for DE Maxx Crosby
The Patriots hold the 31st overall pick in what’s considered a relatively weak draft. They can stand pat and hope to land an edge defender or offensive tackle, or be proactive and send that pick (along with a player or future pick?) to the Raiders for one of the NFL’s top pass rushers.
Crosby wants to play for Vrabel, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
And Wolf told the Herald during Super Bowl week that he’s willing to make a trade if it can help the Patriots in the short- and long-term.
“But free agency, trades, waiver wire, poaching, all those avenues that I learned from Ted Thompson in Green Bay, that maybe was a little bit more averse to spending big in free agency in most cases, and didn’t really want to make any big trades,” Wolf said. “I don’t believe in that. I think if you have an opportunity to improve your roster in the short term and in the long term, that’s something you have to look at.”
Crosby, 28, still has four years and $112.93 million left on his contract. Selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Raiders, Crosby has 69.5 sacks and five Pro Bowl selections in seven seasons. He’s coming off of a 10-sack season in 15 games, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2025.
He’s led the NFL in tackles for loss twice in his career and has 133 TFLs in seven seasons. He’s accumulated 164 QB hits in his NFL career to go along with one interception, 29 passes defended, 11 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
The Patriots had a stout defense in 2025, but they were more consistent at generating pressure from the interior with defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. Toss Crosby into the mix, and they could have a pass rush that stacks up with the Texans, Broncos and Seahawks.
Outside linebackers Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson are currently signed for the 2026 season. K’Lavon Chaisson, a 2025 standout, is among the Patriots’ top free agents.
Adding Crosby would eat up draft capital and subtract cap space, but the Patriots could immediately convert some of Crosby’s $30 million base salary in 2026 into a signing bonus to create $21.53 million in cap savings.
Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, Jaelan Phillips, Boye Mafe, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Jadeveon Clowney are PFF’s top-ranked free-agent edge defenders. They have Hendrickson’s contract projection set at one-year, $21 million and Oweh at four years, $77 million.
Crosby is younger and more consistent than Hendrickson and a more complete player than Oweh.
The Patriots’ Super Bowl LX loss to the Seahawks showed that offensive line is still the Patriots’ biggest weakness, but there’s hope for the future that players like Will Campbell and Jared Wilson can improve with age and experience. The Patriots also have other paths to improve at guard and tackle through free agency and the draft.
The Super Bowl also showed that a path to winning it all can come from generating unrelenting pressure that Seattle brought against Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
A player like Crosby, paired with Williams, Barmore, Landry, Ponder and possibly Chaisson, can bring that game-changing pressure from all angles along the front seven.
Having a top-tier quarterback like Maye and head coach like Vrabel means the Super Bowl is at least on the table any season. But the Patriots should maximize their chances of a title when Maye is still on a rookie contract.
Now is the time to make a splash move, and dealing for Crosby would qualify.