ClutchPoints
With Super Bowl 59 officially in the bag, the Philadelphia Eagles now find themselves in the position to defend their Lombardi Trophy for the second time in eight years.
On one hand, there are 31 other teams that would love to be in that situation, especially the Kansas City Chiefs, who turned in a brutal effort in the “Big Game,” but the Eagles can’t just roll into 2025 with a largely intact roster for their defense, as they do have a number of quality players who will be free agents next month, including Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, who could earn contract offers north of Philadelphia’s means.
Fortunately, Howie Roseman has a number of avenues to keep his team competitive, including free agency, the draft, and trade, with some very interesting options potentially on the block this spring.
With a big need at edge rusher versus a market headlined largely by their own talent, the Eagles could look to the AFC to help secure a defensive end/outside linebacker to keep Vic Fangio’s rush potent ahead of one of the most highly anticipated seasons in Philadelphia history.
If the Eagles are going to make a big trade at a position of need this offseason, the perfect player to pursue is none other than Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
Now sure, Crosby isn’t the biggest name on the proverbial trade block, and he won’t earn as many headlines if that other defensive end is moved this offseason, but that doesn’t mean the Raiders’ rusher is a slouch by any means. If anything, his slightly lower price tag could make him a better fit in Philadelphia overall, as does his on-field performance.
Standing 6-foot-5, 255 pounds with long arms and a relentless motor, Crosby has transformed himself from a fourth-round pick out of non-NFL incubator Eartner Michigan into one of the better edges in the NFL. He’s averaged nearly ten sacks per season over his NFL career, leading the NFL in tackles for loss twice over his career, and has made it into the Pro Bowl four times as a result.
And the best part? Crosby is doing it all while playing an absolute ton of defensive snaps.
That’s right, while most teams – but, crucially enough, not Vic Fangio’s Eagles defense – often rotate their defensive linemen to keep their rushers fresh, Crosby almost never leaves the field for the Raiders, logging at least 900 defensive snaps in four of the last five season, while missing just three percent of LV’s defensive snaps in 2024. Because he never leaves the field, Crosby has become a good run defender to go with his pass-rushing abilities, and as a result, he’s become a fan favorite in Las Vegas for putting it all on the line for his team weekly.
Would it be weird to trade for a player who literally has his current team’s logo tattooed on his body? Sure, maybe a little bit, but if the Eagles...
