The Jacksonville Jaguars exceeded expectations this season, winning 12 games for the first time since 2005. But regardless of how things end, they'll once again need to put in the work in the offseason if they want to once again make the playoffs for the second year in a row. The good news is that the roster isn't devoid of talent, but general manager James Gladstone will need to address several key positions.
One area that could use upgrades is the pass rush. Jacksonville has Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen in the mix but could bolster the rotation. Sure, Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II flashed in 2025, but the Jags may want to bring in a proven commodity. One prominent name that will garner plenty of trade interest in the offseason is Maxx Crosby.
The All-Pro defensive end isn't seemingly pleased with the direction of the Las Vegas Raiders. This has led to speculation about his future with the Silver & Black, and if he ultimately forces his way out, he'll have no shortage of suitors. The Jags will probably be one of them, though.
Why the Raiders could place Maxx Crosby on the trade block
Since the Raiders made him a fourth-round pick in 2019, Maxx Crosby has been one of the most dominant defensive ends in the NFL, registering 69.5 sacks in 110 career games. On top of that, he's made the Pro Bowl in all but one of his seven seasons.
Simply put, the Eastern Michigan product is the kind of pass rusher that can quickly improve a defense. However, he recently voiced his displeasure about Las Vegas' decision to hold him out for the rest of the season to avoid exposing him to injury risk.
Crosby has been playing through a knee injury, so you could make the case that the Raiders just wanted to keep him healthy. But if that was the case, they would've shut him down earlier in the season when he first got injured, not now.
Now, Las Vegas and Crosby could end up mending things, but if their relationship is beyond repairing, the best course of action will be trading him for draft picks. Given his status as a top edge rusher, he could net a first-round selection and an additional third or fourth. Heck, a team desperate enough may be willing to give the Raiders a first and a second. But wait, there's more.
The team that trades for Crosby will take on his $30 million salary for 2026 and a series of $28 million options from 2027 through 2029. That could turn out to be a hefty price for the Jaguars.
Related: Rich Eisen just explained why the Jags won't reach their ceiling until 2026
Trading for Maxx Crosby wouldn't make sense for the Jaguars
Make no mistake, Maxx Crosby could turn their Jaguars pass rush from good to outright terrifying. Behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, the player known as The Condor would wreak havoc across the NFL. That said, trading for him would be cost-prohibitive for Jacksonville.
Crosby is most definitely worth a first and an additional selection. The trouble is that the Jaguars gave up their first-rounder in 2026 as part of the package to move up for Travis Hunter in last year's draft. Couple that with the fact that Jacksonville is currently $2.6 million in the red, and the resources to pull the trigger aren't there.
Granted, the team's brass will restructure contracts and release players to free up cap space. But even then, trading for Crosby would prevent the Jags from re-signing pending free agents such as running back Travis Etienne, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and cornerback Montaric Brown. To make matters worse, acquiring Crosby would leave the team devoid of capital to replace any of them.
When you add it all up, it doesn't make sense for the Jaguars to trade for Maxx Crosby. Maybe if they had more draft picks and cap space, they should consider the possibility. But without them, they're better off passing on him.