Three Trade Scenarios For The Eagles If Maxx Crosby Becomes Available

One of these players will be an Eagle next season. It can’t be both because it would be too expensive. So, general manager Howie Roseman and his staff have to choose – Jaelan Phillips or Maxx Crosby.

Technically, Crosby isn’t available. Yet. There is a lot of chatter in league circles that Las Vegas could look to trade him. The Raiders pass rush star’s $32.5 million salary is already guaranteed for the 2026 season. His $30M salary fully vests if he is on the Raiders’ roster just two days into the league’s new year, which begins March 11.

It’s a lot, but Phillips won’t come cheaply, either. He could reach Crosby’s high-salaried neighborhood, even though he isn’t the sack machine Crosby is.

Phillips has 28 in his career, which began in 2021, but he affects the game in other ways, the kind of ways defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes. This will likely be Fangio’s final year, so when the DC heads into retirement, will those impact plays continue for whoever takes Fangio’s place?

We don’t know. What we know is that Phillips will turn 27 in the spring, and he is strong at dropping into pass coverage. Crosby will hit 29 just before the season begins. We also know that Crosby isn’t as good in pass coverage, but he has 69.5 sacks since entering the league in 2019. He’s also managed to stay relatively injury-free, something Phillips has struggled to do.

Jaelan Phillips Or Maxx Crosby?

My choice between the two is Crosby, if he becomes available. No offense to Phillips. Either way, the Eagles won’t have long to decide. They are most certainly working the phones to see about Crosby’s availability before free agency’s legal tampering begins on March 9, because by then, they will have to know if they are going to target Phillips to return.

And you know Roseman is working the lines with the Raiders because they tried to acquire Micah Parsons from the Cowboys last year, but the conversation died when Dallas asked for Jalen Carter in return.

So, why wouldn’t he be working the phones for Crosby? Here are some possible trade scenarios:

Trade A.J. Brown for Crosby straight up. This feels like a long shot, but the Raiders need receivers, and Brown would be a great one to get, and a tough one for the Eagles to let go. The salaries are a close match, but the Eagles would take a hit in dead money, and their salary cap wouldn’t get any relief - unless the trade is done with a post-June 1 designation. The Raiders might want a draft pick, too, though that would not be a deal-breaker for me in a draft that isn’t considered very strong. The Raiders have 10 picks this spring, so maybe they’d take a pick in 2027 or 2028.

Trade Nolan Smith, Tanner McKee, and Tyler Steen. Could this be done without sweetening the pot with a draft pick? This deal would alter the Eagles’ draft strategy. They would be left with only Jalen Hurts as their quarterback and would need to find another pass rusher to team with Crosby. The good news is, NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah tweeted this out about the position:

If you need an edge rusher, this is a good draft to double up. The depth of the class is impressive. I've got 10 guys worthy of a spot in top 50 players. There's another layer of traitsy players beyond that group.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 13, 2026

Steen was the only Eagles lineman who started all 17 games last year. His departure would leave a dent in the offensive line room, but maybe the Eagles would then try to bring back Mekhi Becton and, of course, replenish with a pick or two in the draft.

Trade a third-round pick this year and next year, along with a fourth in 2028 (the Eagles have two) and Smith. Smith is under contract control for at least one more year, though the Eagles – or the Raiders, if he is dealt – could pick up the team option on Smith’s rookie deal for 2027. That makes him an attractive target in a deal, and he turned just 25 last month. He has 15 sacks in 51 career games, counting the playoffs.

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