The Buffalo Bills have taken some big swings to improve their pass rush, using first- and second-day picks in recent NFL drafts and handing a big contract to All-Pro Von Miller.
But despite the big investments over the last few years, the Bills have still struggled to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. That was glaringly clear in recent playoff losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, where quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to beat the team on the ground and through the air.
The Bills could be ready for another big investment this offseason, with Jarrett Bailey of The Sporting News predicting the team could trade for Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby in a blockbuster deal this offseason.
Bills Could Make Huge Addition to Their Defense
Bailey predicted the Bills could pay a big price to land the edge rusher, putting together a mock proposal that sees the Bills ship their next two first-round picks along with a fourth and sixth this season to land Crosby.
He added that the Bills have struggled to find a big-impact player with their recent first-round picks, so could instead turn their next two over to the Raiders for a proven star.
“Look at the current run of Bills’ first-round picks – Dalton Kincaid, Kaiir Elam, Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver. Plus, Keon Coleman and A.J. Epenesa were the team’s top picks in 2024 and 2020, respectively, as second-round choices,” Bailey wrote. “None of these guys have turned into superstars and lived up to the spot in which they were drafted. Trade a pair of first-round picks for a true game-wrecking edge rusher that they haven’t had since Josh Allen was drafted. The Achilles heel for the Bills has been their lack of pass rush in big games. That immediately changes with Crosby.”
The 27-year-old Crosby is coming off a season where he made 45 total tackles with 7.5 sacks.
Maxx Crosby’s Future Remains Unclear
Though there have been growing trade rumors surrounding Crosby, the star edge rusher has said he remains committed to the Raiders and took aim at the speculation about his future.
“There’s always going to be the clickbait [expletive], especially this time of year. I don’t know why,” Crosby said in an episode of his The Rush with Maxx Crosby podcast. “It’s just funny like the last two years the trade rumors have been out of hand, and now it’s at an all-time high. I feel like everything I say, they take it in a certain way.”
Crosby may not just be paying lip service to his team. He met recently with new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek, sharing some praise for the vision they have brought to the team.
“The main things that (Carroll) talked about is, we’re going right now,” Crosby said, via NFL.com. “We’re not wasting time. That’s the one thing he mentioned to me after his press conference. We’re going to get this thing rolling. So, it’s exciting. That’s my mentality every year. I want to win every year. That’s the competition in me, and I see that in him. I feel like everybody, from the new ownership group, from (owner) Mark (Davis), everybody’s on the same mindset when it comes to attacking this new regime.”
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