Andrew Buller-Russ
Tom Brady’s playing days with the New England Patriots are long gone. Now he’s influencing decisions as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, and possibly getting back at his old team.
On Friday, the Raiders completed what’s likely to be their biggest move of the offseason, trading Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. The Ravens may have won the Crosby trade sweepstakes, but they weren’t the only team trying to land the five-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher.
According to ESPN’s NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots were another team involved in trading for Crosby. Yet, according to Fowler, Brady was never going to let Crosby, arguably the Raiders’ best player, be traded to the Patriots, who are coached by his old teammate/friend Mike Vrabel.
“One person involved in the trade made an interesting point about the Patriots’ chances at Crosby: ‘No way Tom [Brady] was sending Maxx to [Mike] Vrabel.'”
The Patriots will have to look elsewhere to boost their sack production this offseason, but in a draft class rich with pass-rushers, they’ll have plenty of opportunities. The Patriots have 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including three picks in the first 95 selections.
Meanwhile, the Ravens have picked up one of the league’s premier pass-rushers. Yet, they also had a much stronger trade chip, with the 14th overall pick, compared to New England, which picks 31st.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 Projections Before NFL Free Agency
