New England Patriots
Some of the top edge rushers that could move this offseason include Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson.
Trey Hendrickson logged 35 sacks in two seasons before missing most of the 2025 campaign due to injury. (AP Photo/Stew Milne, File)
February 28, 2026 | 12:26 PM
3 minutes to read
Edge rusher is a pretty big need for the Patriots this offseason, and the team seems to know that. However, they might not be able to acquire any of the top edge rushers on the market this offseason.
The Patriots’ front office is expecting the team to be priced out of landing Trey Hendricks of the Bengals, Jaelan Phillips of the Eagles, and Odafe Oweh of the Chargers in free agency, the Boston Herald‘s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported. It’s also believed that the Raiders aren’t in a hurry to trade Maxx Crosby, as it’s possible he could remain in Vegas until the week of the NFL Draft, according to Callahan and Kyed.
MassLive’s Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian also reported Friday that while the Patriots are fans of Hendrickson and Phillips, it’s unclear how much the team would be willing to spend in order to land one of the two standout edge rushers.
Hendrickson, Phillips, and Oweh are all widely viewed as a few of the top overall available free agents this offseason. Some top free-agent lists even have Hendrickson at No. 1. Hendrickson recorded 57 sacks in his first four seasons in Cincinnati before posting a four-sack season in 2025, missing 10 games due to a hip injury.
Phillips, meanwhile, was linked to the Patriots before the Dolphins traded him to the Eagles ahead of the trade deadline in November. Even though he only had five sacks last season, Phillips logged 44 pressures in just nine games after getting traded to the Eagles, per Pro Football Focus. He finished the regular season with 73 total pressures as a result, which was top 10 among all edge rushers.
Oweh was also moved at the trade deadline, going from the Ravens to the Chargers. He had 7.5 sacks in 12 games with Los Angeles after logging 10 sacks in Baltimore a year prior.
As for Crosby, he would be the top edge rusher to switch teams this offseason if the Raiders opt to trade him. The five-time Pro Bowler was reportedly upset with the team’s decision to shut him down at the end of the 2025 season, leading to trade speculation in recent weeks. Reports emerged this week that the Raiders were looking for at least two first-round picks for Crosby, although Las Vegas general manager John Spytek said the team wasn’t looking to trade him.
There are some other notable names at edge rusher that could be available in free agency this offseason, including the Patriots’ own K’Lavon Chaisson. In his first year in New England, Chaisson recorded a career-high 7.5 sacks in the regular season and added three more in the playoffs.
The Seahawks’ Boye Mafe is also among that group of veteran edge rushers expected to hit the open market. New England had interest in Mafe ahead of the trade deadline, but Seattle kept him. While Mafe only recorded two sacks in the regular season, he logged 44 pressures in 2025, per PFF.
New England is armed with roughly $40 million in cap space this offseason.
Of course, the Patriots could also opt to bolster their pass rush in the draft. Even though they have the 31st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, this year’s class is viewed to be deep at edge rusher.
Missouri’s Zion Young has emerged as an early favorite for the Patriots, as he has some fans of his play in the organization, according to Daniels and Guregian. Young had 6.5 sacks this past season, but his 52 pressures were 18th among all edge rushers, while his 15 quarterback hits ranked fourth in the nation.
Young told reporters that he met with the Patriots at the combine this week. He also participated in on-field drills, but didn’t do any of the athletic testing.
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