Jaelan Phillips Over Max Crosby: Why the Eagles Should Keep Their Own Pass Rusher

The Crosby Hype Machine

Every offseason, rumors swirl connecting the Eagles to blockbuster trades. This year's flavor? Max Crosby. The Raiders' relentless pass rusher has been linked to Philadelphia ever since Mike Garafolo stoked the fire, and the fan base is predictably split.

Here's the take: re-sign Jaelan Phillips. Don't overthink this.

The Math Doesn't Lie

Phillips is 26. Crosby is 28 — but he's an old 28. Nobody in the NFL plays more defensive snaps than Max Crosby. Over his seven-year career, he's been an iron man on a terrible team, logging 16-17 games per season at an absurd snap rate (94%+ in each of the last four years, 928 snaps last season alone).

That kind of mileage catches up to every player. Crosby's PFF grades have already started slipping — from top-four finishes early in his career to 25th and 15th the last two seasons. The descent is gradual, but it's real, and it's directly correlated to the tread coming off the tires.

Phillips, meanwhile, played his best football under Vic Fangio after the midseason trade from Miami. He's younger, he fits the scheme, and the coaching staff already has a relationship with him. Why would you give up the draft capital (rumored to be a first and a second) AND pay more money for a player whose best days may be behind him?

The Howie Roseman Logic Test

Think about this from Howie Roseman's perspective. He traded a third-round pick for Jaelan Phillips. Does it make any sense to then let Phillips walk in free agency, only to trade a first AND a second for Crosby AND pay him more annually?

That's not how Howie operates. That's not how any smart GM operates. You acquire a player cheaply, he produces, and then you pay to keep him. That's the model.

A deal around three years, $66 million ($22M AAV) would likely get Phillips locked in. That's reasonable, that's manageable within the cap structure, and it keeps a player who Fangio clearly values as a core piece of the defense.

Crosby as Plan B

If — and only if — the Phillips negotiation completely falls apart, then you explore the Crosby option. He's still a very productive player. But as a Plan A? No chance. Keep the younger, cheaper, scheme-fit player who's already proven he can dominate in this defense.

The Eagles' pass rush is set with Phillips, Jalyx Hunt's emerging potential, and the continued development of their edge rotation. Don't blow up a good thing chasing a shiny name.