If your head is spinning at the moment, I don't blame you. Tuesday night, the NFL world was shocked to learn that Maxx Crosby was once again a trade option -- and the Philadelphia Eagles are always a team to watch.
For those just catching up, the Baltimore Ravens backed out of their trade for Crosby at the last minute, only to wind up agreeing to sign Trey Hendrickson the next day. That's an entirely different and lengthy story, though.
The point is, now, the Eagles could once again be a player for Crosby via trade.
But, how would Howie Roseman be able to make it all work, financially?
The Eagles' financial path to pay Maxx Crosby after a trade is quite simple
If you were to wander over to Over The Cap and take a look at the Eagles' current situation, you might find it impossible for Roseman and company to make a trade like this work, at this point. After all, Crosby's cap number for 2026 is just over $35 million.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have roughly $10 million in cap space. And, remember, they've got to save some of that to pay their upcoming draft class.
So, how on earth will they be able to afford a Crosby trade now?
Really, it's three simple moves. First of all, the Eagles can opt to extend defensive lineman Moro Ojomo. It seemed likely, already, that he'd end up getting an extension this offseason. So, when that's done, the Eagles open up another $2.3 million in cap space.
From there, they could include Nolan Smith in the trade for Crosby (or trade Smith elsewhere) and save another $2 million.
I know, those aren't huge numbers. But, here comes the big one.
After the Eagles trade for Crosby, they can easily restructure his deal and save another $21.5 million in doing so.
And just like that, Philly has opened up over $25 million to absorb the Crosby contract.
There's one more problem, though, and that's an inability to pay the 2026 rookies.
One well-respected salary cap expert, Brian McFarland, believes the Crosby restructure could actually take an even bigger turn and bring his cap number all the way down to a mere $7 million for the 2026 season.
If that's the case, then the Eagles have everything they need.
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At first glance, it seems impossible for Philly to make a Crosby deal happen, financially speaking. But, just a couple of simple moves later, and he could be making his way to the City of Brotherly Love.