The Eagles whiffed on Maxx Crosby. It should remind them of what they stand to lose with A.J. Brown.

Lane Johnson let it be known Feb. 19 that he would return for a 14th season with the Eagles.

Johnson let it be known Thursday afternoon whom he wanted on his team: five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Johnson tweeted an eyes-alerted emoji and tagged Crosby, who was on the trade block. It was a clear indication of what Johnson thought Howie Roseman should do.

The general manager should’ve heeded his best player’s advice, especially because it might be his best player’s last season. The Eagles have a one-year Lane Johnson window, and they would be foolish to not take advantage of it. When Johnson quits, the offensive line will implode. It no longer will mask the shortcomings of quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni.

As things stand, assuming their offensive line returns healthier — left guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens have injury issues as well — and assuming they don’t do something stupid, like trade star receiver A.J. Brown, then the Eagles will be the best team in the NFC East, again.

If they’d somehow managed to land Crosby, then they might have been able to offset the talent deficit left by trading Brown. As it stands, Brown remains as precious as ever.

The move also seems to take one of the most likely suitors for Brown off the table. The Ravens just spent their trade capital on Crosby, which leaves the Patriots and Broncos as the Eagles’ most likely trade partners.

» READ MORE: A.J. Brown’s pool of trade suitors is smaller after the Bills’ D.J. Moore move. The Eagles must demand a first-round pick for Brown.

Howie, don’t even pick up the phone.

Nobody who’s been around Johnson for more than a minute believed that he was seriously considering retirement after the 2025 season. Johnson will be 36 when the season starts, he remains a superior right tackle, and, despite missing eight games with a foot injury last season (including playoffs), he has been remarkably durable. Also, he absolutely loves being Lane Johnson.

Beyond next season? That’s a different story.

A team source told me last month that he believes Johnson’s career beyond 2026 depends on how 2026 goes. It depends on how much Johnson likes new offensive line coach Chris Kuper, who replaced legendary Jeff Stoutland, who quit. It depends on how much Johnson likes new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will replace foundations of Sirianni’s basic offensive tenets. And, more than anything, it will depend on how much success the Eagles have after their massive Super Bowl hangover season of frustration and malcontent.

Johnson wants to go out on top. He knew that Crosby would immediately have made the Eagles the league’s top dog.

It would’ve been expensive.

A deal for Crosby cost the Ravens this year’s first-round pick and next year’s first-round pick, and first-round picks in Philly are golden. With DeVonta Smith, Jordan Davis, Carter, and Quinyon Mitchell, Howie’s been on a first-round roll.

Crosby also makes about $30 million each of the next two seasons.

It would have been worth it. If they’re considering giving Jaelan Phillips $25 million per season — they shouldn’t, but they are — then they shouldn’t have blinked at Crosby’s price tag.

» READ MORE: ‘Don’t take the easy way out.’ A.J. Brown’s plea to struggling NFL players reveals compassion, maturity.

The disappointment resonates louder because the Birds considered adding costly edge talent before.

They pursued Micah Parsons last offseason, but the Cowboys, wary of reinforcing their chief rival, refused to trade him to the Eagles. They instead traded Parsons to the Packers, who sent Dallas two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.

Why fret over a deal that didn’t get done? Because Crosby is great.

Since 2022, only five players have more than his 44½ sacks. No one has more than his 90 tackles for loss, and he led all edge players with 186 solo tackles.

He is great, and he would make the D-Line great again. Don’t forget that it was a monster D-line that took the Birds to their second title two years ago.

Saquon Barkley might have set a rushing record, but the Eagles’ top-ranked defense was the top-ranked defense because it had the top-ranked pass defense, and that was predicated on a dominant defensive line. Free agency cost that line Josh Sweat and Milton Williams. Injury cost Carter three games and diminished him for several others. The defense dipped from No. 1 to No. 13.

There is no argument that Johnson is an all-time Eagles great, and by far the best Bird during the current nine-year Golden Era. In fact, considering his consistent excellence over these nine seasons, there’s an argument that Johnson might be the best Eagle ever. Johnson might at least be the third-best Eagle in history, after Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White.

A third Super Bowl title would cement Johnson’s status as an all-timer not just in Philadelphia but in the NFL. It would help folks forget his two PED suspensions. It would help ease his path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the best player on a dynastic team that won three Super Bowls in 10 years.

But, as Johnson knows, he can’t do it by himself. As Johnson knows, there may be no tomorrow. That’s why he wanted Crosby.

It’s why the Eagles must retain Brown, warts and all.

Brown has complained about the passing game’s inefficiency in each of the past two seasons. Last season, Brown even reportedly asked to be traded, multiple times.

» READ MORE: Eagles free agency roundtable: Who are some realistic targets — and bigger targets — for the Birds?

Deal with it.

In his four seasons as an Eagle, Brown ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards, and his 14.8 yards-per-catch average is better than any of the four players ahead of him. He’s also sixth in touchdown catches. This, despite ranking 10th among wide receivers in total catches — a byproduct of Hurts’ reluctance to pass in general, and his reluctance to pass into the tight windows of coverage Brown’s excellence attracts.

Brown already is the best receiver in franchise history. He’s an all-timer, just like Johnson.

If the Eagles had added Crosby, 2026 would have been theirs.

Now that he’s gone, they cannot afford to lose what they’ve got.