The Las Vegas Raiders still have Maxx Crosby on their roster, and his fit with all the new free agents is problematic.
The Las Vegas Raiders still have a Maxx Crosby problem, but at least the noise has died down. The Raiders are quietly weighing the possibility of a reworked Crosby trade that would probably include a first- and a third-round pick, but doing this involves a lot of complicated moving parts and pieces that don’t necessarily fit together all that well.
Daire Carragher of Pro Football Focus did a fascinating breakdown of this using PFF’s advanced metrics, and the ins and outs of what he came up with are well worth exploring. One conclusion he drew stood out about the signings of defensive tackle Malcolm Koonce and edge rusher Kwity Paye, as he stated that one of these signings wouldn’t have occurred if the Raiders had known Crosby would remain on the roster.
His conclusion makes sense. The Raiders’ move to sign Paye has drawn a fair amount of criticism, as he came into the NFL with the potential to be an elite edge rusher, but he’s never really delivered on that initial promise.
This situation also raises the question of how many elite pass rushers the Raiders really need. Some teams go all-in at certain positions, but for the Raiders this doesn’t really make a lot of sense given that Crosby is back on the books for $30 million for 2026.
The Raiders also added linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, and while that positional group definitely needed attention, Crosby’s tendency to freelance probably would have eliminated the need to add three more players who can all rush the passer.
Crosby accounted for 33 percent of the Raiders’ total sacks and 27 percent of their pressures last year, according to Carragher, but a “Moneyball” approach to replacing that production doesn’t necessarily work all that well, the writer added.
Koonce closed out the year with some strong play, but Carragher suggested that the size of his contract indicates that the original intent was to have Paye play a larger role.
The Raiders are probably planning for two defensive scenarios right now--one with Crosby, the other without. Walker will likely wear the green dot as play caller for defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, who will have a lot to do to get this group on the same page.
Most of the focus lately has been on the Raiders quarterback situation, which is certainly justified. But the Las Vegas defense struggled to get off the field for extended stretches last season, and getting more consistency from the new players will be an important key to the upcoming season, with or without Crosby.