Oakland Raiders: Expect maximum effort from Maxx Crosby
By Brad Weiss
The Oakland Raiders needed to bolster the defensive end position this offseason, and they got a special player in Maxx Crosby.
During the 2018 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders struggled mightily to get after the quarterback. In fact, even if you doubled their 13 sacks from a year ago, they would have still finished dead least in the NFL.
The problem with the defensive end position group started right before the season, when the team traded away a generational edge rusher in Khalil Mack. After that, Mack’s No. 2, Bruce Irvin seemed disinterested in becoming a leader on this team, and when you watch tape, you can see him taking plays off.
That should not be a problem this season.
During the 2019 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders spent three picks on the defensive end position, bringing in the kind of players who want to succeed wearing the Silver and Black. In the fourth round, the Raiders selected Eastern Michigan’s Maxx Crosby, who has the ability, and attitude to be something special in this league.
New defensive line coach Brentson Buckner recently went on The Raiders Insider Podcast, and had a lot to say about his new defensive line. In particular, he loves what he sees from Maxx Crosby, especially from an effort standpoint.
Buckner went on about how Crosby plays the game, and the kind of attitude he brings on every snap. Buckner told Scott Bair of NBCSports Bay Area that, “You can’t coach effort, and that’s something Maxx brought to the table.”
The hope is that Crosby can dominate this summer, and will start opposite fellow rookie Clelin Ferrell in Paul Guenther’s 4-3 scheme. That would enable 2018 third round pick Arden Key to move into a more situational role, which is the role he was drafted to play, and that would make him quite productive in the sack game.
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The Raiders have done a nice job revamping this roster this offseason, and many believe they could be the most improved team in the NFL in 2019. Buckner is a fantastic defensive line coach, and has some raw, and young talent to work with, so do not be surprised if this is one of the more improved position groups this season.