Raiders need to make extending Maxx Crosby a priority this offseason
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders need to make sure Maxx Crosby is in the Silver and Black for the long haul and extending him this offseason should be a top priority.
When it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders, certain players just bleed Silver and Black, and Maxx Crosby is one of them. Drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Crosby has put together an incredible run with the franchise and deserves to be the kind of player who is a Raider throughout his career.
Not only is Crosby an inspiration on the field, but he is off of it as well, as his well-documented journey to sobriety is a guiding light for those struggling with addiction. He also happens to be one of the best edge rushers in the game and will be only 25-years old by the time the 2022 NFL season kicks off.
The franchise has shooed away star edge rushers in their prime in the past, as they did with Khalil Mack back in 2018, and with Crosby, they cannot afford to make the same mistake.
Raiders need to lock up Crosby for the long-haul
According to Spotrac, Crosby is entering the final season of his rookie deal and will be an unrestricted free agent going into the offseason heading into the 2023 campaign. The Silver and Black cannot allow that to happen, as locking him up to a long-term deal has to be priority No. 1 for new general manager David Ziegler this offseason.
Across his first three seasons in the NFL, Crosby has yet to miss a single game, and has racked up 25 sacks since being selected out of Eastern Michigan. While that is not an incredible amount of sacks, that does not tell nearly half the story, as he consistently gets pressure on the quarterback, and has to be accounted for on every play.
Making his first Pro Bowl this season, Crosby took home the game’s Defensive MVP honor in front of the home fans inside Allegiant Stadium.
Crosby is the kind of player, and personality that you can build a franchise around, and he is already one of the more beloved Raiders in recent memory. Whatever Ziegler has to do to get this guy to sign on the dotted line must be done this offseason, because if he is allowed to hit free agency after what should be another standout 2022 season, who knows what could happen.