The last week or so has been exhausting for fans of the Las Vegas Raiders. After nearly a month of silence as the coaching carousel kept spinning and never stopped in Las Vegas, the front office seemingly landed on 38-year-old Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
While excitement is at perhaps an all-time high for the Raiders, given the reported hiring of Kubiak and the presumption that Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza is coming to Las Vegas in April, Super Bowl LX media week has started to take its toll on the fanbase.
Whereas The Athletic's Dianna Russini kicked off all the drama by stating that Maxx Crosby wants to play for New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer took it a step further by saying that Crosby's time with the Silver and Black is done, and that it will have been Crosby's choice.
Seemingly, everyone on radio row ahead of the Super Bowl is now talking about the Raiders' star edge rusher being traded, which is, of course, nothing new. But something feels different about this crop of rumors, given Crosby's recent frustrations with the team. It could actually be the end.
Charles Woodson speaks on Maxx Crosby trade rumors, Raiders' Klint Kubiak hire
Among all of those aforementioned topics, Raiders legend Charles Woodson had a lot to dissect when he appeared on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday. Eisen first asked him about Las Vegas' reported hiring of Kubiak, and Woodson dove into why it was a great move.
"I go back to last week's game and the touchdown pass that Jaxon Smith[-Njigba] caught, where he came out of the backfield and ran the corner route. Just a perfect play for the defense that they were gonna see. I look at the other touchdown pass to [Jake] Bobo, where (Kubiak is) just understanding what you're gonna get in certain situations," Woodson said. "Having a guy like that, that can call the plays and dial it up the way he can do it, if he's the guy in Las Vegas, they got weapons. Brock Bowers is, in terms of tight ends, at the top of the game, [Ashton] Jeanty, with no blocking, he still rushed for 1,000 yards. There's some pieces there that he could work with. Of course, they got to hit some home runs in the draft as well, but I like Kubiak."
It is promising to hear Woodson echo so much of Raider Nation's optimism. With an elite schemer like Kubiak, a franchise quarterback in Mendoza, and weapons like Jeanty and Bowers, this offense could go from a major weakness to a legitimate strength in just one offseason.
RELATED: Raiders apparently make coaching staff changes before expected Klint Kubiak hire
Of course, Eisen also had to ask Woodson about the trade rumors swirling around Crosby. In Eisen's opinion, one of Kubiak's first moves as the head coach in Las Vegas should be calling Crosby and mending the fences with him. Woodson agreed with that assessment.
"100%. Look, Maxx is one of those guys. He's a competitor to the highest degree, and he wants to go out there and play and be with his teammates. But I respect the fact that the team -- he's really your one guy. I think he ended up having a minor procedure after the season, so there were some things there. So, protect that guy at all costs," Woodson said. "But, I'm with you. I would call Maxx immediately and just tell him, 'Hey, Maxx. I'm coming to help bring this thing back around, man, and you're gonna be a major part of that.'"
In a perfect world, the Raiders turn things around on offense and find instant success, and Crosby will dominate on the other side of the ball. But rebuilding takes time in the NFL, and the front office may see a disgruntled Crosby as more valuable in a trade than on the field if his timeline doesn't match up.
Woodson, however, believes that Crosby needs to stick around and be a part of the tide-turning in Las Vegas. He also thinks that Kubiak can be a key cog in that turnaround. The legendary defensive back is a respected voice in Raider Nation, so fans are hoping Woodson is right on both accounts.