Maybe Maxx Crosby should try scouting or get a player personnel job after his NFL career.
The Las Vegas Raiders' superstar defensive end, who is already the general manager for his alma mater Eastern Michigan Eagles football team, didn't get to spend any time on the field with his teammates during the spring as he recovered from a torn meniscus he suffered last season.
But that didn't stop him from staying involved in the building and keeping a close eye on all of the new names and faces that he had to learn after his three-day hiatus as a Baltimore Raven. And during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, one rookie in particular apparently stuck out to him: Zeke Masses.
His words now look fairly prophetic, as the fifth-round cornerback out of California is poised for a big role after a strong start to training camp. And if Masses keeps up at this rate, then, like the great Babe Ruth, Crosby will have fully called his shot.
Maxx Crosby's prediction for Raiders rookie Zeke Masses looks to be coming true
Crosby was recently a guest on the Ball In the Family Podcast, and one of the hosts asked Crosby to name one rookie not named Fernando Mendoza who he thinks will shine. Crosby, as we mentioned, staked his claim on Masses.
"There's a lot of guys, bro. But I would say Zeke Masses out of Cal," Crosby said. "He was an All-American last year. End up slipping to, I think, sixth or seventh round. In OTAs, that dude looks different, bro. He looks different. He's making plays everywhere. Interceptions, confidence. He's a Florida guy. Florida guys are wired a little bit different. If you know, you know. He carries himself a little bit different than most rookies you see. So, I think he's got an opportunity to play a lot."
Based on an earlier answer in this podcast, the episode was recorded during the annual Sack Summit, which was in mid-July. That means that Crosby essentially predicted Masses' breakout at training camp and potential role during the season quite a bit ahead of time.
Now, there were definitely some signs during OTAs and mandatory minicamp that Masses was looking like a gem. By the end of the spring session, the unlikely Day 3 pick was already rotating in with the first-team defense, which is rare for a rookie drafted so late.
And offseason practices don't always mean a great deal. Without any pads on, it can be difficult to tell just how well a player will fare at the NFL level. And head coach Klint Kubiak was well aware of this, as he publicly challenged Masses at a presser to bring the same level of play when the pads came on.
Padded practices have revealed, however, that the Masses hype doesn't seem to be premature or a product of him playing in a T-shirt and shorts. He continues to make nice plays for the Raiders' young secondary while rotating in heavily with the top veteran group.
Of course, Crosby isn't surprised. He saw the way that Masses played and carried himself upon his arrival in Las Vegas, so the superstar defensive end made it known that he thinks Masses will shine and carve out a great role. Masses looks more and more every day like he is well on his way to that.
Crosby, however, is sounding more and more like someone who needs to take a side gig on the Las Vegas strip as a fortune teller. That $30.8 million he's making this year will probably dry up fast. Or maybe he could keep betting the house on Masses.
Alright, I'm out of Sin City wordplay.
Masses looks awesome and Crosby knew he would be all along.
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