As a fourth-round pick out of a directional Michigan MAC school, Maxx Crosby had to earn his spot on the Las Vegas Raiders' roster as a rookie in 2019. He has since become one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, while maintaining the mentality inherent in someone who was a Day 3 draft pick.
Crosby's practice intensity pushes teammates to match him, which is a good thing. But toeing the line like that creates a thin margin before it becomes too much. Last Friday, after he hit Kirk Cousins' arm twice, the Raiders' signal caller brought on a confrontation that Crosby surely didn't expect.
Head coach Klint Kubiak then sent a message to everyone by holding Cousins and Crosby out of live periods in last Saturday's practice. When it comes down to it, more is expected from team leaders like them, and the standards Kubiak has will be set and enforced uniformly, no matter the player.
Hopefully, Crosby actually got the message.
Raiders' Maxx Crosby can absolutely be called out for his "look at me" schtick
As training camp got rolling, Crosby revealed that he was reminded to tone down his intensity on the practice field. After all, he is playing against his own teammates, and the fact that the coaches had to say anything at all really says a lot.
"I just can't tell you how many people have come up to me already and just been like, 'Alright, so you know at practice, you can't do this,'" Crosby said while smiling from ear to ear, according to ESPN's Ryan McFadden. "I got up a whole textbook full of rules that I got to follow, or I'm going to get in trouble, but that comes with it. ... I practice one way. I know that I push the line, and sometimes I go over the line."
One of the "can't do this" things at any NFL practice is making contact with the quarterback.
Sometimes, things accidentally happen to cause it. But Crosby literally caused a scuffle by hitting Cousins' arm multiple times. The second time almost surely came after a reminder of what he shouldn't do, and he failed to tone it down one bit.
Crosby appeared to almost laugh off the idea of being given a set of rules that apply to every defensive player during practice. Then he went ahead and violated a core one, not once, but at least twice in the same session.
Does Crosby think the rules don't apply to him? Based on how little discipline and how much turnover the Raiders have had in recent years, Crosby may have developed a feeling that he's above the program. If nothing else, Kubiak holding him out of a practice should help flush that sentiment.
As noted by Mike Kadlick of SI.com, Crosby's history of toeing or crossing the line during practice goes back to his college days, when Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton reportedly kicked him out of practice multiple times for being too aggressive.
Crosby's interpretation of Jon Gruden threatening to cut him as a rookie after he kept batting passes down during practice appears to be wrong, or at least an exaggeration. But since exaggeration to grab attention seems to be a core part of how Crosby does a lot of things in public forums, it's not surprising he may have exaggerated what Gruden said.
Kadlick called what Crosby does at practice a tired "try-hard schtick" that needs to end. While that feels bold and overtly critical, it has a strong grain of truth to it when it's interlaced with the "look at me" vibe Crosby often puts out there.
As trade rumors surfaced early this offseason, Crosby made sure to do a media tour where we could clearly see he was at the Raiders' facility rehabbing his surgically-repaired knee. His denial of wanting to be traded was betrayed by eventual reports that he asked for a trade late last season.
Crosby's practice intensity is great in a lot of ways, but also reeks of wanting extra attention, beyond simply being acknowledged and respected as a hard worker who sets the tone for his teammates. Smiling when he told reporters the practice rules that he was reminded of reeks of a casual attitude rooted in "that's just how I am."
Fortunately, Kubiak is making it clear to Crosby that "how he is" is not an excuse for, at a minimum, violating practice protocols. Time will tell if he will heed that warning, but it is absolutely time for the overall disingenuous schtick to end.
Add us as a preferred source on Google