Maxx Crosby didn't get to properly congratulate Rob Leonard on his promotion to defensive coordinator, as he was embroiled in a dispute with the Las Vegas Raiders' front office. Once his trade with the Baltimore Ravens was infamously reneged, though, Crosby had a few words to say.
Ever since Leonard was interviewed, folks began wondering what it could mean for Crosby if he was actually given the job. Las Vegas obviously ended up hiring Leonard, but less than a month later, it still shipped off its superstar defensive end. As fate would have it, though, they are now reunited.
Crosby, as he recovers from his knee surgery, hasn't taken the field yet for Leonard's new-look unit. But the Raiders' undisputed voice and leader is clearly liking what he's seeing from his longtime position coach already in his first go-around as the head of the entire group.
Maxx Crosby praises work done by new Las Vegas Raiders DC Rob Leonard
After Wednesday's OTA practice, Crosby spoke to reporters for the first time since all of the drama went down between him and the team in the first place. Eventually, the media worked their way to asking him about the new era, and Crosby is clearly excited about Leonard and Klint Kubiak.
"We have an extremely smart and great leader of men: Klint Kubak. Coaching staff that is very detailed and very tentative with everything they do. They're very intentional with everything that we're trying to accomplish. We're not just going out there checking boxes. We're trying to get things done the right way and establish a foundation so that when the season comes, we're not out there making up. We go out and play football, and we have a plan, and this is how we need to execute. So, they've been really good with that. I think Robbie is another big part of that."
But when it came to Leonard, who was Crosby's defensive line coach for the last three seasons, as well as the defensive run game coordinator in 2025, the veteran defensive end began letting the praise really flow.
"Robbie stepping into a D-coordinator job is really awesome," Crosby said. "I've been able to see him and work with him as my D-line coach for years, and now that he's able to get the D-coordinator job, he earned that. And I think he's doing a really good job, and he just brings juice every day. ... I feel like we have a lot of young energy in the building."
Raiders fans know by now that the team plans to be incredibly versatile on defense, and that aggression and takeaways are the name of the game for Las Vegas' group. When it comes to schematics, though, Crosby's guess is as good as any for the first-time play-caller.
"He's got his own twist," Crosby said. "He's been in a lot of different systems. ... So, I think just him in general, just being able to be a sponge, he's not a robot in anything he does. He's not trying to just do what everybody else wants him to do. He's going to do it his way. And guys respect that because they know how hard he works and how much he loves and cares about this team and the players. And you can really feel that. You can't fake that energy. And I think that's a big reason why he got the job. Because not only is he extremely smart when it comes to football, he just has a really unique and special way of being able to relate to the players, and guys feed off that energy. So, yeah, he's done a hell of a job."
Now, this doesn't mean that Leonard will be perfect right away. In fact, the opposite. But the young defensive coordinator seemingly has his head on straight, according to Crosby, as he's bought into the process, committed to learning and staying true to himself throughout it all.
"Every single day, it's not going to be perfect, and he knows that. He's learning," Crosby admitted. "This is his first time doing it, and it's really cool just having those conversations and being able to see him evolve because I was with him four years ago ... He was just doing everything to try to just get us in a position to win. Now he's in a bigger platform, but he hasn't changed at all. And that's the coolest thing because he's just authentic. He's exactly who he is and who he says he is. And I think that's really special when you have that coming from coaches."
Obviously, Crosby wasn't going to stand on the podium and rip his beloved position coach before ever getting a chance to prove himself in a game. But the depth, confidence and admiration in which he spoke of Leonard could not be ignored. It was felt through the screen.
Las Vegas is finally making a change on defense after years of stalling under Patrick Graham. And it could be the best thing that has ever happened to the unit, at least in this millennium. That is, if you ask Crosby, who seems to be over the moon about his new leader.
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