The Las Vegas Raiders officially have their new head coach and general manager with Pete Carroll and John Spytek being introduced by the team. While there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the duo right now, they have a lot of things to figure out.
Finding the next starting quarterback will be at the top of the agenda but figuring out Maxx Crosby’s contract situation should also be a priority. The star defensive end has been vocal about the fact that his contract doesn’t have any more guaranteed money on it.
He’s been the Raiders’ best player for a few seasons now but is the ninth highest-paid defensive end in the NFL. There’s been speculation that Crosby could get traded this offseason but that seems unlikely due to some comments from Spytek.
Crosby was in attendance for Spytek and Carroll’s introductory press conference and the general manager gave him a shoutout.
“I’ve gotten to see what greatness looks like, what competitiveness looks like. I see Maxx standing back there; he embodies all that stuff that we’re talking about and I just love watching players compete and perform,” Spytek said in his Jan. 27 press conference.
Based on those comments, it certainly doesn’t sound like Spytek is eager to trade Crosby. Things could always change but it seems like the Raiders will be inclined to fix Crosby’s contract than move on from this offseason.
Pete Carroll Not Taking Things Slow
Another big reason why Crosby likely isn’t going anywhere is the fact that Carroll sounds eager to build a winner quickly.
“It took us a few years to get to the very top of the last couple programs I was with,” Carroll said, referring to USC and the Seattle Seahawks. “We’re starting right now and going for it immediately. … We’re going to start right now, (we’re) going to go after it and build this team as quickly as we can.”
After those comments, Carroll turned to Crosby and had a message for him.
“Maxx, send the message, man. We’re coming after you,” Carroll said. “We’re going to come find you guys and get this thing rolling as soon as possible.”
At 73, it’s easy to understand why Carroll doesn’t want to waste a year or two rebuilding. Now, it’s easier said than done to build a quick winner but it’s worth noting that Carroll got the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first season as head coach.
Raiders Need to Take Care of Crosby Quickly
Now that it’s clear that Carroll and Spytek want Crosby around, they need to take care of him. Re-working his contract would send a message to the whole team that the new brass will take care of great homegrown talent.
One of the first major moves former general manager Tom Telesco made was to let star running back Josh Jacobs walk in free agency. He went to the Green Bay Packers where he rushed for 1,329 yards in his first season. Spytek can’t make the same mistake and let elite homegrown talent leave. Crosby will almost certainly get a better contract but it’s unclear when exactly that might happen.
Comments
John Spytek Sends Clear Message to Maxx Crosby Amid Contract Concerns