Maxx Crosby gets reassuring call from new Raiders DC

One of the first calls Patrick Graham made upon being hired as the Raiders’ defensive coordinator on Friday was to Maxx Crosby.

The timing of it reflected how eager Graham was to get to work with his new team. The tone of it, though, was partially designed to quell any concerns Crosby might have about a dramatic shift in responsibilities.

The Raiders’ Pro Bowl defensive end has been operating in a 4-3 scheme almost as long as he’s been playing football. In the process, he’s developed into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

Graham, though, has overseen a 3-4 look over the last two years as the New York Giants defensive coordinator and before that when he ran the Miami Dolphins defense.

Immediately after getting Crosby on the phone, Graham told him to tune out anything he might be hearing about whether he’ll be lining up with his hand in the ground as a 4-3 end or upright as a 3-4 rush end.

“The first thing he said was, ‘Stop all the noise about the 3-4 or 4-3,” Crosby said on Saturday morning after the AFC Pro Bowl team concluded practice.

That was followed by a promise. “We’re going to put you in the right position” is how Crosby relayed Graham’s message.

The pledge jives with Graham’s philosophy of being flexible and multiple when it comes to defensive fronts. In fact, when Graham began his defensive coordinator stint with the Giants in 2020, he was asked whether New York would be a 3-4 or 4-3. He responded with a one-word answer.

“Yes,” Graham replied.

He later elaborated on his response in a Zoom call with New York reporters.

“I’m not trying to make a joke of it,” he said. “We are going to do what’s best with what we have in terms of the people, the personnel we have and what we think is best for the game.”

Hence, the Giants’ fluctuating defensive looks to fit the talent on hand, the opponent or the in-game situation.

Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has seen that firsthand in his matchups the last two years against the Giants. Not just upfront but on the back end.

“They show a lot of different coverages, I can tell you that,” Lamb said. “Play hard, play fast.”

That is reassuring to Crosby, who conceded on Saturday he is comfortable playing over the tight end or wide of the offensive tackle. Both techniques mean he’s working out of a three-point stance with his hand on the ground.

Graham made it clear to Crosby he’d be utilized in a way that plays to his strengths.

“That’s all it comes down to. It’s just trust,” Crosby said. “And obviously, he wants me to succeed and help the team in any way he can.”

The 43-year-old Graham is a graduate and former football player at Yale. Upon leaving college, he immediately began his career as a coach, spending the next eight years moving from Wagner to Richmond to Notre Dame to Toledo.

His path eventually led him to New England, where he spent the next seven seasons in jobs ranging from coaching assistant to defensive line coach to linebackers coach.

It was in New England that his path crossed with Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. A common theme among all three is how Patriots head coach Bill Belichick utilized them in different roles in order for them to develop a better overall feel for football.

Graham eventually left the Patriots to take over the Giants’ defensive line from 2016 to 2017 before moving on to Green Bay as the Packers’ linebackers coach in 2018. Graham was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2019 before returning to New York the last two seasons.

The Giants hoped to keep Graham as defensive coordinator under new head coach Brian Daboll — the successor to Joe Judge after the latter was fired at the end of last season — but they also granted him permission to talk to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Raiders for the same position.

That opened the door for the Raiders to convince Graham to come to Las Vegas to reunite with McDaniels and Ziegler. Graham also was a finalist for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching job.

Crosby actually met Graham during the 2019 draft process when Graham was with the Dolphins and Crosby was in Miami on a draft visit. “We had a great talk,” Crosby remembers.

No big surprise Graham immediately reached out to Crosby on Friday.

“Once he got hired, he called me 20 minutes after I found out and had nothing but positive things to say,” Crosby said. “I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.