Graney: No surprise — Maxx Crosby ready to go when season arrives
The least surprising thing about Raiders training camp: Maxx Crosby is ready to go when things get real.
Crosby is the star defensive end who never stops when on a football field. His position coach has had to actually limit Crosby’s snaps at times during the past several weeks because of, well, over exuberance.
“That’s what got me here,” Crosby said.
It’s what makes him one of the best players in the NFL. His motor. His desire and hunger to dominate.
And his teammates have noticed.
And they’re having a good time with it.
Crosby refuses to not finish a rush, which at times has seen him get a little too close to quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.
That’s a no-no. Quarterbacks wear red jerseys in practice for a reason. They’re meant to stay healthy and upright.
It was one play during the team’s live scrimmage in Costa Mesa when Crosby slapped the ball away from Minshew. Such were moments when teammates poked fun at Crosby on social media.
“At the end of the day, you have to have thick skin,” Crosby said. “We’re all brothers. I have definitely heard (coach Antonio Pierce) say I tend to push the line when it comes to getting close to the quarterbacks in practice.
“I’m not out there trying to put anyone at risk, but I’m also getting ready to be the best player in the world. That’s my goal. That’s my standard. Every detail matters. I’m not going to slow down. I just have to be smart.”
Assessing quarterbacks
He’s interested, like everyone else, in the competition between O’Connell and Minshew as to which will land the No. 1 job. At how the two have competed throughout camp. At how they have done so in a professional manner.
“If you’re hating on a guy, you’re typically the one losing the battle,” Crosby said. “They’re making each other better. They’re both young guys with a bunch of talent, so it has been fun watching them compete every day.
“This is the NFL. It’s about production. That’s how you make your money. I know both of them want it. The best man is going to win it.”
Crosby played one series in the team’s opening preseason game at Minnesota and might be limited to that against Dallas on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.
He hasn’t been one —for obvious reasons — to see much action when the games don’t count.
He played one drive his rookie year and broke his hand. Didn’t play a preseason snap the next three seasons and had one drive last year.
But it was at Minnesota when Crosby finally got to line up alongside tackle Christian Wilkins — the flashy free-agent signing of the Raiders — for the first time in a game. When the two players thought capable of defining what could be one of the league’s better defensive lines stepped onto an NFL field together wearing the same colors.
“It was awesome,” Crosby said. “Christian has great energy. It was exciting being out there and seeing him in the silver and black. Looked a little different. Played against him a couple of times in the past with him being in a Dolphins uniform. But it was great seeing him being disruptive and doing his thing.”
Practices for fans
It has been a different type of training camp, for sure. The Raiders spent 17 days in Southern California to open things up and have now come home to a series of night practices at their Henderson facility.
They also on Wednesday held one of what will be two workouts for fans to observe at Allegiant Stadium.
And the team’s best player is here for all of it. Just has to slow down a bit when he’s close to those red jerseys.
“Guys get irritated and want to fight me sometimes, but it’s all love,” Crosby said. “I’m just out there trying to be the best version of myself.”
Know this about training camp: Maxx Crosby is ready to go when things get real. It’s the least surprising thing.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.
