The Las Vegas Raiders had to give Maxx Crosby the new contract extension, not because he was in the media talking about it throughout Super Bowl weekend and such, but because he deserved it. He deserves to be the highest paid non-QB.
And we all knew it would end up getting done. The one thing we didn't know was how much it would be, and certainly not the amount he got -- $91 million fully guaranteed. But the timeline of this all was important. The 2025 NFL Combine is now over and the attention is fully focused on the 2025 free agency class, which is just days away, scheduled to start on the new league year, March 12.
The Raiders wanted to make sure it got done before free agency, and that it did.
Raiders wanted deal done now
When you talk about some of the most respected franchises in the league, the Raiders are somewhere up there. But, that's just for the respected history they have and the respect they garner for how they treat their alumni and former players. The saying "once a Raider, always a Raider," is not just a saying -- it's real life around those parts.
And so, getting this deal done early was important. The Raiders wanted to show everyone they take care of their players when they deserve it, and with Crosby, it was always a no-brainer.
"I think Coach [Pete Carroll] and I talked a lot about setting the tone for this new era of Raiders football and I can't think of a better person to sit up here with and reward for what he's done, but with an expectation of what's coming," general manager John Spytek told reporters on Wednesday. "And we want to grow this to a place that people want to be. And when people like Maxx [Crosby], I mean, it's no secret, it hasn't been sunshine and roses around here forever, but when he makes a commitment to the Raiders like this and he stands for everything Coach and I and this new staff and everybody talks about, he signs up for it.
"I think that that speaks volumes and I hope it's noticed in our locker room. I hope it's noticed around the league. And our expectation is we want people to want to be here. We want people, once they get here, to want to stay here. And so, to us, it just made a lot of sense to get it done now."
Spytek and Carroll, two guys that come from respected franchises in the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are already doing things the right way, and are already doing things in a way that will quickly win over the players. These athletes want to play for and be employed by people who care, and it's obvious the Raiders have that.
Obviously, Carroll said he wanted all of the defensive guys from last season back in terms of the 13 free agents they have on that side of the ball. To say all of them will be back is a big ask. But, the next few deals they need to get done now that this one is checked off the list, are Tre'Von Moehrig, Robert Spillane, Malcolm Koonce, and K'Lavon Chaisson.
Surely those will get done soon, at least a few of them.
