The Raiders and defensive end Maxx Crosby are working on a new contract that would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. Meanwhile, they’re prioritizing Crosby’s deal over an extension for quarterback Derek Carr.
[RELATED: Latest On Derek Carr’s Trade Market]
Crosby, a 2019 fourth-round pick, has blossomed into one of the Raiders’ most impactful defenders. The Eastern Michigan product still has one more year to go on his deal, but new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler doesn’t want to let him get anywhere near the open market. Ziegler doesn’t want to show his hand or come on too strong, but he’s hinted that a Crosby contract is on the agenda.
“As we’re kind of going through free agency and getting to the draft, there are going to be some of those organic conversations you’re going to have. I wouldn’t say we’re there yet,” Ziegler said. “I know it’s a curious question and I get that, but we’re just trying to take so many small bites right now. In due time, we’ll look at all those things. But it’s always good to have good players.”
Crosby, 24, earned his trip to the Pro Bowl in 2021 with eight sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for loss, and a league-leading 92 pressures. All in all, he’s got 25 sacks to his credit with perfect attendance throughout his young career. Tafur believes that Crosby could land in the second tier of edge rushers, somewhere behind T.J. Watt ($28MM/year), Joey Bosa ($27MM/year), and Myles Garrett ($25MM/year). A deal similar to that of Chiefs DE Frank Clark (five years, $105.5MM) could make sense, Tafur writes, though it’s worth noting that Clark inked his deal in 2019, before the market really picked up. Crosby also has stronger numbers than Clark, so there’s a case for a higher AAV.
Carr, meanwhile, set a new personal watermark in passing yards (4,804) with 23 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and a 68%+ completion rate. He also brought the Raiders to the playoffs, but the new regime may still prefer to start fresh.
Great player and leader. Yeah, PAY Crosby big time.
Regarding Carr, just 23 TD passes versus 14 INTs is not good regardless how many yards he passed for or what his completion percentage was. There is no reason to give him an extension at this point.
The Raiders had some red zone issues last year, but Carr gave up a few passing touchdowns for rushing touchdowns unselfishly. There are many reasons to give him an extension. He was unequivocally the leader of the offense in a tumultuous year-you may be overestimating the likelihood of finding a comparable replacement.
Judging solely on TD:INT ratio isn’t beneficial. Oakland had 13 rushing TD from their RBs and not one of those players had more than 4.0 ypc on the season. Safe to say they pilfered some deserved TDs from Carr. The passing game was the only way Vegas moved the ball in 2021.
Edit: Didn’t read AK’s comment first. He beat me to it.
Such a dumb comment. You dont think other teams QBs lost some short yardage TDs to the run game?
Yeah, you’re right, all situations are the same and any form of analysis is useless. In fact, popular internet opinion unsupported by game film and attention to detail is the best way to evaluate NFL situations. Derek Carr is a terrible quarterback and a curse on the Raiders, who certainly would have won nine Superbowls by now, one for every year he started. He’s awful, curse him.
You wanted dumb, you got it.
@skoldad- Imagine thinking other teams have anything to do with Carr’s specific scenario. Talk about dumb.
Crosby definitely deserves to be paid.