Mailbag: Should we be worried Maxx Crosby will want to be traded?

Returning Raider Nation’s questions for the week

It’s been a long and tiring season for the Las Vegas Raiders but there is light at the end of the tunnel with just two games left on the schedule. First up is a Week 17 matchup against the New Orleans Saints and, potentially, Derek Carr.

That said, most of Raider Nation’s attention is rightfully focused on the offseason as the NFL Draft, free agency and quarterback situation are the emphasis of this week’s mailbag column.

Q: What are your thoughts on Maxx Crosby’s comments?

A: For context, below are Crosby’s comments from his The Rush podcast.

In my opinion, Crosby’s comments are concerning about his future in Las Vegas. He’s made it no secret that he wants to win now and doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild. Also, it seems like the instability the Raiders have had since he was drafted is getting to him.

I know some people think Crosby is just trying to get a new contract/more money, but he’s good enough that any team looking for a pass rusher will be willing to pay him.

I’ve said it in the past, I don’t think Madd Maxx goes anywhere as long as he wants to be in silver and black. However, if he asks for a trade and wants to go where he can win right away, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Raiders make a move in the offseason to add some draft capital.

The return should be pretty robust, similar to the Khalil Mack deal, so it would be hard for a club that’s looking to rebuild to turn down first-round picks for a player who will turn 28 and wants out.

Q: Matt, I am wondering your thoughts (now) on Aidan O’Connell, especially since the Raiders dropped in the draft and it’s not a strong QB class?

A: This person also dove into O’Connell’s mobility and how that, surprisingly, looked much better last week against the Jaguars and how that could be a sign he’s taking the next step in his development.

My biggest issue with AOC is we’ve seen plenty of flashes from him but consistency continues to be a problem. So, while it was nice to see him be more mobile, especially considering he was coming off a knee injury, it’s still a matter of whether he can string it all together game in and game out. He hasn’t so far and that’s the sign of a guy who is a good backup but can’t be relied on as a starter.

I think O’Connell has played well enough to be a potential bridge starter for the Raiders next season, but I wouldn’t pass on the opportunity to draft and/or even trade up for a rookie quarterback this year because of how he’s played recently.

A: According to Over The Cap, Gardner Minshew is a $14 million cap hit next season with his current contract. But the Raiders can save $6.34 million with a pre-June 1 cut and $9.34 million post-June 1. Especially if O’Connell is going to be the bridge quarterback or competition for a rookie next year, Minshew is likely getting cut.

It will probably be post-June 1 since the Raiders won’t need money to begin free agency with a projected $108 million of cap space available, meaning they have plenty of funds to sign guys right away and can wait for the cap relief to save more money in the long run.

A: Most likely, best player available like last year. Especially if Tom Telesco is still the general manager, that’s typically been his philosophy in the first round. Maybe, Telesco would trade down to add more picks and help improve the depth of the roster, but BPA seems like the more probable situation.

A: I say this as someone who isn’t a Carr hater, no.

That ship has sailed and I think the Raiders need to find a long-term solution at the position, not someone who makes them marginally better for a few years.

A: This would be contingent on the Vikings re-signing Sam Darnold, but I’d be interested in trading for J.J. McCarthy if they do. I liked McCarthy’s potential coming out of Michigan last year and if the Raiders could get him for say a second-round pick, I’d made that deal.

That’s a lot of speculation though and I don’t know what his trade market would be, but it’s worth monitoring during the offseason. At the very least, Telesco—or whoever the GM is—should pick up the phone and give the Vikings a call.

For the follow-up question, I think we need to leave the Carr and Aaron Rodgers speculations in the past, lol.

A: I’d comfortably say the Saints, Browns and Jets are worse off than the Raiders heading into the offseason. I could be convinced about the Titans and Jaguars too, and think the Giants and Raiders are close to the same situation but will give New York a slight edge since it currently has the No. 1 pick in the draft.

New Orleans has an aging roster and keeps trying to stay in win-now mode while being mediocre. While Crosby’s situation is comparable to Myles Garrett’s, Cleveland is also stuck with the worst quarterback contract in NFL history. Then there’s the Jets who are reportedly (h/t The Athletic) letting teenagers run the organization and basing player evaluations off Madden ratings. It doesn’t get much lower than that, lol.

That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to [email protected] or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.