The Las Vegas Raiders finished 8-9 last year, winning three of their last four. There was a good feeling in the organization last January, but that quickly went by the wayside. They were 4-13 in Antonio Pierce’s first and only full year as head coach. He was fired on January 7. One of Vegas’s few quality pieces, Maxx Crosby, ruminated on the state of the Raiders on Wednesday.
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Crosby discussed the needs of his team on his weekly podcast, Let’s Go, which he hosts with an eclectic group including Bill Belichick, Jim Gray, and Peter King. Crosby was honest about his team’s situation, admitting that “obviously we’re not close right now” and that the team has taken a significant step back this year after recording half as many wins as they did in 2023.
“Obviously we’re not close right now, we’re 4-13. That’s not even close to what it should be and what the standard is. We lost four more games than we did last year. “
The four-time Pro Bowler wasn’t all sour grapes, however. As always, he had a positive outlook on his team even in the face of the t-2nd-worst record in football in 2024.
“We have great pieces, we do, you know, really good players on this team. No, we’re not a complete roster at the moment. We know that we need to continue building this thing… At the end of the day if you have the right people, and the right culture, the right mindset across the board when it comes to ‘I will do anything it takes to win’ type attitude. If those types of people are around. You can turnaround fast.”
Crosby himself is just 27 and one of the best edge rushers in the game, Robert Spillane is a solid run-stopping ‘backer, Jakobi Meyers has shown promise as a WR1 or WR2, and of course, the pride of Napa, California, rookie Brock Bowers, who might already be the best tight end in football. There are some pieces there. But when you need 11 starters on both sides, a handful of quality players are not going to cut it.
The Raiders need to make major improvements and additions in the 2025 offseason. That begins and ends with a new head coach and quarterback combination. There’s nothing more important than that. They have the 6th overall pick, so they either have to hope one of the two top QB prospects falls to them, trade up, or make something big happen in the free agency or trade markets.
Before that, the Raiders need to find the right head coach. Someone experienced and respected who can rally this locker room in the most distracting city in the world. It will be tough, but there are some options out there. Perhaps a hard-nosed guy who’s still a player’s coach, like Brian Flores.
And after that, there’s a ton of roster-building to be done around Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers. There are some other solid pieces on the team, but the Raiders might need a comprehensive overhaul to truly fix what ails them.
