Former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Will Compton and current Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan recently released an episode of their podcast, “Bussin’ with the Boys.” This episode featured a sit-down interview with Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. In the episode, which you can find here, Crosby discusses a variety of topics, such as his career goals, where things went wrong for the Raiders this season, his thoughts on Josh McDaniels, and much more. One thing that raised some eyebrows was his account of how the benching of Derek Carr went down.
Maxx Crosby & Derek Carr Were Close
One thing that many may not have known was how much time Crosby and Carr spent together. Crosby explained how the two were often the first ones in the building by a wide margin and thus went through their morning routines together.
It was tough, bro, and I remember that morning… I’m sitting there, and you’re hearing rumors like, “Okay, is Derek going to get benched this week?” You know what’s going on, blah blah blah, and you’re just kind of hearing rumors, but you know how it is, and you don’t believe all of this s***. You’re just like, “Okay, we’ll see,” and then all of a sudden, we went in that morning, and me and DC are always the first two guys in there, and we sit there and eat breakfast. It’s like squad is at eight o’clock; we get there at six o’clock and sit and eat breakfast together. We talk, we go in the hot tub, I go and take a dump, and then he goes and does whatever he does—you know what I mean.
How Crosby Found Out…
This routine ended being what tipped off Crosby that something was happening.
I go in there, and DC isn’t there. That’s when, in my head, I’m like, “F***!” Something went down. I’m in my locker about an hour later; I just got out of the hot tub, and DC walks in, and he looks at me, and I just knew right away.
He just gave me a man hug and was like, “Bro, I don’t want to make it look like I’m, you know, quitting on y’all or anything, but me and Josh talked. “I’m going to go home for these next two weeks and figure out my situation.” Obviously, they had their business behind the scenes, and they’d had an agreement, so it wasn’t like he was just like, “F*** it, I’m not showing up.” It was just business. So, yeah, it was tough, especially since DC is my boy.
That’s how the news was broken to one of the team’s captains. That was just an accident too. Had Crosby not been there, who knows how he would’ve found out? Carr was just there one day and then gone the next. That’s a lot of cloak and dagger. The way it was handled seems very impersonal, especially considering the fact that many guys on the team, including leaders like Crosby and Josh Jacobs, have only ever known NFL life with Carr as their quarterback.
Also, it seems like this has been brewing for a while. The way that Crosby said he just kind of knew when he saw Carr gives off the vibe that it wasn’t a huge surprise. That gives more legitimacy to the rumors that the Raiders brass soured on Carr within weeks.
While this interview doesn’t paint the whole picture, it definitely provides more insight. It gives more credibility to some things that Raider Nation has suspected for a while. Derek Carr’s fate may have been decided long before his benching. Also, this says a lot about how Josh McDaniels views his relationship with his players. This regime is cold and calculated.
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Cold and calculated, or incompetent? Not in scheming a playbook, but in managing the different personalities in a team. By all accounts Gruden could be brutal with Carr, but did it in a way that was constructive; McDaniels seems to be missing that skill.
Wouldn’t happen if Al was alive! As the owner, Mark is drowning and in turn he’s killing the team. Is that really his objective or is he that dumb and blind to see what’s happening? Players were proud to be picked by the Raiders and the motto was ‘Once A Raider, Always A Raider! The team that is loved all over the world! Mark doesn’t even care that he’s pushing his fan base away…shame on you, Mark Davis¿¿¡¡
Where you around when Al was there? I mean as a fan did you watch him trade his head coach who had just rebuilt the team after years of mediocrity? When he benched HOF Marcus Allen?
Al had no patience with players or coaches. He listened to players over coaches, but I don’t think Carr would have lasted as long with Brady. And he would not have let Gruden blow up the Tom Brady signing two years ago.
And Raiders had to pay super high contracts to get free agents after he traded Gruden.
I’m going miss DC , Raiders should have let him play out his contact ,
RAIDERS NEED DEFENCE
I’m gonna miss the raiders.
McDaniels took the Captain of the offense, who was leading the team the previous yr through all the crap they were dealing with & who had a decent yr through that & treated him like a wet rag by benching him for the last 2 games because he said he wasn’t fitting into his offense. Maybe you should get some defensive players. It’s hard for the offense to stand on the sidelines & watch the defense give up points right after the offense scores to go ahead. But of course being DC didn’t have a great season, we’ll blame him for giving up 7 double digit leads. GOOD JOB McDaniels!!
OldSchool-Silverblack1960sRaiderslivehard
Diehard-JoshMc-paybackareA-mF
RaiderNationForEver
Cold and calculated? I say just
Plain Cold. Why would anyone want to play for the Raiders now after seeing how the organization treated Carr?
Derek Carr is the least of the Raider’s problems. Maybe McDaniel should evaluate what a fine job his defensive coordinator did last year? How about evaluating himself for not getting the best out of Carr like the coaches before him? If McDaniel dumps Waller and Renfro too, then I look for another team. They only have a few quality players on the roster and it seems they want to rid the team of them. McDaniel didn’t want Jacob’s until he ran so well , McDaniels was forced to stick with him.
McDaniels is a jackals, and needs to be fired.
I like the Jaguars coach Doag Peterson a lot better. Those players love him
When the Jaguars played the Eagles, the Philly fans gave him a standing ovation before the game.
I think we’re in for a dissaster with McDaniel I see it all falling apart need s to be fired before it’s to late
Speaking as a long time Raider fan, going back into the 60’s. Al’s motto was always, “Just Win Baby”. Well there was no winning with Carr. Sure his stats were fine (not great). But he didn’t win. He was never the same QB since his major injury several years ago. I said back then, to trade him. We let a lot of better QBs slip through our hands by holding on to Carr, well past his expiration date. Good riddance.
And who were the qb’s that were better that we could have acquired by trading Carr?
Derek Carr had nine years to prove himself but while Mcdaniels came from 6 time winning Superbowl team he lacks experience in gameclock mgmt,
playcalls at times were incompotent no
halftime adjustments on defence and lots of other things you expect are normal for the average head coach but Im going to give him a chance to see if he could get this turned around, some fans not myself included feel that Mcdaniel drove a would be play off team into the ground even with our current roster
Fire mc daniels all his
pals, he is an idiot I’m87 year old women
been a fan forever,this coach has ruined this team
The Raiders will never be a “Home Team†in their own stadium!
The crowd will never be a noise factor for the Raiders in their own stadium!
Why? Beacouse the local fans, are not given any priority on tickets, it’s the Raiders working with the casino’s to sell package deals, with room taxes that the local economy never sees.
My first trip to a football game was at Frank Ewell field in Oakland to see the Raiders, even at 8 they were my team, now that I live in Vegas, it was so great that the Raiders were here, but I’ll never be able to afford to take my family to a game, and to tell the truth I do not think of them as the Las Vegas Raiders, but as the Vegas Casino Raiders, I’d like to see a filler sign on the patch on the eye of their logo.
I cannot believe how many Raiders fans would rather have a nice guy loser as their QB rather than actually win. All Derek Carr had to do to keep his job is score Touchdowns on the Redzone with arguably the best WR and RB tandem in the entire NFL…. I am sick of people blaming the defense when the offense continually crapped the bed in the 2nd half… And it has been this way for 9 years… Who is the only member of the team, or coaching staff who was their the entire 9 years?
Whats the common denominator?
Its time to move on.
Time for you to move on pal , I have been a Raider’s fan since big Al was alive ,and Raider’s etiquette has always been overcome adversity ,not give in to it ! All were saying is they should have at least let Carr finish the last two games ,since they were out of it anyway , or given Stidham ,some play alot sooner when they still had a chance to make the playoffs ,to see who could produce more ,afterall it wasn’t Carr’s fault that the defense allowed so many second half points or that the coach was making calls for 3rd and long in the second half when they had a 20 point lead ,or a 2 pointer in the first half with the lead already ,and then blaming the players ,fact is they should have kept Basaccia, he was taking the WHOLE team in the right direction for once ,JM is just another career politician, not a Coach ,and definetly good for the Raider’s! Facts Man the season was already tanked should not sold the team’s soul !
Sooooo True
Right on! Even the best winning QBs in Raider history were not kept on for 9 years when Al was the boss.
You’re dumb!
Al rolling over in his grave looking at how his son let McIdiot ruin what he built
That’s exactly what I’m trying to say. This coach is a joke. Hasn’t done anything as a coach prior to this and won’t now or afterwards. Marc you’re an idiot!
I agree. Fire the hc,the oc,the dc and the gm. Team going nowhere with this bunch of clowns.
Change the ownership, and all these problems go away…