Las Vegas Raiders’ training camp is coming up, as rookies report in less than two weeks. That gives us some time to do a few last dives into the Raiders’ roster, starting with this week’s mailbag. Let’s get to it!
A: This is a big reason why I was a proponent of trading Maxx Crosby during the offseason. I do buy into the theory that he’ll be motivated and play well this year after the Ravens debacle, but I think he probably has one or two years left of being the Maxx Crosby we’ve come to know over
the last seven seasons. There’s a lot of mileage on that body, as he’s ended the last two seasons on injured reserve. Maxx’s motor is part of what makes him great, but it’s also going to lead to more wear and tear that will add up if he doesn’t learn how to tone it back a bit.
Considering the Raiders are a young team that’s looking at a two-year rebuild, having the best player on the roster nearing the end of his prime isn’t an ideal situation. In my opinion, the best outcome here for the organization is that Crosby starts the season hot to prove to the rest of the league that his knee is fine, driving up the price tag for a trade ahead of the deadline.
Q: If Maxx Crosby does not get traded before Sep 13, do you expect there to be any Week 1 starters who are not on the roster now?
A: I could see the front office adding a wide receiver or defensive tackle who could come in and start. Offensive line is another position that crosses my mind since there are three starting spots open heading into training camp. However, the Raiders already have a bunch of young players competing for those jobs, and chemistry is important in the trenches, which is typically established by getting a bunch of reps together in camp.
Since there’s already going to be so many linemen switching in and out during the position battles, I don’t know if it’s the best idea to throw someone else in the mix. It comes down to how much the organization trusts Rick Dennison to develop the young guys versus bringing in a veteran who is better right now but has a lower ceiling. Given Dennison’s experience and relationship with the Kubiaks, I think there’s a lot of belief that he’ll get the most out of guys like Jackson Powers-Johnson, Caleb Rogers, Trey Zuhn III, etc.
Q: In your opinion, which current Raiders player or coach could cut the best pro wrestling promo? Makes no difference if babyface or heel promo.
A: I love this question, LOL!
The coaching staff is tough because we still don’t know them very well, and Klint Kubiak is pretty stoic, which would make for a pretty boring wrestling promo. However, I think Joe DeCamillis could be good for this. Special teams coaches are kind of a different breed in general, and I feel like he’s had a few good one-liners in the handful of press conferences he’s had so far. Also, DeCamillis was a wrestler in college at Wyoming, which should help.
As far as the players, I kind of like the idea of having Fernando Mendoza be the babyface good guy and Crosby as the heel. Mendoza showed he can deliver a flippin’ electric but still wholesome promo after the Big 10 Championship, while Crosby can be similar to the original John Cena from the early 2000s, rapping and playing the heel.
Q: With AOC wanting to be a starter, is it unrealistic that he will sign an extension this year to be Mendoza’s backup moving forward?
A: Yeah, if Aidan O’Connell wants to be a starter, it’s going to have to be somewhere else. I don’t mind keeping him around as Mendoza’s backup, but I get it if O’Connell wants one more chance to prove that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL while he’s still young. With that, I don’t see the 27-year-old (turns 28 on Sept. 1) signing an extension. The Raiders’ best chance at retaining him would be if he tests the market in the offseason and doesn’t get an offer to compete for a starting job somewhere else.
A: That would be a lot that goes in the franchise’s way, and this is a franchise that seems to have a lot of bad luck! LOL!
Realistically, I think the ceiling for this year’s team is around the seven- to eight-win mark. There have been so many changes this offseason, and it’s such a young roster that I’m expecting there to be some early-season struggles. I know it’s hard to hear given how the last quarter century has gone for the Silver and Black, but this is a year where wins are going to be hard to come by and developing the young core for the long haul is more important.
A: To be honest, I don’t spend much time diving into special teams. That’s more of Ray’s lane, and he dove into the kicker battle in the related article below.
What I will say is Kansei Matsuzawa only had two field goal attempts of 50 yards or more and only made one of them, per Pro Football Focus, during his two seasons at Hawaii. That leads me to believe the coaching staff didn’t trust him from distance. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Raiders plan to have Matt Gay be the kicker this year and give Matsuzawa time to get in the weight room and add some leg strength.
He’s only been playing football for a handful of years and was a soccer player previously, so it’s not like he’s spent that much time in a high-level training program that’s primarily focused on getting him stronger. The Tokoyo Toe is already super accurate, and he can be a really good kicker if he can start nailing 50-plus yarders consistently.
A: It seems like the pecking order at right tackle heading into training camp is that DJ Glaze will begin as the starter with Charles Grant as the backup while those two are competing with each other. That said, I like Grant to win that battle, and I’ve always felt Glaze’s future is brighter at guard than it is at tackle. He’s a decent run blocker, but I don’t think he has the feet to protect the edge in the passing game.
As for Zuhn, the lack of arm length is the primary reason he’s viewed as a college tackle to NFL guard convert. But I’m kind of surprised he’s not getting talked about more as a potential right tackle option. There are already four guys competing for two guard spots without him, so there are plenty of options on the interior. Why not give the Texas A&M product a chance to show that he can overcome his short arms at tackle?
I could see the coaching staff giving Zuhn reps at both positions during training camp and the preseason to see where he fits best, and then moving forward with developing him at that spot.
A: That’s definitely one of Fernando Mendoza’s biggest strengths. The Big Ten Championship and National Championship really showed off his toughness as he was taking a beating in both games but kept getting off the mat and coming back stronger. I love that about his game and think it’s something that can help him win over the locker room really quickly. Veterans will respect a rookie who can take a punch, so to speak, especially at quarterback.
Mendoza’s also pretty good at staying calm under pressure. Some of his best throws from last season came with pass-rushers barreling down on him, and he consistently delivered strikes in big moments. However, I do think he needs to get a better feel for pressure in the pocket because sometimes, he’s a sitting duck back there and needs to get moving to avoid taking a big hit. That’s often the trade-off with guys who are poised, and Mendoza reminds me a lot of Jordan Love in that regard.
I don’t have a ranking of recent quarterback prospects’ fearlessness or anything like that, but the 2026 No. 1 pick would definitely be toward the top if a list exists.
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 SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
