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The Raiders had a pretty good idea who would take Kirk Cousins’ place if they traded him Tuesday. They used the first pick in the draft on Fernando Mendoza, watched him get better by the week in practice and came to the conclusion he was ready for his shot.
Now try having that same conversation about Maxx Crosby.
Who takes his place on Sunday? For that matter, who takes it next September?
Somewhere in the answers to those questions is the explanation for how the Raiders could send their starting quarterback to the Vikings and hold on to their best defensive player at the same trade deadline.
But so does the other.
Which is why the Raiders said yes to a trade offer for Cousins, but were not interested in dealing Crosby, whom they believe is a big part of their future and an asset that can help the transition to Mendoza.
“We’re always going to make the best decision for the Raiders,” is how general manager John Spytek put it bluntly.
And it’s likely part of the reason NFL teams showed little interest in trading for Crosby on Tuesday. Multiple league sources indicated there was minimal talk regarding Crosby, and indicated the Raiders had something to do with that by making it clear they wanted to keep him.
That gave potential suitors little reason to believe a phone call would get them very far.
“We say no a lot more than we say yes,” Spytek said.
Crosby had been sending much the same message about wanting to remain in Las Vegas as the Raiders did about keeping him.
Even after everything that happened last March, he has continued to express his desire to spend his entire career with the Raiders. He remains under contract, is beloved by the fan base and, most important to the people making the decision, figures prominently in how they see this team coming together over the next few years.
Cousins arrived in Las Vegas under an entirely different set of circumstances. His job was to give the Raiders a veteran quarterback they could win with while Mendoza learned Klint Kubiak’s offense. There was always going to be an expiration date on that arrangement. The question was whether it would come sometime next spring or on a Tuesday afternoon in November.
Cousins held up his end. The Raiders won their first three games with him under center. They took the Chiefs and Bills down to the wire. And at 4-5, there was a reasonable argument for sticking with a veteran who still gave them a chance to play meaningful games in December.
Mendoza had a say in that decision, too.
Most of what he’s done to make his case has happened on a practice field, out of public view. The rookie has been shining there, and the Raiders have seen enough to feel good about putting the offense in his hands. They understand there will be a learning curve. They’re ready to live with it.
And really, what more could they ask Cousins to do? He gave Mendoza nine games to watch how a veteran prepares for a defense, handles a bad series and comes back to work after a tough loss. What Mendoza needs now is the experience of throwing a costly interception himself, walking back to the sideline and figuring out how to go score on the next drive. Cousins could only take him so far with that part of the job.
Which brings us back to Crosby.
For all the attention on what a contender might be able to do with him down the stretch, the Raiders are entitled to consider what they can do with him, too. They have a first-year head coach and a rookie quarterback about to make his first start. There’s something to be said for having a player of Crosby’s caliber around while those two find their footing, especially one who wants to be here to see where it goes.
From the day the Raiders drafted Mendoza, they could picture their next good team with him at quarterback. By Tuesday, they were ready to start finding out how soon he could get them there.
When they picture that same team on defense, they still see Crosby coming off the edge.
