“I’m trying to think like the players would think,” he said. “‘Hey, can they handle this? Hey, if this happens, do they know the adjustment for that or the adjustment for this?’ A lot of times you want to let these guys … just tie them up, play sound, stay on top in the coverage, play good in the run fits and let them go.”
Fast forward seven months and much has changed, and not just the team’s home.
There are a few more new faces (Cory Littleton, Maliek Collins, Prince Amukamara to name a few) and handful of fresh-faced rookies (Damon Arnette, Amik Robertson, Tanner Muse) but the vibe heading into 2020 is definitively different than it was a year ago.
No further proof of that is needed than by hearing what second-year defensive end Maxx Crosby had to say about taking on a leadership role on the defense after his standout rookie year.
“I want to show all the guys that we can beat anyone,” Crosby told the Las Vegas Review-Journal during the offseason. “I have no problem being that guy and taking any heat for it. I want to be a leader. I want to set the example.”
Here’s what the Raiders have defensively heading into training camp:
DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters: Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, Johnathan Hankins, Maliek Collins Key backups: Carl Nassib, Maurice Hurst,
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‘We have to be a much more detailed football team'
Like so many Raiders fans, coach Jon Gruden found himself searching for answers after the Raiders’ second-half collapse that cost the team a spot in the expanded playoffs.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Starting Tackle Kolton Miller is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Wanted: Defensive coordinator
The Raiders didn’t wait long to begin their search for a new defensive coordinator, and it’s becoming clear that Jon Gruden has already narrowed his list down.
Raiders' good, bad, ugly
Raiders’ good, bad, ugly
NEWS & NOTES
The Raiders had one of the easier schedules in 2020 and got only eight wins to show for it. Things won’t get any easier in 2021, either.
Looking back at 2020 season
The 2020 season will absolutely be remembered for being one of the strangest and most disappointing in franchise history.
Gruden feeling the heat?
“I know there is a big bull’s-eye on my chest, certainly. If the people want to use that as an incentive, then so be it. I worked for Al Davis in 1998. That was pressure. I was 34 years old. I’ve dealt with pressure before. I don’t really feel pressure. I love the excitement and thrill of competing, and I can’t worry about things I can’t control in that regard. I know people will want to step on me and beat me, and that is just the way this league is.”
From the SILVERANDBLACK.com Message Boards
S&BI continually scans the message boards across Raider Nation to see what Raider fans are talking about now that the 2020 season has ended for the Raiders. We chose some of the better posts and present them here.
Checklist for 2021
Now that the 2020 season has been put to rest for Las Vegas, the Raiders have shifted their focus to what figures to be a busy offseason as they prepare for 2021.
AFC WEST ROUNDUP
The Chargers fired coach Anthony Lynn after four seasons.
