Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek essentially chalked the return of star defensive end Maxx Crosby up to fate in his first extended public comments since the Baltimore Ravens backed out of a deal to acquire him for two first-round picks.
“Things have a way of going a certain way and working out the way they’re supposed to,” Spytek said in an interview posted Thursday on Raiders.com. “We welcomed him like he never left because he really never did.”
Spytek had agreed to trade Crosby to Baltimore this month after several weeks of speculation fueled mostly by Crosby advocate and media personality Jay Glazer, who first said at the Super Bowl that Crosby wanted out of the Raiders organization.
Several days after the deal was announced, the Ravens rescinded the offer after meeting with Crosby and evaluating his medical imaging.
Crosby, 28, underwent a procedure to repair the meniscus in his left knee in January, which was known to the Ravens at the time of the trade.
After he was sent home from Baltimore, Crosby was back in the Raiders’ facility rehabbing the next morning.
“It’s exciting to see him work hard and attack the rehab like we’ve known,” Spytek said. “I know he’s going to be back ready to rock in August and have many good years ahead of him still.”
He insists the same is true of their ability to work together.
“My relationship with Maxx since I got here has been great,” Spytek said. “We had a lot of conversations throughout the season and at the end of the season, obviously, and through the offseason. We were presented with a challenging and difficult decision to make.”
It was one of the only sidesteps Spytek and the organization have taken this offseason as they try to rebuild from a 3-14 season that has them in position to select No. 1 in the NFL draft, a pick they are expected to use on quarterback FernandoMendoza.
Spytek has used the early stages of free agency to start building a foundation that can support a rookie quarterback.
At the heart of that plan is center Tyler Linderbaum, who will anchor the offensive line and serve as an extra set of eyes and ears on the field.
It was a massive signing for the Raiders, perhaps one of the most important of any team this offseason.
“That was a guy we targeted early,” Spytek said. “A lot of times those (deals) get done before free agency starts, but he didn’t. Once it was clear he was going to hit the market, we made our best offer. We had a lot of great conversations with (new coach Klint Kubiak) and the staff about how important center is in this offense that we’re going to run, particularly one of his caliber.
“So we tried to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
Spytek said Linderbaum has been exactly what the Raiders expected, further solidifying the decision to make him the highest-paid interior lineman in history, a three-year deal for $81 million, with $60 million guaranteed.
Spytek also discussed several of the other signings, particularly on defense, during the 13-minute interview. He said the work is far from done this offseason, but most of the heavy lifting is behind the Raiders as they turn their eyes toward the draft and their 10 selections.
“”We’re up against it now, so I don’t want the fans to expect a lot of big things coming,” Spytek said with a laugh. “But we’ll have plenty of room to sign the draft picks. There’s no stress about that.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.