The Las Vegas Raiders are in the thick of OTAs, and the energy around the team appears to be the highest it’s been in years following the arrival of new head coach Klint Kubiak and several notable offseason additions.
Still, the most talked-about player in the building is No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who has already earned praise from many of his teammates.
Maxx Crosby, who had a particularly eventful offseason after his trade to the Baltimore Ravens was rescinded following a failed physical, appears to be in great spirits. The Raiders star spoke highly of Mendoza during his media session this week.
"He's an awesome kid," Crosby said. "Everyone knows his ability and what they saw from him, especially this past season at Indiana. It couldn't have been a greater year for an individual player at the college level - winning the Heisman, winning the national championship, going undefeated, and throwing the game-winning touchdown in the title game.
“He checked every single box and then some. But now you come to the NFL and you're on ground zero. I think that's the most important thing when you're a young guy coming into the league - realizing that."
Crosby went into more detail about Mendoza’s transition to the NFL, stressing the importance of earning respect as a rookie. He also shared a lighthearted story about inviting several of the team’s younger players to his house to watch Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, where he got the better of Mendoza in a game of horse.
"It's like, listen, you don't just come in and pick up where you left off in college - that's not the reality. You come here and have to earn your respect all over again and build trust with your teammates, your coaches, and everyone in the organization.
“So, Fernando has been awesome. He's a great kid. He has a great work ethic,” Crosby added. “I had a lot of the young guys over at the house, we watched Game 7, and Fernando was unfortunately across from me in a game of horse, and I destroyed him. I got him out of there quick.
“So, he's got to work on the jump shot, but ultimately he's a competitor, and he's learning and getting better every single day. I'm really excited about what he's going to bring to this team, and you can already feel that his energy has been extremely consistent on a daily basis."
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