Kubiak Explains His First Taste of Being the Raiders' Leader

The Las Vegas Raiders have been at the forefront of the league in many regards this offseason. They entered the offseason leading the league in open cap space for free agency, along with 10 draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, including the No. 1 overall pick.

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Las Vegas also hired arguably the top coach available in this offseason's coaching cycle, Klint Kubiak. He has been tasked with helping the Raiders turn things around after years of disappointing results. An improved roster will help him do so sooner, rather than later.

After an eventful start to free agency that included a slew of new additions for the Raiders, the failed trade between them and the Baltimore Ravens for star defensive end, Maxx Crosby, was the biggest story in the league so far this offseason and is unlikely to be topped before the season starts.

Crosby 'returns' to a defensive roster that is arguably the best supporting cast he has had since the Raiders drafted him. Although Las Vegas could have used the two first-round picks they had initially received from Baltimore, Crosby was a glaring hole the Raiders no longer have to replace.

The Crosby trade was the first of many twists and turns that come with not only being a head coach in the league, but being the head coach of the Raiders. Those two things are distinct, as Kubiak has already begun to figure out in just a short time on the job.

“I think anytime there's a trade, that you always know that it could go down that way. So, I mean, once it happened, I was really excited. When Spy [John Spytek] came and talked to me about it and we sat down, and my first thing was a smile. 'We have Maxx [Crosby] back? Are you kidding me? That's great. You got anything else you want to talk about?' Our team just got better,” Kubiak said at the NFL Owners' Meetings.

“I think I sent him a text because I'm sure he was getting enough people calling him, and then he was back in our building the next day doing his rehab kind of like nothing ever happened. So, I see Maxx [Crosby] all the time at the facility. He's one of the first guys there every day. I've said that. John's [Spytek] said that. So, it's been really good in this time before the players all get there to get to know him a little bit better."

From the failed Crosby trade to the events surrounding Christian Wilkins last offseason and more, the Raiders face different issues than nearly any other team in the league. Kubiak handled the Crosby saga well, but the failed trade was largely beyond his control.

Win, lose, or draw, the Raiders often find themselves at the center of the new cycle around the league at least once or twice during every offseason and regular season. The failed Crosby trade was Kubiak's first taste of life as the Raiders' head coach in that regard. It will not be the last.