The Las Vegas Raiders are widely expected to have one of the best defenses in the National Football League this upcoming season.
Adding former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins to an already talented defensive line is one of the primary reasons for the heightened expectations. Another reason is the overall talent of the defensive line, which includes the emerging Malcolm Koonce and veteran defensive linemen Adam Butler and Maxx Crosby.
After previously playing with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, Butler signed with the Raiders last offseason. It was one of the best signings of Josh McDaniels’ brief tenure with the team, as Butler would have the second-best season of his career. Crosby, the Raiders’ unquestioned leader on defense, says the synergy between him and Butler has been there since day one.
"I feel like, to be honest, we have that connection right away. It started in the offseason," Crosby said at training camp on Wednesday. "He got here last April, I believe, and from that day on, we've been locked in. If you watch from week one to week eighteen, it improved and improved, but usually, it takes a lot more time.”
Playing alongside Crosby and others, Butler would register 28 tackles, 16 of which were solo tackles, and tie his career-high nine QB hits on the season. According to Pro Football Focus, Butler did all this while not starting any games for the Raiders last season, compared to his career-best season of 34 total tackles, 18 of which were solo, in four starts during the 2020-21 season.
“A guy like him, he's a thinker," Crosby said. "When you're out on the field with him, he's calling out where they're sliding, calling out protections, things like that. And when you have a guy like that on the field, he's nothing but an asset, and he plays hard. He's a very underrated rusher, so he could win those one-on-ones as well.
“So, I love Adam [Butler]. Me and Adam have had a great connection. He's a Texas guy as well. He went to Duncanville. So, our teams played each other in high school. He's a little older than me, but I've known about him for a long time, so when he got here, it was awesome. It's been special ever since."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/raiders/ as Raiders DE Maxx Crosby on His Relationship with DT Adam Butler.