Maxx Crosby (knee) closing in on practice return for Raiders

HENDERSON, Nev. -- On Wednesday, Maxx Crosby performed the same routine he's done throughout OTA practices for the Las Vegas Raiders. He jogged and stretched with his teammates before going inside the training facility to continue his rehab from offseason knee surgery.

The All-Pro pass rusher has yet to strap on his helmet and participate in practice but said he's really close to doing so.

"I'm at the point where I'm almost there, but I forget that I need to relax a little bit, so that's kind of been the biggest battle right now," Crosby said.

Crosby underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus on Jan. 7. He played through the left knee injury since Week 7 of last year before the team placed him on injured reserve on Dec. 27.

He said that while this has been the longest recovery process of his career, it's also been rewarding.

"But ultimately, it has probably been the best [rehab] by far, and we're not even to the finish line," Crosby said. "... It's been better because I've been able to focus on other things. Whether that's being in the weight room, like I'm moving more weight than I ever have, and doing things in a different way, and being able to get my body the proper rest that it actually needs.

"... This has forced me to have to take a step back in certain areas and not run 8,000 yards on the field every single day."

Crosby added that he's moved past the trade fallout with the Baltimore Ravens, who backed out of a deal for the five-time Pro Bowler in March due to concerns with his knee. The canceled trade agreement sent shockwaves throughout the NFL and reminded Crosby of the league's unpredictability.

"I don't really want to talk about that, to be honest," he said. "It's water under the bridge; that's a long time ago. A lot of things that I have learned about what's going on and what this league can bring. ... I've been through a lot of my life. It's nothing to me. It is what it is. I'm here, and I want to be here."

Crosby added he's "fired up" for the season. He believes first-year coach Klint Kubiak and the rest of the staff have brought new energy into the building. While he didn't want to use the term rebuild and understands the Raiders have a lot of work to do, he said he is overly optimistic about the direction of the franchise.

Crosby mentioned the coaching staff is very detailed and intentional with everything it does. He's optimistic about his former defensive line coach and current defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, saying he has his own twist to the defensive scheme, using his time as an assistant under Mike Macdonald in Baltimore and Brian Flores in Miamias inspiration.

Crosby added that the roster has a good mixture of veterans, like linebacker Quay Walker and cornerback Taron Johnson, and young players, including No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, whom he called an "awesome" player.

"I feel like we have a lot of young energy in the building," Crosby said. "I'm 28 years old, and I feel like the old man in the room now, so obviously it's crazy, but at the same time, I think you know everybody's doing their part [and] everyone's trying to be the best version of themselves."