The Raiders have been waiting for Kwity Paye to look like the player that matched the price tag, and for one day in Houston, they finally got it.
That matters for a defense that invested heavily in the 27-year-old edge rusher back in March, when Las Vegas handed him a three-year, $48 million contract. Since then, the storyline around Paye has mostly been about what he hasn’t done: a brief injury scare that kept him out of a few practices, a mostly quiet camp, and an uneventful preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals, when he logged 11 defensive snaps and didn’t show up in the box score.
Then came the joint practice with the Texans ahead of the Raiders’ second preseason game, and Paye suddenly looked like a different player.
According to multiple reports, he was a problem all day for Houston’s starting tackles and got to quarterback CJ Stroud twice in one series. He kept creating pressure, and that ripple effect helped the interior of the Raiders’ defensive front generate more push, too. For a unit that’s trying to build real cohesion, that kind of chain reaction is exactly what Las Vegas needs.
Paye has been starting on the defensive line throughout camp and has been described as a versatile fit for Rob Leonard’s front, so the expectation has been there from the start. At an average annual value of $16 million, the Raiders need that role to turn into production.
Having Maxx Crosby back next to him certainly helps. But the bigger point is simple: if Paye is going to justify the deal, he has to do damage like this on a regular basis, not just in flashes. Houston offered a strong test, and he answered it.
That’s especially important with Week 1 getting close. Coach Klint Kubiak hasn’t committed to playing starters in Thursday’s preseason game, so the next real look at Paye may not come immediately. When it does, the Raiders will want the version they saw in Houston - the one that made life miserable for an elite Texans team and gave Las Vegas a real glimpse of the return on its investment.
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For a team still sorting out its quarterback pecking order, that kind of finish carries real weight. OConnell has been working to lock down the No. 2 job behind Kirk Cousins, and a poise-filled comeback drive in the preseason is exactly the sort of showing that can tilt a debate in his favor, even if the final call is still waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]