Patrick Paul isn’t talking like a man planning to win a wrestling match. He’s talking like someone who wants to get under Maxx Crosby’s skin.
As the Dolphins head to Las Vegas for their 2026 season opener, Miami’s top offensive tackle knows exactly what kind of problem he could be facing if he lines up against the Raiders edge rusher. The answer, at least in Paul’s mind, isn’t all about power or technique.
“I feel like he's a hothead,” Paul said of Crosby. “So a lot of things you could get into his game with that.”
That’s the lane Paul wants to explore. He’s known for his trash-talking in practice and isn’t shy about using it when the pads go on for real. The idea is simple: make Crosby think, make him react, and maybe disrupt the rhythm that makes him such a difficult defender to handle.
Paul also didn’t pretend this would be easy. Crosby brings the kind of effort and edge that make any game plan complicated, and Paul described him as a player with a high motor who plays with plenty of swagger.
His goal, as he put it, is to “Displace him off his game. He plays with a lot of swagger.”
Of course, that sort of approach cuts both ways. If Paul wants to rattle Crosby mentally, he still has to survive the snap physically first, and that’s no small assignment.
The matchup matters because Miami needs its offensive line to hold up. The Dolphins are expected to lean on that group, which includes five rookie draft picks and undrafted rookie D.J. Herman, and if they do enough up front, Malik Willis should have room to operate throwing the ball, running it, and using his legs.
The opener is lined up to be tight. Miami enters as a 3.5-point underdog, while Kirk Cousins is set to start for the Raiders.
For the Dolphins, the stakes around Week 1 are pretty clear. They dropped all three preseason games, and a win in Las Vegas would give the locker room an immediate lift. Jeff Hafley has already made it clear the team isn’t treating this like a throwaway season opener, but the schedule only gets harder after this, with several playoff teams from last year waiting down the road.
So if Miami wants to avoid stumbling into a long early-season slide, Paul’s plan to get in Crosby’s head may have to work exactly the way he drew it up.
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For a Miami offense that can always use more proven depth at receiver, the fit is at least easy to picture. No move has been reported, but Slaytons availability gives the Dolphins another experienced option to weigh as they sort through their roster and look for help around a passing game that values reliable veterans as much as upside. [Read more 🡒]