Maxx Crosby's emotional message to former Raiders star puts pressure on his successor

Big changes are happening in Southern Nevada this offseason. The Las Vegas Raiders have a newly promoted head coach in Antonio Pierce, as well as a new general manager coming over from a division rival in Tom Telesco, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers. While pass-rusher extraordinaire Maxx Crosby is the lifeblood of this AFC franchise, his heart was broken on the first day of free agency.

His best friend on the team was running back Josh Jacobs. These two have been through some stuff, and I will just leave it at that... With Jacobs expected to sign with the Green Bay Packers in his free agency, that means Crosby will need to find a new best friend on the team. They may be brothers for life, but we constantly have to remind ourselves that this is a business. Money always talks, people.

So with Jacobs trading in his Silver and Black for some delicious Green and Yellow, who is next man up in the Raiders' running back room? That would be third-year pro Zamir White. He was a highly recruited prospect coming out of high school by Georgia. At UGA, he shared a backfield with the likes of James Cook, Daijun Edwards, Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton.

Here is the message Crosby fired out on social media in response to Jacobs signing with Green Bay.

While White was never tasked with being a bell-cow in Athens, his role is now more prominent.

Next man up: Zamir White must answer the bell with Josh Jacobs gone

What this really comes down to is how new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wants to do things. The Raiders are moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. While Aidan O'Connell looked good at times as a rookie, he will be pushed by veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew II in the quarterback room. With the "prodigal son" of Ken Stabler returning to this franchise, this could be oodles of fun!

In reality, the Raiders will be doing their best to duke it out for second place in the AFC West with the Bolts, as the Denver Broncos circle the drain in salary cap hell, and the Kansas City Chiefs remain dynastic. To me, White was always like Nick Chubb Lite while at UGA. He had to overcome a devastating knee injury late in high school, so there is always that to keep in the back of your mind.

The other big thing people tend to forget about Jacobs is he was never asked to be a bell-cow when he was at Alabama. He really didn't come onto the scene as a high-end draft prospect until the second half of his final year in Tuscaloosa. When he came to the Raiders, he took life by the horns and carried that ball relentlessly. His tenure in Las Vegas was clunky, but he was certainly a great player.

White has big shoes to fill, but his time at Georgia has prepared him for his biggest opportunity yet.