Not straw man but grasping at straws. Who is supplanting Rashi? It’s a wild claim. Why does their basic explanation require an earlier source if it just basic?
One widely touted example is the cooking of the lentils. Rashi quotes the Medrash that the lentils were to mourn the passing of Avraham Avinu. Obviously that is not the actual technical translation of the words of the Pasuk. And so, although obviously we’re aware of the back story given by the Medrash, there is room to express that the most basic reading is simply as someone cooking food.
Personally, I think they should have skipped that, since there is nothing to explain, but so be it.
This is perfectly in line with the Rashbam, who writes that the Drash is the main thing but the words do have a meaning without it, and it is worth devoting some time to understand that too. In fact, he writes that Rashi agreed surg him, and said that had he had more time he would have done the same.