By Ed Condran
The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t just looking for continuity at the quarterback and head coaching positions. The Black and Silver would love stability in the front office. The Raiders hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers Assistant General Manager John Spytek as their General Manager.
The Raiders GM position has been fraught with change ever since the storied franchise left Oakland for Las Vegas in 2020. Mike Mayock, Dave Ziegler, Champ Kelly and Tom Telesco have held the title of Raiders GM since the pandemic arrived. The hope is that Spytek will be running the team for years.
Perhaps Spytek, who earned raves in the Bucs front office, will be the answer for the Raiders, who have many questions facing the organization. Who will become the Raiders’ next coach? Who will be the next quarterback? Will the Raiders be in position to draft a quarterback with the sixth position in the NFL Draft?
What will the Raiders do with a projected $108 million in salary cap space? Will the Raiders be able to attract notable free agents to fill voids? The Raiders have more questions than a soap opera.
However, what bodes well for the franchise is that minority owner Tom Brady is having an impact. Owner Mark Davis rightfully respects the seven-time Super Bowl champion. It’ll be interesting to see if Brady is hands on with a potential rookie quarterback.
Spytek has a challenging gig, but his resume is impressive. After working with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles during the aughts, Spytek joined the Bucs in 2016 as their Director of Player Personnel, where he met Brady. Spytek was promoted to Vice President of Player Personnel in 2021 and Assistant GM in 2023.
Spytek earned high marks for helping keep the Bucs in the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. Spytek helped solve the Bucs quarterback problem by signing Baker Mayfield, who has been an impressive gunslinger behind center.
It can only go up for the Raiders, who last won a playoff game in 2003, beating the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship game.
It’s been difficult for Raiders Nation, but the team still has Maxx Crosby rushing the quarterback, plenty of draft capital and money to spend. Fans hope Spytek can lead the Raiders in the right direction.
It’s going to be interesting since the Raiders are in arguably the toughest division in the AFC. The Chiefs have been a juggernaut since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback, and the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos are trending upward.
It’s going to be fascinating to see if the Raiders take steps to challenge their division rivals.
