On Monday, John Spytek had his first press conference as the newly appointed General Manager of the Las Vegas Raiders alongside Pete Carroll, who was hired as the team’s newest head coach.
Spytek has been an integral part of the Buccaneers’ success when it comes to building a roster that has made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. He’s also a charismatic person and an engaging leader with exceptional communication skills.
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who has worked with John Spytek and doesn’t view this is a home run hire for the Raiders. His scouting acumen, eye for talent, and strong leadership skills will provide that organization with the stability at the top of their front office that they’ve been seeking for a long time.
During the press conference, Spytek made a point of praising the Buccaneers organization and ownership.
“It was an awesome opportunity to work for a great franchise. They are an awesome ownership group. They gave us all the resources to do our jobs well. Proud [of] what we accomplished there and just grateful to have had the opportunity to work for them. “
He also offered some strong words of gratitude toward Buccaneers GM Jason Licht, who put him in the positions that led to his ascension within the Buccaneers’ front office over the past nine years and ultimately him accepting this General Manager opportunity in Las Vegas.
“Jason Licht, my boss the last nine years at Tampa, believing in me when I was a young scout… Giving me an amazing chance to help lead a franchise at a young age — at 35 years old. I worked every day to make him proud. We accomplished a lot together and I’m just so grateful for him.”
Spytek also spoke about the successful roster-building philosophy that was executed so well during his time in Tampa Bay.
“For us in Tampa, recently it was definitely draft and develop. I think at the start of the season, 44 of the players who made the initial 53 were drafted or signed by us as undrafted free agents. I think all but two starters were.”
I think a lot of folks in Tampa, although sad to see him go, will be excited to cheer on John Spytek as he aspires to lead the Las Vegas Raiders in the pursuit of building a competitive and well-rounded NFL roster. Based on what he said today, it looks like John Spytek will try and execute a similar process to that which provided such positive results for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his time.
