The Las Vegas Raiders set the tone for the 2025 offseason on Wednesday, reportedly finalizing terms to hire John Spytek as their new general manager.
Spytek will replace Tom Telesco, whom the Raiders fired two weeks ago. He has a connection to Raiders minority stakeholder Tom Brady that goes back to their college years at Michigan. Spytek was instrumental in Brady’s decision to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Spytek served as the Buccaneers’ director of player personnel (2016-2020), vice president of player personnel (2021-2022), and assistant general manager (2023-2024) over nine years, helping the franchise build a perennial playoff contender, win four consecutive division titles, and a Super Bowl.
Now, Spytek must set the roadmap for the Raiders’ offseason, and he will likely do it with Brady’s input.
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Todd Monken could be realistic candidate for head coaching job
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, the Raiders have requested an interview with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, but the two sides have yet to set up an interview date.
Spytek and Monken joined the Buccaneers in the same year in 2016. Monken was Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator for three seasons before the team dismissed former head coach Dirk Koetter’s staff.
Though Monken could be wary of the Raiders’ quarterback situation, Spytek may be the link to get the interview process going in the next week.
Some Raiders fans are holding out hope that Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen has second thoughts about staying in Tampa Bay with Spytek going to Las Vegas.
Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud doesn’t expect Coen to have a change of heart. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buccaneers are preparing to make Coen one of the league’s highest-paid offensive coordinators.
Keep eye on Chris Godwin and Kyle Trask in free agency
Typically, a new general manager brings his track record with him to a new destination. Expect Spytek to consider available players from his former team.
The Buccaneers are projected to have $2.7 million in cap space for 2025. They can restructure contracts, terminate deals, or trade players for more salary-cap flexibility, but they won’t be able to retain every impending free agent.
Tampa Bay has several notable players on expiring contracts, including wide receiver Chris Godwin, edge-rushers Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson, and quarterback Kyle Trask.
The Raiders could be interested in adding Tryon-Shoyinka or Nelson if they don’t re-sign edge-rusher Malcolm Koonce.
However, with an underwhelming quarterback room, Spytek may have more interest in being aggressive with offensive acquisitions in free agency.
If so, the Raiders could make a strong offer to Godwin and pick up Trask on a modest deal.
Coming off an injury-shortened campaign, Godwin may be available at a discounted price. He racked up 1,023-plus receiving yards in three consecutive terms between 2021 and 2023. Because of a broken ankle, he only played seven games in 2024.
Godwin and Jakobi Meyers could be a solid wide receiver tandem for whoever starts at quarterback. They would complement sensational rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who set several receiving records in 2024.
While Spytek served as vice president of player personnel in Tampa Bay, the team selected Trask in the second round of the 2021 draft. Remember, Brady, going into his age-44 season, and quarterback Blaine Gabbert, 32, were on the Buccaneers roster at the time.
Buccaneers’ brass may have seen potential in Trask to become a starter as Brady’s successor. In 2023, Trask had a chance to earn the starting job but lost a quarterback battle to Baker Mayfield.
In four years, Trask has only suited up for seven games, completing four of 11 passes for 28 yards.
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John Spytek may see upside in quarterback who was former first-round pick
Spytek could have a more aggressive plan at quarterback. Rather than signing Trask and drafting a rookie, he could push to sign a former first-rounder to a modest deal in hopes of getting the best out of him with a quality play-caller.
As of Wednesday, the Raiders don’t have a coaching staff in place, but Spytek can help assemble a staff that can develop young veterans like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, or Mac Jones.
While some or all of those names may make you cringe, the Buccaneers took a shot with Mayfield after he played for three teams in two years and turned him into a Pro Bowl player.
Don’t be surprised if Spytek takes a swing at a young quarterback he believes still has some upside in an attempt to upgrade the quarterback room.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
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