The Las Vegas Raiders officially hired general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll last week. They spoke to the local media in their joint press conference on Monday. The duo introduced themselves and wasted little time speaking directly to Maxx Crosby, who was in attendance.
Spytek shared what he learned from his previous positions with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. Carroll seemed refreshed after taking a year off from coaching. More importantly, he talked about being open to new ideas and tweaks to his football philosophy.
Though Spytek and Carroll didn’t delve into specifics about assembling a coaching staff or their initial thoughts on the roster, they dropped some hints on how they can get the franchise back on the right track. With that in mind, here are five major takeaways from the introductory press conference for the Las Vegas Raiders’ new head coach and GM.
John Spytek and Pete Carroll will work on retaining Maxx Crosby
Both Spytek and Carroll mentioned Maxx Crosby by name. Don’t underestimate their intentions. They know Crosby wants a new contract with guaranteed money and a chance to play in the postseason.
Recently, Crosby appeared on Good Morning Football and left his options open regarding his future with a wait-and-see mentality. At the press conference, Carroll spoke directly to Crosby.
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“Maxx, send the message, man. We’re coming after you,” he said. ‘We’re going to come find you guys and get this thing rolling as soon as possible, with the highest of expectations, with a mentality that will drive high performance in a way that hopefully everybody is going to hear us and they’re going to know us. I’m really proud to take on that challenge.”
First, Spytek will need to present a contract that lets Crosby know the new regime is committed to him for the long term. While he does that, Carroll can join in and sell the four-time Pro Bowl edge-rusher on the long-term vision for the franchise. If Crosby likes what he hears, he’ll be wearing silver and black for the foreseeable future.
Tom Brady’s stamp of approval will impact the quarterback situation
Brady had a significant influence on the Raiders’ head coaching search, and he’ll continue to leave his imprint on the team with his insights on the quarterback situation. Carroll told reporters that the team will “lean on Brady” as much as possible.
Having played the position at a high level for over two decades, Brady’s opinion on signal-callers holds value. However, he’s not a talent evaluator, so his assessment will likely be included in a collaborative approach with Spytek and his scouting department.
Brady should have enough respect for Spytek and his scouting team to do their jobs, though we can expect that his stamp of approval will go a long way in the team’s decision to sign, trade, or draft certain players at the position.
Pete Carroll’s new staff won’t be an exact copy of his Seattle Seahawks coaching personnel
Within the fanbase, there’s concern that Carroll will hire most of his former Seattle Seahawks assistants for a reunion in Las Vegas, for better or worse. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed, Raiders fans may see some familiar names on Carroll’s staff.
“Former Raiders and Seahawks coach Tom Cable is a candidate to become the offensive line coach, according to a league source,” Tarfur wrote. “Another potential offensive assistant to keep an eye on is Greg Olson, who was the Raiders’ offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2014 and 2018 to 2021 and was most recently the Seahawks’ quarterbacks coach in 2023.”
Cable would be a decent offensive line coach, but Carroll, who’s been coaching for 50-plus years can do a lot better than Greg Olson for his offensive coordinator position.
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As a primary play-caller, Olson hasn’t fielded an offense that’s ranked better than 14th in scoring. He wasn’t the primary offensive play-caller for the then-St. Louis Rams’ 10th-ranked scoring offense in 2006 under Scott Linehan or the Raiders’ 10th-ranked scoring offense in 2020 under Jon Gruden.
Thus far, few names have popped up in connection to the Raiders offensive coordinator job, but Carroll has plenty of time to round up quality candidates for the position.
Pete Carroll and Antonio Pierce have similarities in letting players be themselves
As head coaches, Pete Carroll and former Raiders lead skipper Antonio Pierce are similar in letting players be themselves. Some may classify them as a player’s coach.
Pierce’s team went off the rails early in the 2024 campaign, making what he called “business decisions.” Carroll has a track record of fostering structure and organization.
Carroll turned USC into a collegiate powerhouse for nearly a decade between 2001 and 2009. Collegians need structure. He had the pulse of his Seahawks locker room for 14 years because he empowered player leadership. Raiders players responded well to Pierce’s coaching style. So, they’ll likely embrace Carroll’s approach, too, though the latter brings far more experience and can use it to teach and develop the talent across the roster.
John Spytek can offer insight into a head coaching succession plan
According to The MMQB’s Albert Breer, Carroll has talked about putting together a succession plan before he interviewed for the Raiders’ head coaching position.
“Now, the one caveat here would be that Carroll is 73, so this isn’t a forever hire for the Raiders,” he wrote. “But one interesting nugget I was able to pick up on that front should ease the concerns a bit: In preparing to try to land a coaching job over the past year, Carroll talked a lot about finding an assistant or two to put on his staff whom he felt could succeed him (like Bruce Arians did with Todd Bowles and Leftwich in Tampa).”
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Spytek can help Carroll in that regard. As Breer pointed out, Spytek witnessed Arians pass the torch to Bowles in Tampa Bay. Since 2022, Bowles has put together the Buccaneers’ coaching staff, and he will replace his offensive coordinator for a third consecutive term.
For stability, Carroll, a defensive-minded head coach, should lean toward appointing an offensive assistant as the heir apparent to his job. Unlike Bowles in Tampa Bay, the Raiders wouldn’t have to potentially replace their offensive play-caller every year or two, which is ideal for a developing quarterback.
Regardless, Spytek’s voice should be instrumental in setting up a succession plan, having seen it done effectively with the Buccaneers.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
