Since John Spytek has come in as the Las Vegas Raiders' new general manager, he has said and done all of the right things. In fact, I'd be willing to put it on record that he is off to a much better start than Tom Telesco was this time last year.
Of course, Telesco drafted Brock Bowers, so he will always have that for Raiders fans to be thankful about. But so far, Spytek has done well with not overpaying for free agents, especially unrestricted free agents that they would really love to keep around, but were just too expensive, thanks to teams like the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, and Green Bay Packers.
But, he has done a great job of getting in replacements that are cheaper and may be able to produce the same production, if not better. And then there is the fact that Spoytek got the Raiders their quarterback. Sure, Pete Carroll played a part in the former Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith being traded, but Spytek executed it all.
But, he has now said something that's a bit eye-raising. Well, not really because it's all opinion. But, Spytek was clearly showing a bit of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers homerism.
“Outside of Von Miller, Devin White’s 2020 playoff run was the greatest I’ve seen (from a defensive player)," Spytek said to reporters during the NFL Owners Meetings in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. "He is a great dude and we’re going to give him a chance at a resurgence.”
The first part is what really may get you. Sure, White's playoff run was great. However, it wasn't good enough to say what he said. And, not to mention that the other guy he mentioned was with the Denver Broncos when he was there.
All jokes aside, White is nowhere near what he used to be, for some odd reason. Maybe it's the defensive schemes he has been in. But whatever it is, his game is extremely one-sided. He's great in the run game, and cannot play coverage well at all. And with Elandon Roberts, the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, now in town, White will have to play some sort of coverage.
White saw limited action last year, bouncing between the Texans' practice squad and the Eagles earlier, constantly fighting to stay active each week. However, injuries and suspensions forced the Texans to put him on the field for 88 coverage snaps. During those snaps, his performance was lackluster, ending the season with a 75% deserved catch percentage allowed, meaning he struggled significantly to prevent completions on catchable passes thrown by opposing quarterbacks when targeted.
While White excels against the run, linebacker duties demand coverage skills, especially in a defensive scheme like the one run by Pete Carroll and Patrick Graham. He’ll often be tasked with holding zones in the middle of the field, and if he can’t handle that responsibility, his weaknesses will be glaringly obvious.
But hey, maybe Spytek is just that confident in the guy he drafted.
