The Las Vegas Raiders made perhaps the most stellar addition in the NFL this offseason when they hired John Spytek to be their next general manager.
Not only was he well-connected with minority owner Tom Brady, but he came highly regarded from one of the most revered front offices in the league. He was Jason Licht's right-hand man for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had ample success and won a Super Bowl during the nine years that Spytek was an executive there.
It is well-known that the NFL is a copycat league, and the model that the Raiders have been following for two decades has not been conducive to any success. With Spytek now in charge, it seems that he is already following the blueprint from his days in Tampa Bay.
Raiders GM John Spytek wasting no time recreating Buccaneers in Las Vegas
On Tuesday, Spytek was a guest on an episode of Ari Meirov's "NFL Spotlight" podcast. There, he talked about some of the Raiders' recent acquisitions like Ashton Jeanty and Geno Smith, and how they compare to successful Buccaneers players from his tenure.
"I always think of running backs like Bucky Irving last year," Spytek said. "The first man can't tackle him, and Bucky proved that. Ashton has great feet and vision, he's a nightmare to tackle in the open field for linebackers and DBs. When you come up, what was it, 31 yards short of Barry Sanders? You've got my attention."
Bucky Irving was phenomenal for Tampa Bay last year after being selected in the fourth round. He ran for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns and also added 392 receiving yards in his first professional campaign. If No. 6 overall pick Ashton Jeanty can produce as Irving did during his rookie season, then the Raiders will be counting their lucky stars for this selection.
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Spytek also touched on the trade for Geno Smith this offseason and compared him to Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
"I liked with Baker and then with Geno now too, I mean, they've been through some adversity," Spytek said. "It hasn't always been easy for Geno, but he just keeps coming back at you and fighting and competing, and I really admire that. And they can both really throw the football, so that's cool too."
Mayfield became a two-time Pro Bowler in Tampa Bay after largely being written off early in his career. Smith underwent a similar situation, which makes his being on the Raiders feel like a match made in heaven. With Mayfield under center, the Buccaneers won 19 games in two years and defeated the Eagles in the 2022 playoffs.
Las Vegas modeling themselves after a consistently strong franchise like Tampa Bay should be music to the ears of Raider Nation. Spytek saw up close how to run a successful organization, and he is already implementing that with the Silver and Black.
While some may say that it is a gamble to try and replicate the exact success that the Buccaneers had, Spytek is sticking to what he knows will work. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
