The Las Vegas Raiders wanted Ben Johnson as their next head coach but struck out as he was hired by the Chicago Bears. The team moved on quickly and hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek as their next general manager.
Spytek has been working NFL front offices for over 20 years and has been a general manager candidate for a number teams over the last few cycles. Though missing out on Johnson hurt, landing Spytek is big a move for the Raiders.
He’s been a key part of a Buccaneers franchise that has made the playoffs in five-straight seasons and won a Super Bowl in 2020. It’s worth noting that Spytek also goes way back with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady.
They played at Michigan together and Spytek played a role in Brady going to Tampa Bay in 2020. Those two should be in lockstep on a lot of moves going forward. Spytek will be armed with over $100 million in salary cap space and potentially 10 draft picks. He has the means to turn this team around quickly if they can find the right head coach and there are a couple of top candidates who have connections to Spytek.
Can Spytek Lure Todd Monken to Raiders?
The Raiders had requested an interview with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken early in the process but there hasn’t been any update on that front. It’s possible that he turned Las Vegas down or he was waiting to see what they might do at general manager.
The hiring of Spytek could help their case if they want Monken. He was the offensive coordinator of the Buccaneers from 2016 to 2018 while Spyek was the team’s director of player personnel during that time. Considering they spent three years together, it’s likely that there’s some familiarity there.
That said, it’s possible that they might not think highly of each other, which would kill any chances of Monken being the head coach. There’s no reason to believe they have a bad relationship so Spytek could help convince Monken to take the Raiders interview.
Monken called plays for the No. 1 offense in the NFL this season and hasn’t had a chance to be a head coach at the NFL level. If he came to the Raiders, he could also reunite with star tight end Brock Bowers, who Monken coached at Georgia before joining the Ravens.
What About Liam Coen?
Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen is one of the top young offensive minds in the NFL but there’s been no word on the Raiders even requesting an interview with him. He backed out of the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching search so he’s being picky about his options.
However, Coen worked with Spytek this year so the Raiders could be more appealing. If Las Vegas wants to go younger at head coach, the 39-year-old Coen would make more sense than the 58-year-old Monken. It remains to be seen if he’ll even interview with the Raiders but the Spytek hiring at least makes him a name to watch. With many head coaching job being filled up, Las Vegas could take their time making a final decision.
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