Latest news with #JohnSpytek
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tom Brady Gives Honest Assessment of Pete Carroll-John Spytek Duo
Tom Brady Gives Honest Assessment of Pete Carroll-John Spytek Duo originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders turned a lot of heads with several major moves this offseason. Out was Antonio Pierce, and in came Pete Carroll. Out was Tom Telesco, and in came John Spytek. Advertisement These two have already made a significant impact on the Silver and Black through free agency, the NFL Draft, OTAs and minicamp. With training camp now on the horizon, however, Raider Nation should not forget about a mid-season addition from last year. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady is now the team's minority owner, and he has been a pivotal sounding board for owner Mark Davis as it pertains to the organization's big decisions. Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek (left) and coach Pete Carroll (right).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Brady recently spoke to Paul Gutierrez of about his first offseason working with the Silver and Black. He gave an honest assessment about the team's new leadership tandem of Carroll and Spytek. Advertisement "They've worked together very well, and there's a lot of decisions that are made," Brady said. "Winning games in September starts with what happens in February, March and April, when no one's really watching. They've been hard at work." Carroll and Spytek have certainly made a lot of crucial decisions this offseason, as changes needed to be made from last year's four-win team. Brady also detailed some of the Raiders' goals during the 2025 NFL season. "Our goal is to, you know, win a lot of football games. You've got to work hard at it, and it's all earned, and we've got a tough division," Brady said. "There's a lot of good opponents we face. But it's going to be up to the guys and their daily commitment to doing the right things." Las Vegas opens its first campaign under Carroll and Spytek in Week 1 on the road against the New England Patriots. They will play their first AFC West division game in Week 2 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Advertisement Related: Trade Pitch Sees Raiders Reunite John Spytek With Buccaneers CB Related: Raiders Miss Out on Former Pro Bowl CB They Hosted on Visit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Tom Brady lifts the lid on his Las Vegas Raiders role after NFL skepticism
The addition of Tom Brady to the ownership board of the Las Vegas Raiders led to many raised eyebrows across the league. Now, the former champion is clarifying his role. Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, had a deal finalized last year to join the team's ownership group under majority owner Mark Davis. However, it came after Brady agreed to being a color commentator for Fox Sports - which would typically give him access to privileged information from players and coaches to use on broadcasts. This could, in theory, have given Brady an unfair advantage. But now, in an interview with Paul Gutierrez on the Raiders' team website, Brady downplayed his role within the organization. 'Well, I'm just a limited partner, so Mark's the boss,' Brady said in an interview with Paul Gutierrez of the team's website. 'And then [head coach] Pete [Carroll] does his job and Spy [GM John Spytek] does his job and, I think, we trust them to make the right decisions. 'I'm there as a great sounding board for anything they want to do.' What remains to be known is Brady's day-to-day with the team, with the former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback not revealing what he does daily. Brady re-iterated that he is 'just trying to contribute in the ways that I can to help the team be the best they can be, on and off the field' while praising the staff in the franchise 'We've got a great group of people. I love Mark. He's done an incredible job getting the team to Vegas, getting the stadium built. 'Pete is new this year; he's got a big role to play,' Brady added. 'And so does John Spytek. And we're trying to do the right things every day. So that's what we're trying to do.' He also gave insight into the working relationship between Carroll, a Super Bowl winning coach with five decades of experience, and Spytek, a longtime scout and executive in his first GM role. 'They've worked together very well, and there's a lot of decisions that are made,' Brady said. 'Winning games in September starts with what happens in February, March, and April, when no one's really watching. They've been hard at work. 'And our goal is to, you know, win a lot of football games. You've got to work hard at it, and it's all earned, and we've got a tough division. There's a lot of good opponents we face. But it's going to be up to the guys and their daily commitment to doing the right things.' Last season, the Raiders went 4-13 in a hyper-competitive AFC West division.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
At annual Sack Summit, Maxx Crosby stresses Raiders have ‘a lot of work to do'
LAS VEGAS — Frustration was a constant for Maxx Crosby with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. Enduring another losing season and another regime change afterward would've been bad enough. What made it all worse was something unfamiliar: The star pass rusher couldn't play. In a Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Crosby had his left foot rolled up on and suffered a high-ankle sprain. He played through it the next week but didn't feel right. He sat out in Week 4, which was the first game he missed in his entire career. Advertisement Despite lingering pain, Crosby returned to action the following week. While he wasn't at his usual All-Pro level, he pushed through it. He's never been one to make excuses. In 2023, Crosby dealt with a nagging left knee injury that eventually became infected and sent him to the hospital. After getting the knee drained and taking a series of antibiotics, he played just four days later. 'I'll die before I don't play in this game,' he told defensive line coach Rob Leonard. So he wasn't going to let a sore ankle stop him. But when the same ankle was rolled up on again in a Week 14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he couldn't tough it out any longer. He was shut down for the season and underwent TightRope surgery to repair his ankle. During his rehab, the Raiders hired general manager John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll. Crosby expressed his excitement about the duo, but he also made it clear that, with no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, he wanted a new deal. And even though he was coming off an injury, the Raiders signed him to a massive three-year, $106.5 million extension. 'It's an honor, obviously, having the Raiders with a new staff and new regime come in and show me that type of respect,' Crosby said Thursday. 'It means the world. Like Spytek said, it's not about what I've done, it's about what I'm about to do. … And we've got a lot of work to do.' Crosby's ankle recovered, and he was at full go throughout OTAs. Although training camp is a month away, he's keeping up his daily routine of working out and undergoing treatment at team headquarters. This week, he is co-hosting the 'Sack Summit' alongside New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan and All-Pro Von Miller for the second year in a row. It was the ninth iteration of the annual pass-rush summit that was originally named after Miller. While the title has changed, the focus remains the same: bringing together dozens of pass rushers from around the league to pore over the tricks of the trade. Advertisement An additional part of the summit this year was a youth engagement event at a nearby hotel. The professionals spent time running drills and sharing knowledge with local high schoolers. For Crosby, whose foundation also runs programming for teen substance-abuse intervention, youth health and wellness, animal rescue, abuse prevention and other charitable causes, it was another way of deepening his roots in the Las Vegas community. Other notable pass rushers, such as Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis and Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell, were also in attendance. Additionally, former NFL pass rushers Chris Long, Howie Long, Robert Mathis and Shawne Merriman participated. Alongside Cam Jordan and Von Miller, #Raiders DE Maxx Crosby is co-hosting the annual "Sack Summit." The event brings together dozens of NFL pass rushers to exchange knowledge. Former players Howie Long, Chris Long and others are also in attendance. — Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) June 26, 2025 Crosby began to attend the event as a young, unproven player and has since grown into someone others look up to. 'I saw it from day one watching the film,' Miller said of Crosby's promise. 'For him to develop into the type of player he is now, it's like watching your little brother become (expletive) Superman.' On Thursday, Crosby helped lead the on-field session on UNLV's campus. The two-hour period was focused on teaching various pass-rush moves and explaining the logic behind each of them. 'Everybody comes in different shapes and sizes, and you can always learn from somebody,' Crosby said. 'Guys are getting bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic. They develop faster. … I watched Aaron Donald and Von Miller and Cam when I was a pup. And I was like, 'I don't think I could ever play in the NFL.' These dudes are so good, but it motivated me to try to chase them.' Advertisement Later, the group gathered inside a meeting room to break down film. Overall, the players view the summit as a valuable exchange of information that can help them improve collectively. Despite being a four-time Pro Bowler at age 27, Crosby is still looking for ways to get better. 'That's what this whole thing is about,' Crosby said. 'Obviously, we're on different teams, but for this weekend we're on the same team together. … The pass-rush community is a very tight-knit one. You learn from the best. Seeing those guys and what they do to win, for me it's just about taking as much information as I possibly can and trying to apply it into my game.' Even more than returning to form individually, Crosby's focus lies on changing the Raiders' fortunes as a franchise. He's already committed to the team for the long haul — he's signed through the 2029 season. But he has had more head coaches (five) than winning seasons (one). He won't be satisfied until that latter number starts to increase. 'Anytime you go out there, you want to be in a position to win,' Crosby said. 'Individual success and things like that are awesome, but it's not why you play the game. You play to win. We just saw it in the NBA: OKC, just a couple years ago, was one of the worst teams in the league. But they had a lot of young guys, they trusted the process, they developed and now they're the world champions. 'We're trying to win. I want to win so badly. I put everything into it. I want everybody else to think like that. And that's been my goal, just bringing as many guys along as I possibly can.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raiders Miss Out on Former Pro Bowl CB They Hosted on Visit
Raiders Miss Out on Former Pro Bowl CB They Hosted on Visit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders revamped their front office this offseason under new general manager John Spytek. He and head coach Pete Carroll seemingly have alignment on how they want the roster to look, and that caused plenty of turnover for the Raiders. Advertisement Spytek did not re-sign cornerback Nate Hobbs during free agency, and the team waived cornerback Jack Jones just before the 2025 NFL Draft. To replace them, the team drafted Iowa State's Darien Porter in the third round and signed Eric Stokes, a former first-rounder in 2021. Raider Nation has been worried about the state of the cornerback room, as no player in the group has played more than 45 NFL games. The new brass looked to mitigate this issue in early June when they hosted former Pro Bowler Shaq Griffin on a visit. Former Minnesota Vikings CB Shaquill Griffin (1).Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Griffin was an obvious candidate for the Raiders' roster, as he spent the first four seasons of his career with Carroll on the Seattle Seahawks. Several weeks passed, however, and Las Vegas had not signed the veteran to a deal. Advertisement On Wednesday, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported that Griffin was signing back with the Seahawks on a one-year deal worth up to $4 million. While Las Vegas could have easily paid him this salary, given they are flush with cap space, it seems like a reunion with him and Carroll was not meant to be. If either side really wanted things to work out, they likely would have at some point in the last few weeks. Last season, Griffin starred for the Minnesota Vikings, as he played in every game of the season for the first time since 2018. He had two interceptions and six passes defended in addition to 41 tackles. Las Vegas will rely on Porter, Stokes and a handful of returners that include 2024 fourth-round pick Decamerion Richardson and 2023 fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett to hold down the secondary this season. Advertisement Related: Raiders Reportedly Wanted to Hire Surprise Coach Who Didn't Interview for Job Related: Raiders Receive Brutal Update on $110 Million Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trade Pitch Sees Raiders Reunite John Spytek With Buccaneers CB
Trade Pitch Sees Raiders Reunite John Spytek With Buccaneers CB originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders revamped their secondary this offseason under general manager John Spytek. Head coach Pete Carroll is known to like a certain type of defensive back, so he was picky when constructing the room. Advertisement Out were last year's starters, Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones, and in came long-armed, big-framed players like free agent Eric Stokes and third-round pick Darien Porter. Returning starter Jakorian Bennett has seemingly been demoted to the second team as a result. Las Vegas could still use another veteran addition to the group, as no player has appeared in more than 45 career games at the NFL level. Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean (35).Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images One potential solution could be Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean, who is familiar with Spytek from the six years that they spent together in Tampa Bay. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin outlined why this move could make sense for both parties. Advertisement "Dean's six-year run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers includes a Super Bowl title and big-money extension, but the veteran has been frequently mentioned as a potential cut or trade candidate due to a $15 million 2025 cap hit, almost all of which the Bucs could clear from their books by dealing Dean elsewhere," Benjamin wrote. "Las Vegas is a logical landing spot firstly because new coach Pete Carroll still lacks formidable answers at cornerback, secondly because the Raiders have more than $30 million in available cap space, and thirdly because there's a personal connection here: New general manager John Spytek directed the Bucs' player personnel department when Dean was drafted in 2019." While these all sound like solid reasons for a trade to get done, there are some limiting factors for both Dean and the Raiders. "Even if Dean is more serviceable than special at a lofty price, the Bucs are trying to defend their NFC South crown," Benjamin wrote. "Jettisoning such an experienced corner would put immediate pressure on rookie corners like Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish to have a playoff-caliber impact." Through six NFL seasons, Dean has the aforementioned Super Bowl victory under his belt, as well as 313 career tackles, eight interceptions and 52 passes defended. At just 28 years old, he should have plenty more in the tank as well. Advertisement Carroll may be fixated on developing the team's young cornerbacks, but for an aging coach, this win-now move might be the best course of action. Related: Raiders Miss Out on Former Pro Bowl CB They Hosted on Visit Related: Raiders Reportedly Wanted to Hire Surprise Coach Who Didn't Interview for Job This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
