The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to terms with John Spytek on Wednesday, making Spytek the next general manager of the Silver and Black. 24 hours later, that’s still all it is–an informal agreement.
Not much different than what Kliff Kingbury and the Raiders agreed to last offseason.
It’s also not much different than what Liam Coen and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly agreed to yesterday. However, as such an agreement didn’t stop Kingbury from exploring his options in the meantime, it hasn’t stopped Coen, either.
Despite initially agreeing to stay with Tampa, Coen spent his day in Jacksonville speaking with Jaguars owner Shad Khan about the team’s available head coaching job. While there’s no offer on the table, nor any statement that Coen will indeed become the Jaguars’ next head coach, it’s a development that may cost the Las Vegas Raiders their new, unofficial general manager.
Spytek and Coen have spent the last year together in Tampa Bay; Coen as the offensive coordinator, and Spytek serving as assistant general manager. Now, just one season later, both are prime candidates to land premium positions with an NFL club. One as a head coach, and the other as a general manager.
They may wind up together with the same club, even.
The important takeaway between Coen and Spytek is the timing of how events have unfolded this offseason. Spytek and the Raiders only agreed to terms after Liam Coen had a fallout with the Jaguars and originally declined the gig. The reason Coen backed out originally? He couldn’t bring in his own guy as the team’s general manager, as Trent Baalke served that role.
Baalke was then fired, making Coen agree to have another interview with Jacksonville. In the meantime, Spytek’s deal remains unofficial.
That doesn’t mean the Las Vegas Raiders WILL lose John Spytek
After all, there’s no way of knowing Spytek is the guy Coen had in mind to be his general manager. The two have a working-relationship that dates back to only one year ago.
The relationship of Spytek and Tom Brady, on the other hand, go back much further. It dates all the way back to Michigan, where the two were college teammates.
More than that, Spytek was a pivotal part of Brady going from the Patriots to the Buccaneers. Once the pair was reunited in Tampa, they would spend each Tuesday having private meetings based around dissecting their opponents film together.
Needless to say, the strength of their bond far outweighs a one-year working relationship.
Beyond that, the Raiders have the advantage of time. Jacksonville has yet to begin their general manager search, and will have to abide by the league’s rules before getting to a point where they’d be able to name a general manager.
Still, anything is possible. Raider Nation learned that the hard way last offseason when Kingsbury took off to Washington after originally agreeing to an informal deal with Sin City. A move that continues to sting as the Commanders prepare for a Conference Championship contest this upcoming weekend,
Unlike the Kingsbury situation, however, this isn’t one where Spytek would be able to change his mind and immediately sign with Jacksonville due to the criteria the Jaguars must meet before being in a position to hire a general manager. That’s the advantage the aforementioned factor of time gives Sin City.
In all likelihood, Spytek remaining unofficial signals nothing at all. That’s not to say it indefinitely means nothing, however. It’ll remain a situation to monitor moving forward as things progress.
*Top Photo: Getty Images