First-year general manager John Spytek reportedly had a “prime opportunity” to overhaul the Las Vegas Raiders. Maybe so. But placing the team’s 2–9 record at his feet is a little like blaming the architect for the house fire while the head coach is inside roasting marshmallows.
Yes, Spytek has made mistakes—every GM does—but it’s difficult to evaluate his debut when Pete Carroll refuses to play the rookies he drafted, adjust the system he built or hold his hand-picked veterans accountable for anything short of arson. This is the same staff that believes “competition” is important everywhere except, apparently, at the depth chart.
A pricey gamble, sure—but hardly the only one…
The critique of Malcolm Koonce’s one-year, $12 million deal is fair in a vacuum. But context matters. Koonce was coming off a breakout stretch in 2023, projected by many as a core piece next to Maxx Crosby. The ACL injury complicated things, and the Raiders gambled on upside. They lost the bet. That’s the NFL.
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But acting like this was the only misfire the Raiders made is rich. DeMarcus Lawrence and Jadeveon Clowney weren’t signing in Las Vegas to play opposite a double- or triple-teamed Crosby inside a scheme that’s currently allergic to pressure. And if the Raiders really wanted K’Lavon Chaisson back for $3 million, they could have started by creating an environment where young defensive players actually get better, not buried.
The Raiders have more issues than just one contract…
Koonce’s numbers—2.0 sacks, a handful of pressures, long cold stretches—aren’t good enough. But it’s tough to produce when the defensive structure asks Maxx Crosby to be Superman while everyone else plays like they’re auditioning for background roles. The Raiders’ failure to develop, deploy or adjust is the headline; Koonce’s contract is the footnote.
Fans aren’t frustrated because of one overpay. They’re frustrated because the organization hasn’t created a plan where any such signing could succeed. Whether Spytek can fix that won’t be determined by a single contract, but by whether the franchise finally lets a general manager build a team without coaching malpractice undoing it by Week 3.
Currently, the Raiders don’t require scapegoats; they need a complete reboot. Ideally, this reboot should not include another 74-year-old head coach attempting to win in 2025 as if it were still 2013.
*Top Photo: Getty Images