Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek recently spoke on the state of the Silver and Black, taking time to answer the tough questions.
Will Maxx Crosby be a Raider in 2026 is all any and everyone has been concerned with for the Raiders. According to Spytek himself, the short answer is yes.
However, he admitted that he will fulfill his obligation as a general manager and listen to all trade requests, though it’s not the team’s intention to trade him. Listening to the words spoken should be reassuring but a sudden change in his body language indicated tension behind the scenes still exists. That’s definitely something worth keeping an eye on.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and Spytek’s goal isn’t for the Raiders returning to prominence in one offseason, either. Citing that going from worst to first is a possibility, but intimating what he doesn’t want is to go from worst to first and back to worst. Instead he’s looking for long-term sustained excellence. What does that mean?
Speculatively, one interpretation is he isn’t looking to break the bank to load up on rental players and mercenaries in free agency. The Raiders may boast of having the second-highest salary cap space in 2026, but that doesn’t mean they are cashing out players for a diminished return. There are a lot of holes to fill and he aims to do it methodically instead of maxing out the cap on a year-by-year basis.
Will Raiders GM John Spytek fix the trenches this offseason?
Spytek reaffirmed his commitment to building through the trenches on both sides of the ball. Kolton Miller remains the only mainstay on the offensive line with a clear cut position locked down. The topic of moving Jackson Powers-Johnson back to center from the guard position resurfaced. To which his reply was that that the team, now led by new head coach Klint Kubiak, would play the best five linemen they have coming out of camp.
The head of the Raiders’ brain trust also told reporters that he has high hopes for guard Caleb Rogers and tackle Charles Grant. Remaining honest and transparent, Spytek communicated a need for continuing to improve their strength, getting bigger, and proving they belong this year.
On the defensive side of the ball, J.J. Pegues and Tonka Hemingway earned praise for their contributions late in the season.
Some final tidbits worth mentioning…
Spytek said quite a few things during the presser; some meant nothing but others could turn into “something.” As of this week, Spytek and the team had great conversations with cornerback Eric Stokes about returning in 2026 and beyond.
He also had mercy for Geno Smith and admitting he wasn’t provided with the best situation and supporting cast. While that may be true, he also said they hadn’t spoken since the season ended. Perhaps Geno could be released or be on the move?
If or when the Raiders select Fernando Mendoza, Spytek has indicated he has no desire to throw his young franchise quarterback to the wolves. Instead, he prefers to have the adequate infrastructure in place to maximize development of the player and team.
Personally, there’s a belief that reinforcing the offensive line solves two problems; opening lanes for Ashton Jeanty and providing timely protection for the incoming quarterback. However, providing a safe learning curve for the future of the franchise no matter how unpopular is a conservatively prudent approach.
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