It has been a positive offseason for the Raiders by most accounts, but the one misstep GM John Spytek and company might have made was the decision to let Robert Spillane get away in free agency.
Based on a report from Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter, it sounds like the Raiders might have miscalculated the market for Spillane and it was a situation they could have avoided with a little more foresight – and that dynamic goes all the way back to before Thanksgiving.
The first clue that Spillane was going to be popular in free agency should have been recognized during the season, ahead of the trade deadline, Carpenter said.
“There were several teams when the Raiders were completely out of it at the trade deadline that wanted to trade for Robert [Spillane],” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
But with all the transition in the Raiders’ front office, it seems like Spillane’s contract situation kept getting kicked down the road.
By the time Spytek was hired, free agency was only a matter of weeks away and the price to retain Spillane was only going up.
“It [got] to free agency… and all of a sudden, multiple teams were all in on [Spillane]. Five of the seven teams that I know desperately wanted Robert, I think there were more but I’m only able to confirm seven, were all playoff quality teams,” Carpenter continued.
“I know this. [Spillane] wanted a deal, and the Raiders could have gotten him for less than what he signed for in New England had they been proactive. [Spillane’s camp] knew kind of where he was going to settle and get paid and where they though is where it ended up. They were willing to take less, but the Raiders were not proactive, and it was a major blunder.”
As for what went into the decision to not match the Patriots’ offer for Spillane, Hondo said he didn’t understand the thinking within the organization, even going back to those in charge before Spytek.
“I can’t fathom what the thought process was [to not sign Spillane],” Hondo said. “But I’ll tell you this, there were a lot people in that organization not happy when Robert left. That’s just the reality of the situation.”
The good news for the linebacker situation in Las Vegas, though, is that the Raiders were able to sign Germaine Pratt, who became available surprisingly late as a free agent.
“This linebacker room could have been one of the worst in the league,” The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen said of the Raiders’ linebacker situation going into the week.
“I think Pratt definitely is a significant upgrade,” he continued. “Elandon Roberts and Devin White have been running with the first team. So I imagine [Pratt] is going to take White’s spot and it’s going to be Pratt and Roberts, and White will be in the fold. But I imagine Pratt will be starting in those 4-2 looks.”
x: @raidersbeat
Let it go.
Thank you! Tired of hearing about the loss of this perennial AllPro.
Spillane was a great leader and had a knack for the ball. From a far Pratt isn’t the same kind of leader. He’s an improvement over Roberts and White. However none of our options will ever be compared to Bobby Wagner. In the Seattle scheme a quick cover LB is crucial.
Good grief