There seems to be a little momentum moving against the possibility of Ashton Jeanty going to the Raiders, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Adam Hill shared his thoughts on the no. 6 pick on his latest podcast.
“I think… people aren’t going to like this. I think John Spytek is smart. I don’t think he would take a running back at [pick] 6,” Hill said on the Vegas Nation podcast. “I just don’t, and I think Ashton Gentry is a great player… but [Spytek] understands value, and he’s talked about that before.”
Spytek has talked about valuing the running back position more than some of his peers, but he has also talked about how deep this year’s draft is at the position.
Hill said he thinks Spytek would not have told the story about his son wanting Jeanty if the Raiders actually wanted to take the Boise State running back.
“John Spytek gave an interview not too long ago, and I’m sure some people saw it, that he basically said he wouldn’t be allowed back in his house if he doesn’t take Ashton Gentry,” Hill said. “His son is like, ‘You’re not coming back, dad [if you don’t draft Jeanty].’ His son is very into fantasy football, so he wants a running back, scores touchdowns, all those things,” Hill continued. “John Spytek would not say that if they were taking Ashton Gentry. I don’t think he would. I just don’t think he would put that out there.”
There might be something to what Hill is saying, but as much as anything it seems like Spytek is just saying whatever he wants. He has essentially made arguments for and against the Raiders taking Jeanty, and his comments have been all over the place.
The conversation that does probably deserve a little more attention, though, came on Friday between Spytek and Pete Carroll at the Raiders’ pre-draft press conference.
Carroll and Spytek were asked a pointed question about Jeanty, and it was a mumbled message from Carroll to Spytek (caught by the microphones) that definitely deserves an explanation after the draft.
Just after being asked about what makes Jeanty special, Carroll leaned over and seemed to inconspicuously tell Spytek to “Be careful.”
Spytek responding by saying he was going to “be careful” and explained why he places real value on the running back position.
“There’s certain ways to build a team and I don’t know where we got to a place where we don’t feel like running backs are valuable,” Spytek said. “I come from the University of Michigan. It’s in my core. Those guys were certainly really valued there.”
Most likely, Carroll and Spytek will explain their comments after the draft, but there’s a good chance they are just having fun.
There are definitely some within the organization that like Jeanty a lot, but with Carroll, Spytek and Tom Brady all in on the decision at pick 6, it would be a little naive to think they all want the same player.
If there is an opportunity for the Raiders to trade back, most of the beat writers covering the team seem to think that’s a scenario the decision makers in Vegas would like to see play out.
x: @raidersbeat
Who is Adam hill? Huh? Never heard of him. Hey Adam 67% and climbing raider hater get lost
Adam Hill is the worst review journal reporter. Rarely right. Stick with Vinnie he’s the gold standard
If Jeanty wanted to be compared to players like Saquon Barkley then he should’ve did a full combine and/pro day. To not run a forty seems to most that he’s just not that fast. To not do positional drills seems to most that he’s just not as nimble or agile. Same with strength. From what I seen he bounced off a lot of future non NFL caliber opponents. He’s got toughness, a willingness to take on the defender, love for the game which are all admirable and the kind of players the Raider Nation want but not at 6 or even 16. There’s a reason Jeanty sent a letter to all teams, he’s finally been told by his agent or realized himself that his draft stock isn’t as high as what he thought. There are plenty of guys for rounds 2-4 which is why Spytek/Pete/Brady should be trading back to get more day 2 and even day 3 picks. The roster has been depleted by the terrible talent evaluators since 2018. We need to rebuild not retool. Geno is a 2 year gap guy. This isn’t the draft to get his replacement, at least not early. OL, WR, CB, LB, RB, DE, DT, S. Man that’s a lot of needs.