With so many issues around the Raiders from an organizational standpoint, the question some have been asking in recent weeks is… who is actually calling the shots?
From the outside it doesn’t look like Pete Carroll and John Spytek have been on the same page for a little while and how do Tom Brady and Mark Davis factor into everything going on with the team right now?
Safe to say, Davis and Brady have to sign off on any major decisions (like a potential Maxx Crosby trade and decisions of that magnitude), but according to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter said on Sunday night that Spytek has authority over Carroll when it comes to the roster.
“I can tell you this isn’t like a situation with [Mike] Mayock and [Jon] Gruden or with [Dave] Ziegler and [Josh] McDaniels,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“John Spytek has authority over Pete Carroll. Period. I’m telling you that, that is not a guess. That is an emphatic piece of information. Then John, I know you’re a first-year general manager. If you’re okay with not playing those guys, and I have reason to believe that he’s not, then fine. But if you’re not pleased with it, or even you’re thinking about long term, you’ve got to walk into Pete’s office and say… “This is where we’re going. Pete, are you on board? You’re not? Okay. Thanks, buddy. Appreciate you. We’ll let you resign.’”
Carpenter said Carroll didn’t necessarily get all the players he wanted
According to Carpenter, it has been a collaborative effort on the roster between Carroll and Spytek, and it sounds like the roster would have looked a little different if Carroll was in control.
“I think you could say, ‘Well, Spytek gave Pete Carroll all the players he wanted.’ That’s not true. I’ll leave it there,” Carpenter said. “Pete Carroll is not the final decision maker on this team. He is not the one. I told you last week. Pete Carroll, when he was at USC and Pete Carroll, when he was at Seattle, he was the head man. OK, now I’m not saying Pete doesn’t have influence, but he’s not over every decision.”
Hondo’s comment didn’t come across as a shot at Spytek, but more of a rebuttal of the idea that Carroll has been dictating to his GM what to do since he was hired in January.
Don’t underestimate Brady’s influence on the roster
Brady hired Spytek to run the personnel department, and with his good friend in charge, Brady can do with the roster anything he wants.
Technically, that would have been true with former GM Tom Telesco in the building, but with Spytek in the big chair, Brady’s influence has fewer checks and balances, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion won’t have to read in the news that he’s overstepping his boundaries as a minority owner.
Brady has worked hard to build the illusion that he is sitting back, distancing himself from day-to-day operations, but his role is going to be a storyline that eventually gets more attention.
Former Raiders’ CEO Amy Trask talked last week about the new ownership dynamic in Las Vegas, and she said there is a lot going on behind the scenes that has affected the team on the field.
She separated Brady from her accusation and pointed to Jim Grey as the primary issue, but it’s no secret that Brady and Grey are very close.
There are some wild theories going around Brady, Grey and entire ownership situation in Las Vegas and, yes, some of them would absolutely have an impact on the product the Raiders are putting on the field.
x: @raidersbeat
If that is certain, Davis should’ve already fired Spywreck. And Brady for getting him hired. .
Hondo is an imbecile but the bigger news today is that Vinny B admitted Telesco was all over Jackson Dart & wanted him.
Thanks again Mark & Brady!
Telesco any day over Brady’s buddy, Spytek! Prior to Telesco’s being hired Davis excluded some candidates because he wanted an experienced GM. He, of course, then flipped and hired Spytek who until now was never a GM. That’s the Brady factor. Look where it’s gotten the team, Mark!
Really, it was Spytek who wanted to sign Tyler Lockett mid season to take snaps from Bech? Come on…..
I think a lot of the 1 year vet contracts were Spytek decisions because he saw this team wasn’t ready to win now. That Carroll has continued to play them over the young guys is a Pete thing. And yes, I agree Spytek should demand Carroll play the young guys. Who is to say he hasn’t? I don’t believe Hondo if he believes Spytek has the authority to unilaterally fire Pete. I just don’t think he does have that authority.
Kennedy probably provided the most valuable and accurate information to prove what you’re saying is wrong. Chip Kelly was hired by Brady. Kelly and Pete had a disconnect in a communication problem. Pretty confident that the entire offense and who was on the field was all about Kelly. And his $5 million contract substantiates that.
As far as Lockett goes he was a no-brainer to bring in and should’ve been brought in earlier to help Geno. He needed all the help he could get.
Maybe Spytek doesn’t possess a strong enough personality to be a GM or he knows his buddy Brady will shield him from being fired?
Look. It’s a turd. It’s a stain. It’s Hondoman.
Max hit the nail on the head when he said; we keep doing the same things over and over and expecting a different outcome. Whom ever is making the decision on Geno starting should be fired immediately.
Amen.
The Raiders screwed up when they let AP go who had the locker room and the team playing hard and a GM that made some good pics, all they needed was a QB, which should have been Jaxson Dart or Sanders, but they pick Genty, they had Jacobs but let him go, didn’t want to pay him another young player stop letting young players leave the building make better decisions and play the young guys, and look at Rams Shula name sound familiar