Raiders, John Spytek Add Defensive Tackle: What It Means

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders headed to Houston on Monday afternoon for joint practice with the Texans on Tuesday and a preseason contest on Thursday.

That doesn’t mean that the preparation for the season has ground to a stop, or that the team is coasting, far from it.

John Spytek, Mark Davis | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

Next Man Up

After the Raiders' first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, Klint Kubiak announced, "Before we go, B-Jack [Brennan Jackson] had a foot, so we'll evaluate him.” Well, they have, and the team announced today that. “The Raiders have placed LB Brennan Jackson on the Reserve/Injured list.”

Spyteking

I have been saying since before camp started that I do not, in any way, believe the Raiders see their defensive line as a finished product. I have also said this is a two-year rebuild and they aren’t going to panic but rather trust the process and see how this evolves.

GM John Spytek didn’t get the memo that this was a Saturday, as he is high above the team’s headquarters on the third floor tinkering and working on the roster, or as we have affectionately named it: Spyteking.

Brennan Jackson | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

So, with Jackson being out, the Raiders GM used it as a chance to bolster that defensive line by adding 6’4”, 318# DT Folorunso Fatukasi. This is his ninth NFO campaign.

A sixth-round pick of the New York Jets in 2018, the Connecticut Husky has participated in 90 games over his eight seasons with an impressive 64 starts. He has 195 total career tackles, including seven sacks. Additionally, he has accumulated 28 tackles for loss (TFL) and has been able to get the QB and hit him 24 times.

Ironically, with the Raiders heading to Houston next week, Fatukasi played his last two seasons with the Texans.

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

What This Means

Fatukasi will get every chance to show what he can do now, but with the Raiders in the midst of a rebuild and a youth movement, his path to the 53-man roster, while not impossible, is certainly difficult.

Trust the Process

Klint Kubiak can only coach the players that Spytek gets him, but one thing is clear: he trusts his GM. Spytek’s presence is a big reason Kubiak is here. He said as much when I asked him about the roster building Spytek and his staff have done.

"I think just making a decision to come here and being familiar with Spy and our scouting staff, that's no surprise. Those guys are very professional and they're turning over every rock to try to make the bottom of our roster better at all times. And it's a collaborative effort, we work together. Really blessed to work with him.”

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