How Week 1 Puts the Raiders' Changes to the Test

With the regular season finally here, John Spytek and the Las Vegas Raiders will finally get a chance to see the fruits of their labor. Spytek has made several moves that have improved the Raiders on paper. Week 1 is the Raiders' first chance to prove it on the field in a game that counts.

Spytek is Prepared for the Moment

Spytek earned his shot with the Raiders after most recently helping the Tampa Bay Buccaneers form one of the best teams in the NFC South over the last four seasons. Following cutdown day, Spytek credited Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht with helping him develop.

"I was fortunate in Tampa that Jason [Licht] gave me such exposure to everything that we did there. I was right next to him for most of it. So, I think for me, the big difference is that ultimately, somebody has to make a decision, and on the personnel side, a lot of times, in harmony with Pete [Carroll], it comes down to me and him,” Spytek said.

The moves the Raiders made had Spytek's fingerprints all over them. Spytek has helped assemble several productive rosters over the last two decades. However, this was the first time he did so as the man in charge. He explained the differences.

“And so the hardest or the most different thing for me yesterday probably was, and the day before, was when we talked to the guys that we unfortunately had to let go, that that's a different conversation that I've had in the past," Spytek said.

"In the past, it was more like, maybe I was the person just delivering the news, but I think there was an understanding looking at him and being like, 'You're part of the main reason why.' And so I think there's a responsibility in that, and something I don't take lightly. But I think I learned about us and what we're trying to do as the Raiders, that we had great communication, and we were able to solve any problems that kind of were laid out in front of us."

The Raiders have had several incidents that could have marred Spytek's first offseason as the team's general manager, including the Christian Wilkins incident and Jakobi Meyers' trade request. Spytek handled each situation quickly and efficiently.

Spytek noted that with Meyers' trade request specifically, both the player and the team are handling things in a professional manner.

"Well, Jakobi [Meyers] is a consummate professional, and Jakobi and I have had a lot of great conversations since I've gotten here about many different things. I'm excited that he's here, and he's a Raider, and he's out on the field working hard today, and I've not seen him do anything but that since I've been here. He's a professional. I think he really values being a Raider. He has a lot of respect for this game, and I think he only knows how to go about it one way, which is to give his best when he's out there," Spytek said.

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