The Las Vegas Raiders have had a strong start to the offseason. The team was able to land several impactful starters at key positions in the first wave of free agency, and they've pieced together some nice depth after the chaos of the first few days.
While Tyler Linderbaum's record-setting contract stole the show, the additions of Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker, along with bringing Eric Stokes and Malcolm Koonce back, have completely revamped the defense.
Of course, the cancelled trade that would have sent Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens should play a significant role in the defense making a jump under first-year coordinator Rob Leonard. But this defense was improved, with or without Crosby.
John Spytek's vision is starting to become increasingly clear in his second offseason in the general manager role. He is now in full control after his first year was wasted due to Pete Carroll's influence, and Raiders fans should be ecstatic with the results.
John Spytek deserves all the praise from Raider Nation for 2026 offseason
Carroll was hired just three days after Spytek, indicating that the general manager had limited, if any, input on the decision. The pairing seemed to be a bit strange from the beginning, as the former, who was the oldest head coach in NFL history, was clearly in win-now mode, while the latter, a first-time general manager, understood the need to build the roster.
Of course, the lone season with Carroll at the helm was a disaster, as the Raiders finished 3-14 and earned the No. 1 pick. It was clear that the veteran head coach had plenty of influence, as the team acquired Geno Smith, his former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, who had a rough year in Las Vegas.
Additionally, despite the team's struggles, Carroll refused to play Spytek's inaugural draft class for much of the season, instead prioritizing giving playing time to players such as Stone Forsythe and Kyu Blu Kelly, who were also with him in Seattle.
It was clear that the Raiders' now-former head coach was not the right man to lead a rebuild, and much to Spytek's credit, Carroll was fired the day after the season ended.
With Klint Kubiak now in the lead role and Fernando Mendoza projected to take over under center, Spytek has started to implement a shared vision with Kubiak, showing why both were key parts of Super Bowl-winning organizations.
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Las Vegas has been labeled as one of the biggest winners of the early stages of free agency due to Spytek's work. But it's clear that he and Kubiak are seeing eye-to-eye on these moves, as Linderbaum is massive for Kubiak's offense, and several of Kubiak's former players are now in Las Vegas.
There has been a consistent theme with the contracts Spytek handed out in the first wave of free agency. Nobody was signed for more than three years, while each of the additions on offense and defense is 27 years old or younger. That aligns with a young head coach's timeline.
More impressively, the Raiders have brought in several starters, along with others who should have a significant role. Spytek, wisely, is not trying to force the issue, as he is adding players that fit Mendoza's timeline, a move that should pay dividends in the long run.
While some may have questioned the general manager after last offseason, this year should be the first year he is judged off, simply due to Carroll's influence and the clear contrast in how the front office has approached the two offseasons.
Time will tell if Spytek's moves will pay off on the field. However, Raider Nation should be thrilled with the decision-maker's vision.