A reputed favourite in the GM search has surfaced for the Raiders, but it’s unclear whether it will help them beat out the Bears for Ben Johnson as coach.
Just as all the odds seemed to be stacked against the Bears and their candidacy for Ben Johnson as head coach, the competition seemed to be set on revealing its hand ahead of time.
According to the Vegas Raiders According to SI’s Hondo Carpenter and Carter Landis, Tampa Bay assistant general manager John Spytek is a leading candidate for the Raiders’ empty general manager position.
The link between Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady is evident given Brady’s Super Bowl victory over Tampa Bay. Spytek has been a part of the organisation since 2016.
There is no clear link between Spytek and Johnson as head coach, yet an unidentified NFL executive told the Las Vegas Raiders on SI that having Spytek, Johnson, and Brady on the squad would be a “dream team”.
This appears to benefit the Bears because the Raiders had an inherent advantage while both the general manager and coaching positions were available. They could have always recruited Johnson and had him help select the GM, or at least solicited his feedback on a smaller scale.
Any coach would welcome the opportunity.
On a larger scale, the Raiders have more to offer Johnson than the Bears do. The Raiders are generally said to be at a disadvantage since they need to find a quarterback, whereas the Bears have Caleb Williams.
Is this an advantage?
Johnson would get to choose his quarterback for the Raiders. Perhaps Johnson does not have as high an opinion of Williams as everyone believes. He did compliment Williams’ arm strength during the week leading up to the last Bears-Lions game, but is that better than being allowed to choose your own quarterback, if not your own general manager?
The Bears must also contend with the glitter of Las Vegas and a massive new stadium. They have no stadium and a commitment from team president Kevin Warren to dig one in the ground this year… someplace and with unknown funds from Illinois that they do not yet have.
Even if the Raiders give up a natural edge by allowing Johnson to choose the next general manager, they still have a lot to offer and will provide the Bears with plenty of competition if both sides believe Johnson is the best candidate for head coach.
Apparently, Tom Brady already believes this.
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