Buccaneers Assistant GM Tabbed for Second Interview By Raiders, Titans
Despite losing in the first round of the NFL Playoffs this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been the best team in the NFC South Division for half a decade now.
As one of just three NFL teams (along with the BIlls and Chiefs) to make the playoffs each of the past five seasons, the consistency of the organization has been impressive. When you consider the financial constraints they were under as a result of going 'all in' during the Tom Brady years, the fact the fact the team has managed to remain so competitive without skipping a beat is quite remarkable.
So how did they do it? Scouting and roster building.
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The Bucs have been one of the best in the NFL when it comes to drafting and developing players. Not only that, but Tampa Bay has done an incredible job of finding value in the later rounds of the NFL draft over the past several seasons. Important players on the roster, including TE Cade Otton, OLB Yaya Diaby, RBs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, DBs Zyon McCollum and Tykee Smith, and WRs Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer, were all drafted in the 3rd round or later in their respective NFL draft classes.
Not to mention several contributors the Bucs' front office signed as UDFAs, including Sean Tucker, Christian Izien, and Kaevon Merriweather. Altogether, that's a significant number of players who were overlooked coming into the NFL but have found a home in Tampa while providing great value to the Bucs on the field.
One of the individuals who deserves a significant amount of credit for this success is Buccaneers' assistant GM, John Spytek.
Spytek is well respect in league circles, and for good reason. Although he's only served under the title of Assistant General Manager for a couple of seasons, he's been with the Buccaneers for 9 years after he first joined the team in 2016 as team's Director of Player Personnel.
Spytek has been working in the NFL for 21 years, and he's spent time with other organizations' scouting departments, including the Lions, Eagles, Browns, and Broncos.
Although Spytek may fly under the radar to the average fan, those who have followed the organization closely are well aware of how valuable he is to GM Jason Licht. Spytek's abilities are no secret to other teams, either. After having already interviewed once for both the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders vacant GM positions, it is now being reported that Spytek is one of a few candidates who have been asked to return for a second interview with both teams.
Interestingly enough, the Titans have pursued Jason Licht's assistants in the past, too. Prior to Ran Carthorn's brief tenure, Jon Robinson was the Titans' General Manager from 2016-22 after he was poached from Licht's staff where served as the Buccaneers' Director of Player Personnel for two seasons.
The Raiders' interest in Spytek is not surprising, especially when you consider Tom Brady's new ownership role with that franchise. Brady knows Spytek very well, and the Buccaneers' roster building was one of the biggest draws for Brady when he chose to sign with in Tampa Bay prior to the 2020 season.
Brady has already used his influence to convince Ben Johnson to interview for the Raiders' head coaching position, and it's been suggested that the Raiders would be over the moon to pair Ben Johnson with John Spytek leading the front office.
Spytek isn't the only front office executive the Buccaneers are at risk of losing, either. Fellow Assistant General Manager, Mike Greenberg, has also been sought after as a potential GM candidate for other teams.
Although losing John Spytek to another team would be a major hit to Jason Licht and his staff, it's the nature of the business in the NFL. It's also a clear indicator that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office has been doing things the right way while hiring the right people. It was only a matter of time before other teams began to take notice.
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