How Spytek sold White on signing with Raiders

The relationship between the general manager and linebacker goes beyond the field.

Especially after losing last year’s starters Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo at the beginning of free agency this offseason, linebacker became one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest needs. About two months prior, the Raiders hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek as their GM.

So, Spytek picked up his phone and called one of his old friends, former Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, to solve one of the most significant issues with the roster he inherited.

“John Spytek, number one,” White replied when asked what made him want to come to Las Vegas. “We’ve got a great relationship. When I got drafted in ‘19, he took me out to dinner. In the process in Baton Rouge, he came down. We had a genuine relationship, myself, him, his kids, his family. They used to wear my jersey and everything.”

Clearly, there’s more than just the typical executive and player relationship here. The White and Spytek families are familiar with each other, and the two grew together in the NFL.

At the time Devin was drafted, John was in his third year as the director of player personnel. Just two years later, they won Super Bowl LV, and Spytek got promoted to vice president of player personnel while White went on to earn Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro bids.

So, the general manager leaned on the success they had together while pitching the Silver and Black to the linebacker.

“Man, he wants to win,” White said of Spytek’s vision for the Raiders after the team’s final mandatory minicamp practice. “When we got to Tampa together, they weren’t a winning franchise at the time. They had won before, just like the Raiders.

“You’ve got to bring in like-minded people, and I think that’s just what he’s trying to do, is just establish that identity, and that starts with the head coach and the GM, and you go get players that fit them.”

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Of course, new head coach Pete Carroll is also one of those “like-minded people” that the Raiders brought in this offseason. Carroll has also set out to change the organization’s culture since taking the job in January, and that was clear to White during his free-agent visit.

“When I came here on a visit, it was the first visit that I decided to take, and Coach Pete was genuine, and I could see the camaraderie he had and what he believed in and what he wanted to do with this organization,” the linebacker explained. “I’m cool with being part of a build, and then when the success happens, I’ll feel like I had a part in it. So, I mean we just hit it off.”

Unsurprisingly, another part of the team’s pitch to White was a meeting with defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and linebackers coach John Glenn.

“With PG, he sat me down, walked me through the defense, showed me how I could be used, and that was very big,” White said. “Because if you’ve got good attributes, you want to be used to help the team, and that’s what type of coach he is. And Coach JG had a lot of energy, and playing for a guy like that makes you want to come to work.”

While it’s still early in the process, the veteran seems to be enjoying his time in Las Vegas since the coaching staff is sticking to what it promised him in the spring.

“I think it’s fun,” White said of the Raiders’ defense at this stage. “I think PG does a good job of putting everybody in position to make plays, and that was one of the biggest things that we talked about. And it could be a lot of smoke until you get in the building.

“Some coaches are like, ‘This is my scheme. Y’all are going to run it.’ He really puts players in a position to do what they do best. So, he’s been standing on his word, and I’ve been loving it. And I think anytime we’ve got a problem, you can go to him. You can watch extra film with him. He don’t mind, he watch ball all day.

“He can tell you everything before you could tell yourself, and so that’s the good thing about him, he cares. Having a defensive coordinator that cares about you, cares about all the players, man that’s a winning program right there.”

Hopefully, the “winning program” in the spring continues into the fall.