The Las Vegas Raiders wasted no time firing Pete Carroll following a disappointing 3-14 campaign. Carroll was brought in to help turn the team around, but that transformation never materialized. Although many issues existed prior to his arrival, few—if any—were resolved during his tenure.

Las Vegas made a slew of changes last offseason, only to finish this season with an even worse record. Overall, the Raiders’ most recent draft class was far from impactful, with many viewing this as a reflection on the coaching staff rather than the players themselves.

The disastrous season left General Manager John Spytek with little choice but to part ways with Carroll and likely much of the coaching staff beneath him. With Carroll gone, the Raiders must essentially start over, entering next season with their fourth head coach in as many years. It’s clear that Las Vegas faces a critical offseason ahead.

Spytek addressed the situation shortly after Carroll’s firing. He noted that although he and Carroll did not always see eye to eye, their relationship remained cohesive until the very end.

“I wouldn’t say that we were operating on different timelines, and I’ve also never been in a relationship where we both agree all the time. I mean, ask my wife, she’ll tell you that,” Spytek said. “Anything that we didn’t always agree on, we talked about. I had a great relationship; he was always in my office, I was always in his office, we collectively sat in the space together until we felt like we could make the best decision for the Raiders. And we didn’t obviously get everything right. And again, put the responsibility on me. I’ve got to do a better job on that standpoint. But Coach and I had a great relationship, from my perspective, and because we didn’t agree all the time, had nothing to do with… I don’t know, actually a great relationship where everybody agrees all the time. I think that would actually be counterproductive.”

Now, the Raiders are on the clock with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and enough salary cap space to make significant moves. The organization has the tools to improve what many consider the league’s worst roster from top to bottom.

It will be up to Spytek and new leadership to quickly and efficiently chart a new path forward.

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https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/onsi/las-vegad-gm-john-spytek-reflects-carroll-firing