Raiders GM John Spytek makes feelings known on QB plans as rumors intensify ahead of free agency

The Las Vegas Raiders are undergoing a complete rehaul. After a disappointing 4-13 season, they cleaned house, firing general manager Tom Telesco, head coach Antonio Pierce, and his staff and hired John Spytek and Pete Carroll to replace them and lead the franchise.

The duo have the sixth pick in the draft and the $93 million in cap space to rebuild the team. However, a massive chunk of that enormous war chest will likely be spent on a quarterback. The Raiders have fielded five different starting signal-callers over the last two seasons and have yet to find a long-term solution to the conundrum.

They were heavily linked with Matthew Stafford, who was seemingly parting ways with the Los Angeles Rams. However, the veteran and the team have agreed to extend their partnership, closing that avenue for the Raiders. Despite little to no progress in their quest to acquire a leader for their offense, Spytek isn't pressing the panic button.

In an interview with analyst Gregg Rosenthal, the general manager asked fans to exercise patience, saying:

"We gotta make our Raiders fan happy... We are going to be intelligently aggressive and very mindful of the money we have. Not just light it on fire just to say, 'Yeah, we got three quarterbacks in a room now and maybe one of them can be [good]."

Spytek did not reveal the Raiders' plan but admitted that the team is actively exploring all options.

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Sam Darnold to Raiders: QB reportedly not on John Spytek's wishlist

Sam Darnold has been heavily linked with a move to Las Vegas following his incredible season with the Minnesota Vikings, where he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Raiders were touted to be frontrunners to land him if he left the Vikings, but that isn't the case, according to The Athletic:

"If the Raiders don’t land [Matthew] Stafford, it’s unlikely that they’ll make a large financial commitment to another veteran quarterback who’s expected to be available this offseason, according to league sources."

Spytek and the front office are presumably leaning toward drafting a signal-caller with the sixth pick. They'll likely have to trade up to have a shot at landing Cameron Ward or Shedeur Sanders, the two best quarterback prospects in the draft class. It remains to be seen which direction the Raiders will head in, but they are seemingly keen on not spending too much money to address their biggest need.