Pete Carroll and John Spytek are not willing to put off for tomorrow what they can do together today.
That encapsulates the energy the Raiders duo has brought into Indianapolis, Indiana, for the NFL Scouting Combine. Carroll doesn't want to waste any time in his venture of turning around the fortunes of his new team. The Las Vegas Raiders are going into the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 6 overall pick after finishing 4-13.
But anything that happened before Carroll took over the operation doesn't concern him. He's solely focused on what's ahead.
"Some really important aspects of the team have to come together, but they're going to have to compete their butt off to make this thing move forward," Carroll told local media. "It didn't work out quite right last year, I could give a rat's ass about what happened last year. I don't care about that one bit. What happened [in] those games, those matchups – they mean nothing. It's what [we] are going to do with the next step we take."
"I'm trying to take this far as we can as soon as I possibly can," he added. "Why would we do anything but that? I'm not looking for a grace period or something cushy [like], 'Give me a few years to get things going.' I don't think that way at all."
While Carroll has attended the Combine countless times before, he keeps the enthusiasm and spirit of a coach going into his first. It's also important to him to have a coaching and scouting staff around him to attack the event with the same mantra.
"We're evaluating players at the same time, learning about each other and how we see guys and how we interview them and all of that, putting together this class," he said. "Remember, we're also in the midst of free agency with our own players and the players that we might have a chance to attract. So, all of that is just keeping us all going. It's nonstop. It's been great."
Spytek continues to take a holistic look at the roster and prepare for free agency in a few weeks. However, before any new players are signed, the priority is keeping quality players in the building. His first re-signing off the offseason came Monday, bringing back safety Isaiah Pola-Mao who started 14 games in 2024.
"We don't want to let any good players walk out of our building, especially young players," Spytek said during his media availability Tuesday. "And Isaiah was a guy that given an opportunity last year when Marcus [Epps] got hurt, really stepped up and played well. I think you've got to give a lot of respect to a young kid that's undrafted and has a chance to get thrust in the starting lineup, and next thing you know, he's playing at a good level. And we noticed it in Tampa, and talking to the coaches, PG [Patrick Graham] that was here, thought he was critical."
Spytek clarified that adding players to the roster will be done strategically, putting players at each position that will compete against one another for spots. This will especially be considered this week while evaluating college prospects, with the desire of drafting players they feel are right for the team regardless of who's already on the roster.
"[W]e're not going to pass on elite talent because we maybe have a couple guys at that spot," Spytek said, "but we're certainly not going to just force picks because we need a player, whether the public thinks that or we think that. I've been a part of doing that before. ... My experience has told me you do that – you just draft for need, you will draft guys way too early and you'll regret it and you'll watch other guys that you may have wished you took in a different position have great careers, and you'll be like, 'If I just would have done that.'
"So to me, it's more about team building. What's best for the Raiders? How can we make this work? It's not about collecting talent, and it's not about just filling a roster out either."
That philosophy will also come into play as the team scours for their quarterback of the future. Both Spytek and Carroll reiterated they'll look from all angles at finding the right guy – whether it be draft, free agency or relying on one already on the roster.
"Obviously, there's free agents. We have some guys in the building that we want to give a chance to compete," Spytek said. "And working with Coach [Pete Carroll] and with Chip [Kelly] and Oly [Greg Olson] and the whole offensive staff, we're just going to try to find as many guys as we can to load that room up and have a great competition there."
Raiders + Allegiant Stadium App
Download our official Raiders + Allegiant Stadium app for team & stadium modes, content, alerts and manage your tickets.
"The quarterback position is going to be highly contested," Carroll said. "And if you look back at when we started at Seattle, and how we built the competition to find the proper guy that would take over in that job, that was a very intricate, elaborate process. ... It was a wide open competition that was very well designed and organized, and it worked out fine.
"So, however this goes, our guys are all going to take a shot at it, and we've got guys on the roster right now that are fighting their tails off to see if they can own that position. We're going to give them a chance."
While this will be the first season under the Carroll/Spytek regime, the chemistry is there and growing. This week will give them a good shot to continue building their relationship.
"John being in his first time doing this job, in particular, he doesn't come across like he's never done this before," Carroll said of the GM. "He comes across like he's been around. He's gets it. He has a mentality, he has an approach and an idea of what he's all about. I'm going to make that come to life. I'm going to try to help him in every way I possibly can to be just fully prepared and ready and balanced when he makes the choices in a decision that he makes, that we share it."
For more content from the 2025 Combine, visit raiders.com/combine.
With the Raiders holding the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, take a look at some of the best photos of Raiders legend Tim Brown, who was selected at No. 6 overall in the 1988 NFL Draft by the Silver and Black.
Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during a home game against the San Diego Chargers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, September 4, 1988, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the San Diego Chargers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, September 4, 1988, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Houston Oilers at Houston Astrodome, Sunday, September 11, 1988, in Houston, Texas Stadium.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, September 18, 1988, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Sunday, October 16, 1988, in Kansas City, Mo.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Buffalo Bills at Rich Stadium, Sunday, December 11, 1988, in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, December 18, 1988, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) on the sidelines during the regular season home game against the Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, September 30, 1990, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, November 11, 1990, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, December 16, 1990, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, December 8, 1991, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, December 22, 1991. in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, December 22, 1991, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the post season AFC Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Saturday, December 28, 1991, in Kansas City, Mo.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium, Sunday, September 13, 1992, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, September 5, 1993, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, December 12, 1993, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the post season home AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, January 9, 1994, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Miami Dolphins at Joe Robbie Stadium, Sunday, October 16, 1994, in Miami, Fla.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Houston Oilers at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, October 30, 1994, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sunday, November 20, 1994, in Los Angeles, Calif.
The Oakland Raiders during the preseason home game against the St. Louis Rams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Saturday, August 12, 1995, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler (15) and wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Seattle Seahawks at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, October 8, 1995, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Seattle Seahawks at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, October 8, 1995, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Dallas Cowboys at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, November 19, 1995, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Denver Broncos at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, December 24, 1995, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the San Diego Chargers at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, September 22, 1996, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houlihans Stadium, Sunday, November 10, 1996, in Tampa, Fla.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) kneeling on the sidelines during the regular season away game against the Seattle Seahawks at The Kingdome, Sunday, November 24, 1996, in Seattle, Wash.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Seattle Seahawks at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, December 22, 1996, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the St. Louis Rams at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, September 28, 1997, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) is introduced onto the field before the regular season home game against the New Orleans Saints at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, November 9, 1997, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Miami Dolphins at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, November 30, 1997, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the New York Giants at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, September 13 1998, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the New York Giants at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, September 13 1998, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Sunday, October 25, 1998, in Oakland, Calif.
Los Angeles Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park, Sunday, November 13, 1988, in San Francisco, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium, Sunday, December 20, 1998, in San Diego, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium, Sunday, December 26, 1999, in San Diego, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Sunday, January 2, 2000, in Kansas City, Mo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the San Fransisco 49ers at 3Com Park at Candlestick Point, Sunday, October 8, 2000, in San Fransisco, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium, Monday, November 13, 2000, in Denver, Colo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Atlanta Falcons at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, November 26, 2000, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the postseason home AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, January 14, 2001, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Sunday, September 9, 2001, in Kansas City, Mo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, Sunday, September 9, 2001, in Kansas City, Mo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the San Diego Chargers at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, November 18, 2001, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, December 9, 2001, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) warming up before the preseason home game against the San Francisco 49ers at Network Associates Coliseum, Saturday, August 24, 2002, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field, Sunday, September 15, 2002, in Pittsburgh Pa.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the San Francisco 49ers at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, November 3, 2002, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) warming up before the regular season away game against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High, Monday, November 11, 2002, in Denver, Colo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) warming up before the regular season away game against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High, Monday, November 11, 2002, in Denver, Colo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High, Monday, November 11, 2002, in Denver, Colo.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the New England Patriots at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, November 17, 2002, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium, Sunday, November 24, 2002, in Tempe, Ariz.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the New York Jets at Network Associates Coliseum, Monday, December 2, 2002, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the New York Jets at Network Associates Coliseum, Monday, December 2, 2002, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) warming up before the regular season away game against the Miami Dolphins at Pro Player Stadium, Sunday, December 15, 2002, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season away game against the Miami Dolphins at Pro Player Stadium, Sunday, December 15, 2002, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Network Associates Coliseum, Saturday, December 28, 2002, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice (80) and wide receiver Tim Brown (81) with broadcasterJim Nantz during the trophy presentation after the AFC Championship postseason home game against the Tennessee Titans at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, January 19, 2003, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Denver Broncos at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, November 30, 2003, in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown (81) during the regular season home game against the Denver Broncos at Network Associates Coliseum, Sunday, November 30, 2003, in Oakland, Calif.
