All the talk of late is about if head coach Matt Nagy will lose his job or not after this season. That’s fair. He is the one in front of the cameras. Most of the heat will fall on him. That said, there is a reasonable chance he won’t be the only one booted from Halas Hall if this season fails to meet expectations. GM Ryan Pace is in danger too. He hired Nagy in the first place, has one winning season, and several noteworthy draft misses he can’t hide from. So who do the Bears seek out if they move on? A good place to start is the defending champions. In this case Tampa Bay Buccaneers VP of Player Personnel John Spytek.
While GM Jason Licht gets the attention for the amazing roster he’s built down there, Spytek was his right-hand man the whole way. His story of success began long before that though. After getting his feet wet as a scout with the Philadelphia Eagles in the mid-to-late 2000s, he earned a big opportunity as college scouting director for the Cleveland Browns in 2010. Over the course of the next three years, that team would draft some really good players.
- Joe Haden
- T.J. Ward
- Jabaal Sheard
- Jordan Cameron
- Buster Skrine
- Mitchell Schwartz
Unfortunately, he also had ties to the infamous Trent Richardson pick in 2012.
That ultimately led to him and the rest of the front office being fired the next year. Spytek didn’t let it get him down. Denver quickly scooped him up as a Southwest scout in 2013 and promoted him to national scout for the next two seasons. During that time he had a hand in acquiring names like Bradley Roby and Matt Paradise, rounding out a roster that would win the Super Bowl in 2015. That is what led to Licht bringing him aboard in Tampa Bay as director of player personnel.
John Spytek has done some great work since then
The foundations of that Buccaneers championship team began falling into place as early as 2017. Over the next few years, they added several key pieces via both the draft and free agency. Spytek showcased his versatility as a college and pro scout in these instances. Among the highlights?
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- Chris Godwin
- Vita Vea
- Jason Pierre-Paul
- Carlton Davis
- Shaq Barrett
- Devin White
- Tom Brady
- Tristan Wirfs
- Antoine Winfield Jr.
There really is no arguing with the track record. John Spytek has found success almost everywhere he’s been. He now has a Super Bowl ring from two different franchises. He has seen the foundation built twice. Understands what is required not only from a talent perspective but also from coaching. Both the Broncos’ and Buccaneers’ championship runs were sparked by head coaching changes. Denver to Gary Kubiak in 2015 and Tampa Bay to Bruce Arians in 2020.
He also understands how to build around a quarterback.
He worked with Peyton Manning and now Brady. Give them protection and good receivers to throw to. There is never enough of either. There is nothing fancy about this move from the Bears’ perspective. Identify a team that won a championship, plucky their top subordinate, and hope he can put replicate that success in Chicago. Spytek has paid his dues. He is ready for his shot.