"" Spytek, he and I are very close. He was taunting me a little bit, 'Hey, we're sitting right in front of you; I know what you need,'" Licht said of his former Bucs lieutenant-turned-Raiders GM ( h/t the Boston Globe's Ben Volin). " We're all trying to help each other out here, especially the people that are good friends, so thanks, Spytek.""
"The Raiders were all set to move Crosby's $35.5MM-per-year contract off their payroll, and although the team signed during the period where Crosby was all but certain to relocate to Baltimore, the team could have used more help at the premier position. (If nothing else, Spytek certainly appears to have needled his former boss about needing to trade up for a pass rusher.) Instead, Paye joins Crosby and Malcolm Koonce - re-signed before the Ravens' seismic decision - in headlining the Raiders' EDGE corps."
"Keeping No. 14, the Ravens were connected to Penn State guard . Ely Allen's PFR mock draft delivered a direct hit there, and the move allowed the Bucs access to Bain. Tampa Bay viewed the Miami EDGE as a top-five player on its board and was eyeing ex-Bain Hurricanes teammate Akheem Mesidor in the event Bain was off the board. The Ravens keeping their pick after signing Hendrickson may well have helped keep Bain in Florida."
The Buccaneers sought a major free-agent EDGE addition after missing an eight-sack player for four straight years, pursuing Trey Hendrickson. The Ravens closed that market after their Maxx Crosby situation changed, and Baltimore reneging on an agreement may have helped Tampa Bay secure Rueben Bain Jr. Jason Licht indicated that the Raiders obtaining the No. 14 overall pick likely removed an EDGE option from Tampa Bay’s mix. Licht also credited Spytek, a former Bucs lieutenant now Raiders GM, for cooperation. With the Ravens keeping No. 14 after signing Hendrickson, Tampa Bay gained access to Bain, viewing him as a top-five prospect and considering Akheem Mesidor if Bain was unavailable. The Raiders’ EDGE group was led by Paye, Crosby, and Malcolm Koonce.
Read at Pro Football Rumors
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