When Pete Carroll and John Spytek arrived in Las Vegas in January, the new head coach and general manager of the Raiders stressed the importance of building a winning culture.
During the duo’s introductory press conference, that theme permeated through much of the conversation surrounding how they plan to build the Raiders. Carroll has always pushed his teams to embrace a high compete level, and that philosophy has resulted in one of the most legendary coaching careers of this generation.
“It all starts with competition,” Carroll said. “You’re either competing or you’re not.”
“If there’s one thing I want them to understand,” he added, “it’s that to be a great team, you have to be a great teammate.”
With the draft coming up in April, the resurfacing of comments made by a potential Raiders selection could result in him being knocked off of Carroll’s board.
A recent video stands to severely impact the draft stock of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan
A clip from a 2023 podcast appearance featuring the Arizona wide receiver has gone viral, and his stance on football and watching film is guaranteed to produce some red flags.
“No, not at all,” McMillan said when asked about whether he enjoyed football.
On the subject of watching film, the receiver answered “I don’t ever need to watch it by myself because we go over it as a receiver group.”
Keep in mind that the clip is two years old and McMillan’s stance on both topics is subject to change, but having these quotes come out so close to the draft is catastrophic for his stock.
Effort is an expectation that coaches have of every player on their team, and they are not shy of sending a message if they feel one player lacking. Take Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, for example, who subbed himself out of a close game against the Houston Texans this past season due to being tired from scrambling in consecutive plays prior. That comment, as well as other factors, led to Richardson being benched for a couple of weeks, and the Colts signing Daniel Jones in free agency is a sign they may not fully trust him.
If Carroll’s emphasis on competition is anything to go by, McMillan’s comments might have destroyed any chance he ends up being drafted by the Raiders.
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