Buccaneers promote Rob McCartney to assistant GM

Nearly two years ago, the Buccaneers promoted John Spytek to assistant general manager. With Spytek parlaying that climb to a GM job (with the Raiders), the Bucs are moving another longtime staffer into that role.

Rob McCartney will rise to an assistant GM spot in Tampa, according to Insidetheleague.com’s Neil Stratton. Mike Greenberg remains an AGM with the team, but McCartney will take over Spytek’s role in the other lieutenant post under Jason Licht.

Like Greenberg, McCartney has been with the Bucs for many years. His tenure predates Licht’s with the organization, as it began back in 2011 (after a two-year internship). The Bucs had previously stationed McCartney in the director of player personnel position, having elevated him to that role in 2022.

Both Spytek and Greenberg were on the GM carousel this offseason; Greenberg interviewed for the Jets’ job before declining a Jaguars meeting. Liam Coen was believed to want to take Greenberg with him to Jacksonville. McCartney and VP of football research Jacqueline Davidson were also mentioned as names to watch for GM candidacies. While Davidson has received buzz about potentially becoming the league’s first modern-era woman GM, McCartney has moved up to a role that could soon allow him to receive consideration for a top front office job.

Greenberg has been the Bucs’ cap czar for a while, while McCartney came up through the scouting ranks. As director of player personnel, McCartney played lead roles in the team’s ongoing effort to re-sign and extend its own talent. The Bucs have come through with several high-profile deals to retain players — from Mike Evans to Baker Mayfield to Tristan Wirfs to Antoine Winfield Jr. to Chris Godwin‘s recent re-up — and that will help earn the veteran exec a promotion.

The Bucs are also making an outside hire, adding Zach Beistline as director of football research. Beistline will come over from the Jags, whose James Gladstone GM hire has led to steady changes — including the departure of Jacksonville AGM Ethan Waugh. Originally reported by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, the Beistline hire comes after he spent 12 years with the Jags. He most recently served as the AFC South team’s director of game management.