Tag: general manager

Jeff Ireland’s interview for the Chargers’ GM position is Wednesday

The Los Angeles Chargers requested permission to meet with Jeff Ireland for their open GM job a week ago, and the interview date has been set:

New Orleans Saints assistant general manager Jeff Ireland is set to interview for the Los Angeles Chargers’ vacant general manager position on Wednesday, per multiple reports. This would be a promotion for Ireland and a return to a position he once held with the Miami Dolphins. The Chargers requested the interview a week ago, and Josina Anderson first reported on Tuesday evening the interview will be Wednesday.

Ireland is the Saints’ assistant general manager and vice president of college scouting, so losing him would be big. He’s played a big part in evaluating college talent and finding diamonds in the rough like All-Pro return man Rashid Shaheed.

This isn’t the first time Ireland has interviewed for a general manager vacancy. In 2022, he interviewed with the Chicago Bears for the same position. If he accepts the position with the Chargers, Ireland would be the second Saints assistant general manager to be hired as another team’s general manager recently. Terry Fontenot was hired by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.

Broncos coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton ‘worked really well together’ in 2023

“We worked really well together [in 2023],” Broncos GM George Paton said of his first season working alongside coach Sean Payton.

After the Denver Broncos benched quarterback Russell Wilson in December, some fans and pundits (including Broncos Wire) wondered if general manager George Paton might be on the hot seat.

Paton traded picks and players to acquire Wilson in 2022 and then gave the quarterback a massive contract. He also (allegedly) threatened to bench Wilson during the 2023 season if the QB did not revise his contract.

Despite Paton’s mishandling of the Wilson situation, the GM is set to return for the 2024 season, entering Year 2 with coach Sean Payton. During his end-of-season press conference last week, Paton said he and Payton worked well together during the 2023 season.

“Sean and I have a great relationship and a really good working relationship,” Paton said. “We’re aligned on how we want to continue to build this. We’ve been through just about a full calendar year with each other, and I think we’re ahead of the game. Last year at this time, we were interviewing coaches. Sean and I have been through postseason [evaluations].

“We’ve been through free agency, the draft, training camp, and now, the season. We’ll be able to evolve. We thought the process was really good. We worked really well together [and had] great collaboration between coaches, scouts and the rest of the building. We’ll make some tweaks, and I think we’re going to have a really good offseason.”

Paton will continue to lead the team’s scouting department and roster management while Payton works alongside the GM to bring in the kind of players the coach is seeking. For as long as Payton continues to “work well” with Paton, the GM’s job will likely be safe.

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Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay to stay in Dallas

From @ArmyChiefW3: Multiple teams requested to speak with McClay about a GM job, but the longtime Cowboys exec said he didn’t “want to waste anybody’s time.”

Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay will no longer be fielding requests from other teams and will remain in Dallas for at least another season. The Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, and Los Angeles Chargers had all requested permission to speak to McClay about their open general manager positions, but none will apparently be able to pry him away from Texas.

“I talked to a couple of people, but I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time,” McClay said, per the team website. “I am committed to being here.”

The 57-year-old has one year remaining on his current contract with the Cowboys.

McClay first arrived in Dallas in 2003 as a scout before becoming a pro scouting coordinator in 2009. In 2011, McClay became the team’s director of football research and later added the director of player personnel title in 2014. He does not carry the official title of general manager in Dallas, which is occupied by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones,but McClay essentially carries those responsibilities, as his opinion and expertise are highly respected in Dallas.

“He’s very important to our operation, without a doubt. The most important thing you want in an organization is, when things are right, to build off of consistency,” said head coach Mike McCarthy.

“This is obviously great for the Dallas Cowboys.”

Other than the rumored monetary compensation and the unfinished business of building a team, McClay may have had other reasons to stay not related to the football field.

In his first draft,  McClay oversaw the Cowboys draft operation in 2014 and selected a likely first-ballot Hall of Fame player in guard Zack Martin. In the second round, Dallas completed a trade with division rival Washington, netting them defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Quarterback Dak Prescott, pass rusher Micah Parsons, wideout CeeDee Lamb, and cornerback Trevon Diggs are just a few of the elite players McClay helped bring to Dallas.

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Collectively, the selection of those 86 players in his ten drafts has yielded 10 first-team All Pro and 33 Pro Bowl selections. That doesn’t even include undrafted free agents such as the recently added return man KaVonte Turpin and kicker Brandon Aubrey.

With McClay back in the fold, perhaps others in the building could opt to stay another year, too.

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Chargers put in request to interview Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham

The Chargers are the second team this offseason to request an interview with Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham.

Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was in high demand last offseason, and this year appears to be no different. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Los Angeles Chargers have put in a request to interview Cunningham for their vacant general manager position. The Chargers are the second team that has shown interest in Cunningham this offseason, along with the Washington Commanders, who put in a request on Monday.

Los Angeles is searching for its next general manager and head coach after firing Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley late in the 2023 season. Cunningham joins a growing list of candidates, including New Orleans Saints vice president and assistant general manager Jeff Ireland, San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters, Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, and New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown, all of whom have been contacted by the Chargers.

Cunningham is in his second season with the Bears as assistant general manager and has been Ryan Poles’ right-hand man. He’s been instrumental in turning the roster around through the draft and free agency. He was a top candidate last year and turned down the Arizona Cardinals general manager job. Cunningham was also a finalist for the Tennessee Titans job that went to Ran Carthon.

Prior to his experience with the Bears, Cunningham spent four years with the Philadelphia Eagles in a number of roles. He started as director of college scouting (2017), moved up to assistant director of player personnel (2019), and finally was promoted to director of player personnel (2021).

Because Cunningham has been with the Bears for at least two seasons, the team would receive a third-round compensatory pick in each of the next two seasons if he were to get hired as a general manager as part of the Rooney Rule.

Chargers request interview with Saints’ Jeff Ireland for open GM job

The Chargers requested an interview with the Saints’ Jeff Ireland concerning their open general manager job:

Could the New Orleans Saints lose both of Mickey Loomis’ top lieutenants? NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Los Angeles Chargers have requested an interview with Jeff Ireland for their open general manager position; the Saints’ assistant general manager and vice president of college personnel has received several inquiries in recent years, but a job offer has yet to materialize. Ireland has ran his own team before as the Miami Dolphins general manager, though that stint ended without much success.

Still, there’s a good chance another team gives him a shot someday. That’s also true of New Orleans’ other assistant GM Khai Harley, their vice president of football operations who manages the team salary cap. Harley received an interview request from the Carolina Panthers as they also seek to hire a new general manager.

Which means there’s a real possibility that the Saints could lose each of their best internal candidates to replace Loomis someday in one offseason. Loomis is the longest-tenured general manager in the NFL and doesn’t appear to be ready to leave his post. If the Saints front office hemorrhages talent this offseason and he steps into a different role or retires in a few years, they could have a hard time replacing him.

10 potential general manager candidates for the Commanders

Let the offseason begin. Here are 10 potential Washington general manager candidates.

The Washington Commanders began the offseason on Monday by firing head coach Ron Rivera. Rivera went 26-40-1 in four seasons as Washington’s head coach.

In addition to firing Rivera, the Commanders announced an advisory committee formed by managing partner Josh Harris, minority owners David Blitzer, Magic Johnson, Mitch Rales and former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman. The purpose of the advisory committee is to find a new coach and head of football operations.

While Martin Mayhew serves as Washington’s general manager, he reports to Rivera. Rivera hired Mayhew as his handpicked GM in the 2021 offseason, but all football decisions began and ended with Rivera.

Harris spent the 2023 NFL season consulting with Rivera, Mayhew, and executive VP of football/player personnel Marty Hurney while making his first significant hire: Eugene Shen. Shen was hired in October as Washington’s senior vice president of football strategy and has been heavily involved in preparing to reshape the organization’s future.

Mayhew and Hurney will remain in the organization while Washington conducts its search for the new head of football operations.

The Commanders are set to hire their first true general manager since Charley Casserly was dismissed in 1999. While some have held the title over the years, it was never the traditional setup, as former owner Snyder was always heavily involved.

Who will be Washington’s next general manager? We preview 10 potential candidates. The Commanders have already inquired about some of the names on this list.

Panthers request interview with Saints’ Khai Harley for GM opening

The Panthers have requested an interview with Saints assistant GM Khai Harley, possibly giving him the chance to run his own team:

It didn’t take long for Khai Harley’s name to come up in the latest NFL hiring cycle. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported that the New Orleans Saints salary cap expert has been requested for an interview with the Carolina Panthers — who are seeking to hire a new general manager. CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones confirmed the report.

Harley officially carries the titles of assistant general manager and vice president of football operations with the Saints, but his primary focus has been directed at managing the salary cap. He pioneered the use of contract restructures that have become popular around the league, maximizing a team’s cap resources while taking advantage of the ever-rising salary cap.

So he’s a vitally important member of the organization. The Saints must approve the Panthers’ interview request before they can speak with Harley about the job, but they didn’t stop Terry Fontenot from leaving to join the Atlanta Falcons, so that’s likely going to be little more than a formality.

But will Harley have any interest in working for controversial Panthers owner David Tepper? Known as a bad boss with a penchant for meddling in personnel moves, joining Tepper may not be the best option for Harley. We’ll see if any other teams reach out. But there are only 32 general manager positions available, and Carolina’s cap situation is much easier to navigate than New Orleans’.

If there’s little or no possibility for advancement with the Saints, it shouldn’t shock anyone if Harley leaves for an opportunity to run his own team. We’ll have to wait and see how this situation develops and whether any other teams inquire about his services.

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Panthers request to interview Bucs assistant GM Mike Greenberg

The Carolina Panthers have requested to interview Tampa Bay’s salary cap wizard for their new General Manager opening.

The Carolina Panthers requested permission to interview Buccaneers assistant general manager Mike Greenberg on Monday afternoon.

Greenberg has been with the Bucs’ front office for 14 seasons and was promoted to Assistant General Manager before the start of the season on June 29. He spent eight seasons with Tampa Bay as director of football administration, two seasons as the coordinator of football administration, and two seasons as the vice president of football administration.

Greenberg is responsible for strategic and financial planning and oversees budgeting for all football operations. He helped sign several notable free agents this past season like cornerback Jamel Dean, linebacker Lavonte David and quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Panthers are on the hunt for a new general manager after they fired Scott Fitterer Monday morning. Fitterer’s time in Carolina was short-lived and will be well known due to a series of poor decisions made by him and his staff.

The former general manager decided to trade up in the 2023 NFL Draft from pick No. 9 to No. 1 and selected quarterback Bryce Young. He gave the Chicago Bears two first-round picks, two second-round picks and wide receiver DJ Moore.

Young struggled significantly in his rookie season and threw for just 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Panthers finished the season with a 2-15 record.

Fitterer also dealt star running back Christian McCaffery to the San Francisco 49ers during the 2022 season for a trio of early-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft and a fifth-round pick in 2024. McCaffery produced more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns in 2023.

The Panthers made additional requests to interview Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown and Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis on Monday.

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Dennis Allen says he expects to return as Saints head coach in 2024

Dennis Allen says he hasn’t discussed it with Mickey Loomis, but he expects to return in 2024 after missing the playoffs in his first two years as head coach:

This isn’t very surprising, but here’s confirmation from Dennis Allen that he expects to return as head coach in 2024. He told reporters Monday that he hadn’t discussed the matter with New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, yet it’s hard to believe that Loomis and other members of the team leadership group — like owner Gayle Benson and president Dennis Lauscha — would trot him out for an end-of-year press conference before choosing to fire him.

So all of the reporting in previous weeks saying the Saints were inclined to retain Allen for 2024 appears to be on the money. That’s despite him failing to reach the playoffs in both of his first two years on the job and barely achieving a winning record in his second season in this role. He still has a sub-.400 record as a head coach in his career.

Despite having a host of factors in his favor, Allen has underachieved. He had the easiest strength of schedule and healthiest roster in the league this year and couldn’t win enough games to secure the worst division in pro football. He hired his own staff last year, clearing out more former Sean Payton assistants, and convinced the front office to invest $150 million in a Pro Bowl quarterback who underperformed for the first three months of the season.

There isn’t a rational decision for the Saints retaining Allen, but Loomis, Lauscha, and Benson don’t appear to be interested in entertaining any rational arguments. He’s who they want leading this team, so that’s who is going to be doing it. All fans can do is watch and support the team as best they can.

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Here’s the latest on the status of Broncos GM George Paton

Despite the Russell Wilson trade and contract fallout, the Broncos are expected to bring back GM George Paton in 2024.

After trading for quarterback Russell Wilson last year and then giving him a massive contract extension, Denver Broncos general manager George Paton has faced heavy scrutiny from fans and pundits in recent months.

Despite the recent backlash, the Broncos are expected to bring Paton back for the 2024 season, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“Paton is viewed as safe inside the organization, sources say,” Rapoport wrote on Sunday. “Based on his overall evaluation talents and a strong working relationship with Sean Payton since the head coach arrived last offseason, all indications are Paton should stay on.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday that “Payton is expected to have the final say” on Paton’s status. Schefter went on to write that “it is his organization, and he gets to shape it how he wants it.”

After some pushback from the team via a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis, Schefter edited his report to now read: “Payton has significant authority and influence over the shaping of the team’s football operation.”

After Schefter’s original report stated it was Payton’s decision, Klis pushed back on Saturday evening with this: “Despite national speculation surrounding Paton as general manager because of the Wilson trade and contract extension, Paton works well with Payton and owner Greg Penner. … While Payton has significant influence with the team’s football operations, it would be Penner who would make the ultimate call on any change of this magnitude.”

In the end, the framing of who makes the decision seems to be semantics — Schefter’s original phasing and Klis’ stance can both be true. Penner is the literal boss so he obviously gets the final say, but he’s going to give the coach what he wants after placing the team in Payton’s care.

If Payton wants Paton fired, Penner will fire the GM. If Payton wants Paton to return, the GM will return — and it sounds like that’s what will happen in 2024. Paton will continue leading the team’s draft prep and salary cap plight while Payton remains involved across the board. It’s Payton’s team, but there’s room for Paton in the front office.

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