Tag: GM Power Rankings

Marty Hurney No. 21 in NFL.com’s GM power rankings

Panthers executive Marty Hurney ranked No. 21 in NFL.com’s general manager power rankings.

The Carolina Panthers have had another tumultuous offseason. While the owner and the general manager remain the same, almost everything else has changed. There’s a new head coach, a new staff, a new starting quarterback and a dozen new faces on the roster.

More change is likely on the way soon, as general manager Marty Hurney’s contract is up after the end of the 2020 draft. That lack of job security makes it hard to consider him one of the more powerful GMs in the league.

As is appropriate, Hurney only came in at No. 21 in NFL.com’s annual GM power rankings. Here’s what Gregg Rosenthal said about Hurney.

“Hurney is a survivor. It’s remarkable that he returned to the Panthers in 2017, five years after getting fired by the team, and has since survived a change in ownership, an investigation into whether he violated the league’s personal conduct policy and, most improbable, a change in coaching staff with Matt Rhule’s hiring in January. Hurney worked well with Ron Rivera in executing the coach’s vision, and that will be the goal with Rhule, who is clearly the alpha in Carolina.”

Rosenthal has it right. Rhule’s contract is for seven years and makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league (he’s making even more than Andy Reid per year). While Hurney may technically outrank him when it comes to personnel decisions, the writing is on the wall.

By this time next year, coach Rhule could be the new face of the franchise.

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Gregg Rosenthal’s GM Power Rankings isn’t too kind to Jason Licht

See why Gregg Rosenthal over at NFL.com had Bucs GM Jason Licht ranked near the bottom in his GM Power Rankings.

Like all general managers, Bucs GM Jason Licht will be taking part in this year’s virtual draft from the comfort of his own home office. For Licht, it will be his seventh NFL draft with the Buccaneers, and while he’s had his fair share of solid selections — like Mike Evans and Devin White to name a few — he’s also whiffed on a few picks like Vernon Hargreaves and kicker Robert Aguayo.

But with the hiring of Bruce Arians last offseason and the signing of six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady this year, Licht’s GM star is certainly on the rise. However, those moves alone weren’t enough to put him high on Gregg Rosenthal’s GM Power Rankings over at NFL.com.

In his rankings, Rosenthal excluded general managers who were hired after the 2018 draft because they haven’t been on the job long enough to allow for a fair valuation. That leaves just 25 GMs eligible for his power rankings, and Licht came in at No. 23, ahead of only Dave Caldwell of the Jaguars and Dave Gettleman of the Giants (yikes).

Here’s Rosenthal’s explanation for Licht’s ranking:

“Licht arrived in Tampa weeks after Lovie Smith was hired and one year before Jameis Winston was drafted. It took Bruce Arians’ arrival and Tom Brady’s availability for Licht to finally give up on Winston, which will put the GM’s other team-building struggles in the spotlight… This roster has never looked better, but I’ve been far too high on Licht for virtually every year since 2015 — and we’ve both been wrong repeatedly. The cold reality of Licht’s 34-62 record since taking over speaks louder than any offseason hype.”

It’s hard to disagree with what Rosenthal says. Licht has certainly had his share of issues as general manager, but things are starting to look up for Tampa Bay as they head into next week’s draft. Licht has put them in a great position to make the postseason next year, which should help move him up these rankings at some point. But, as Rosenthal points out, Licht’s overall record is what matters most, not the hype.

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