Tag: Terry Fontenot

Detroit Lions GM search appears to be narrowed to 4 candidates

Based on multiple reports surrounding the Detroit Lions general manager search, their focus appears to be narrowed to four candidates.

The Detroit Lions have done an extensive search for the general manager position, completing 12 candidate interviews, as well as inquiring about several others.

Now, based on multiple reports, they have taken the next step and narrowed the list to just four candidates: Brad Holmes (Los Angeles Rams’ director of college scouting), Ed Dodds (Colts’ assistant GM), Jeff Ireland (Saints’ Assistant GM, Formerly Dolphins GM), and Terry Fontenot (Saints’ VP/assistant GM of pro personnel).

In most years, this second round of interviews would be “contract on the table” interviews, meaning the team would likely offer them the job at the end of the meeting if they were interested. If there was no contract, the odds of them reaching a deal were slim.

But this is not a typical year.

It appears, with most initial interviews taking place virtually, it’s added another layer to the process. So this year’s next step involves a second round of interviews that would take place in person, but it is still a narrowing of options.

First up for these in-person interviews was Holmes, who completed his second interview on Wednesday. Who’s next? Well, that’s a bit muddled.

MMQB’s Albert Breer reported that “Detroit would like to get Dodds, Ireland, and Fontenot into the building before making a decision. Whether they’ll have the chance to do that, given all the balls in the air right now, is another question.”

Some of these questions center around availability. Because the Saints are still in the NFL Playoffs, neither Fontenot nor Ireland can interview a second time until they are eliminated or they reach the bye week ahead of the Super Bowl.

Dodds, who eligible to interview again at any time, just interviewed on Tuesday and the Lions may want more time to process his interview before scheduling a second. If he is going to get/take a second interview, logistics point to him being the next likely candidate to be scheduled.

The Lions are getting closer to a decision, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to rush this process.

Stay tuned to Lions Wire for daily updates as things continue to unfold.

Report: Falcons GM search down to two candidates

The search for the next general manager of the Atlanta Falcons has been extensive over a short period of time.

The search for the next general manager of the Atlanta Falcons has been extensive over a short period of time. After interviewing numerous candidates, the team has narrowed its search down to two finalists.

As first reported by The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz on Tuesday, the Falcons are closing in on Terry Fontenot, the vice president/assistant GM of the New Orleans Saints, and Brad Holmes, the director of college scouting for the Los Angeles Rams, for their GM opening.

Atlanta has yet to officially confirm this report, however, beat reporter Kelsey Conway covered it for the team’s official website. Conway’s story, which was retweeted by Falcons’ Twitter account, doesn’t mean they have ruled out all other candidates.

On the flip side, it’s hard to imagine the team’s official website reporting on a story if it was just reckless speculation. If this report is true, it would mean that the Falcons have eliminated former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith from the running.

The team completed a second interview with Holmes over the weekend, and met with two head-coaching candidates — Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles — on Monday.

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Terry Fontenot, Joe Brady rumored favorites for Falcons’ vacancies

As the Atlanta Falcons continue their search for the next head coach and general manager, two names have emerged as the favorites.

As the Atlanta Falcons continue their search for the next head coach and general manager, two names have emerged as the favorites. Johnathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Saints vice president/assistant general manager Terry Fontenot are being considered for the openings in Atlanta.

Team reporter William McFadden also reported on the rumored pairing, which was then retweeted by the Falcons’ Twitter account. Despite the buzz around this pair, it’s important to note that nothing has been made official.

On Monday, Atlanta completed virtual interviews with two more candidates — Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith — for the team’s opening at head coach.

Stay tuned for more interview updates as they unfold throughout the week.

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Report: Falcons GM/HC search could pair former Saints Terry Fontenot, Joe Brady

The Falcons are hosting New Orleans Saints VP Terry Fontenot for a second general manager interview, with Joe Brady a strong coach candidate

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If you can’t beat them, hire all of their assistants and hope it sparks a revival to get your franchise back on the road to competency. That appears to be an approach the Atlanta Falcons are considering in their search for a new head coach and general manager, with two prominent members of the New Orleans Saints receiving serious consideration for the vacant leadership positions.

Jonathan Jones reported for CBS Sports that it’s “very possible” for the Falcons to hire Saints vice president of pro personnel Terry Fontenot for their general manager opening in addition to Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who would be their new head coach. Brady, of course, skyrocketed on the LSU Tigers’ National Championship run in 2019 before returning to the NFL, where he initially started out as a Saints assistant coach.

Fontenot has earned rave praise for his lengthy interview with Atlanta’s brain trust, which includes owner Arthur Blank and team president Rich McKay. The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reports that Fontenot is preparing for a second interview with the Falcons later this week, which reinforces earlier news from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Fontenot was among “two or three finalists” competing to lead Atlanta’s front office.

It’ll be a big move for whoever ends up taking the Falcons jobs after a decade of relative stability under former general manager Thomas Dimitroff. He was fired during the regular season along with head coach Dan Quinn, leading to this expansive search for candidates in Atlanta. Saints fans probably aren’t eager to see several standouts from the organization getting such attention from their biggest rival, but at this point all that can be done is to stand back and watch.

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Report: Saints’ Terry Fontenot a finalist for Falcons GM opening

According to a report earlier this morning by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team’s interview with New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant general manager Terry Fontenot went well.

The Atlanta Falcons have met with a handful of candidates for their general manager and head-coaching vacancies over the past week, but until Sunday morning, we had no indication of which direction the team was leaning for either potential hiring.

According to a report earlier this morning by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team’s interview with New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant general manager Terry Fontenot went well and he is one of “two or three finalists” for the Atlanta’s GM opening.

Fontenot, who interviewed with the Falcons on Wednesday, was with the Saints for 15 seasons as a scout in varying roles before being made vice president/assistant general manager of pro personnel this past year. New Orleans has dominated the NFC South in recent years thanks in large part to a roster loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.

Other candidates to interview for the team’s general manager vacancy include former Texans GM Rick Smith and Rams scouting director Brad Holmes. As for Atlanta’s opening at head coach, Eric Bieniemy of the Chiefs, Robert Saleh of the 49ers and Joe Brady of the Panthers have each been interviewed over the last week.

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Report: Saints exec Terry Fontenot a finalist for Falcons GM search

New Orleans Saints vice president of pro personnel Terry Fontenot was reported to be a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons general manger job.

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16 years in the New Orleans Saints front office has prepared Terry Fontenot well for the opportunities he’s getting these days. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Fontenot, the Saints’ vice president of pro personnel, is a finalist for the open Atlanta Falcons general manager position. He interviewed with Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 6 in addition to meetings with the Detroit Lions, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fontenot has been a big part of the Saints’ success during the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era, so losing him would be a big hit to the team. Losing him to the Saints’ biggest rival would be even more unsavory, but it’s still great to see him receiving well-earned opportunities to run his own team.

Because the NFL introduced new incentives for hiring minorities to general manager and head coaching positions, the Saints would gain a pair of third-round draft picks in subsequent years should Fontenot be hired away by the Falcons or another team. It’s unclear yet whether those selections would convey in 2021 and 2022 or 2022 and 2023, but that’s a subplot worth remembering.

With all that said: Fontenot isn’t guaranteed to be hired by Atlanta. After firing longtime general manager Thomas Dimitroff, they’ve cast a wide net to search for candidates. It says a lot about Fontenot’s resume that he exited the interview process as a favorite to land the job.

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Report: Saints VP of pro personnel Terry Fontenot to interview for Broncos GM job

New Orleans Saints VP of pro personnel Terry Fontenot has scheduled an interview with the Denver Broncos after John Elway stepped down as GM

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Add the Denver Broncos to the list of teams interested in hiring Terry Fontenot. The New Orleans Saints vice president of pro personnel has scheduled an interview with the team after John Elway vacated the general manager position, as first reported by Mike Klis of 9News-Denver.

Fontenot has had a busy week as it is. He’s already interviewed for openings with the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, with the Jacksonville Jaguars also requesting a meeting. So the Broncos would be the fourth team potentially putting his name in the hat.

With that said, interviews are still ongoing throughout the NFL, and few positions have been filled just yet. It’s anyone’s guess as to where Fontenot could go next, but it sure seems like the New Orleans front office is in for a restructure or two between the interest he and college scouting director Jeff Ireland are receiving.

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Falcons complete interview with Saints’ Terry Fontenot for GM vacancy

The Atlanta Falcons went behind enemy lines to interview their fifth general manager candidate, holding a virtual conference with the New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant GM of pro personnel, Terry Fontenot, on Wednesday.

The Atlanta Falcons went behind enemy lines to interview their fifth general manager candidate, holding a virtual conference with the New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant GM of pro personnel, Terry Fontenot, on Wednesday.

As much as it may sicken Falcons fans to potentially welcome in a key member of the team’s biggest division rival, Fontenot is rightfully getting some credit for helping the Saints build what’s arguably the best roster in the NFC.

Fontenot worked his way up the ladder as a scout for New Orleans in different roles for roughly 14 years, and then became vice president/assistant general manager of pro personnel this year.

Check back for more Falcons interview updates throughout the week.

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Lions interviewed Saints’ Terry Fontenot for vacant GM position

Fontenot is the vice president and assistant GM of pro personnel for the New Orleans Saints

The Detroit Lions acknowledged the team completed a formal interview with Terry Fontenot for the vacant general manager position. The Lions interviewed Fontenot remotely on Tuesday.

Fontenot is the vice president and assistant GM of pro personnel for the New Orleans Saints. He was promoted to that title in 2020 after serving as the director of pro scouting for several years. Fontenot has been with the Saints for the past 16 seasons in various capacities, working under longtime GM Mickey Loomis.

From his bio on the Saints’ team website,

His responsibilities in managing the pro personnel department include recommending player acquisitions by evaluating players from all professional leagues, including the Saints roster, monitoring the waiver wire and supervising the advance scouting of upcoming opponents.

Fontenot has also interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons for their GM vacancy.

Report: Jaguars file interview request for Saints personnel exec Terry Fontenot

The Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly requested an interview for their general manager position with New Orleans Saints VP Terry Fontenot.

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Another team has entered the Terry Fontenot sweepstakes, with the Jacksonville Jaguars formally requesting an interview for their vacant general manager position, per the MMQB’s Albert Breer. The Jacksonville job is considered one of the most lucrative availabilities in this year’s NFL hiring cycle, owing to the Jaguars’ ample salary cap resources and a strong assembly of draft picks — including the first overall selection in 2021.

Fontenot, a longtime pro personnel evaluator with the New Orleans Saints, has been a popular candidate for teams looking to start a rebuild. Breer previously reported interest from both the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons, both of whom have scheduled virtual meetings with Fontenot later this week. He’s earned these opportunities after years of success in New Orleans, so it’s great to see him commanding this kind of attention.

It’ll be tough for the Saints to keep their talented front office together. Between the interviews Fontenot is scheduling and the interest his college scouting counterpart Jeff Ireland is receiving, it’s very possible the Saints could lose both of their assistant general managers in the very near future. It’s a situation to watch closely as things develop further.

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