For the first time since the Titans fired Ruston Webster in 2016, the veteran executive landed a GM interview. The Falcons exec met with the Raiders to interview for their GM vacancy recently, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Raiders also went through an interview with Steelers pro scouting director Brandon Hunt, Rapoport adds. The Silver and Black’s candidate list to succeed Mike Mayock is swiftly moving toward 10 names.
Webster has been with the Falcons since 2016, landing with the then-Thomas Dimitroff-led front office as a national scout and sticking around as a senior personnel exec under new GM Terry Fontenot. Webster’s most notable experience came with the Titans, who brought him over from the Seahawks in 2010 and promoted him to GM in 2012. Webster, 59, has been in the NFL for decades, having begun as a Buccaneers staffer back in 1988. Lasting in Tampa until 2005, Webster’s tenure overlapped with since-resigned Raiders coach Jon Gruden‘s. Webster ended his Bucs run as the team’s director of player personnel before heading to Seattle.
Hunt interviewed with the Raiders on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. While the Pittsburgh exec is on the radar for the Las Vegas job, he is also expected to be considered — should he not end up with the Raiders — to be in the mix to succeed Kevin Colbert as Steelers GM when he steps down after the draft. Longtime Steelers exec Omar Khan is also expected to be considered to replace Colbert. While Hunt interviewed for the Eagles’ director of player personnel position in 2016, he is beginning to receive GM buzz for the first time.
Here is how the Raiders’ GM search looks as of Wednesday afternoon:
- Trey Brown, scout (Bengals): Interviewed 1/21
- Ed Dodds, vice president of player personnel (Colts): To interview 1/26
- Brandon Hunt, director of pro scouting (Steelers): Interviewed 1/25
- Dwayne Joseph, director of pro personnel (Raiders): To interview
- Champ Kelly, assistant director of player personnel (Bears): Interviewed 1/20
- John Spytek, vice president of player personnel (Buccaneers): Interview requested
- Ruston Webster, senior personnel executive (Falcons): Interviewed
- Dave Ziegler, director of player personnel (Patriots): Interviewed 1/21