The Jets are already well into their general manager search, and we’ve got a handful of new names to add to their robust list of candidates. According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports, the Jets are interviewing three previously unreported candidates for the job today: Broncos assistant GM Darren Mougey, Commanders assistant GM Lance Newmark, and Lions executive Chris Spielman.
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The Jets are also meeting with Bengals exec Trey Brown and Vikings SVP of Player Personnel Ryan Grigson today. We learned about the organization’s interest in the duo earlier this week.
Mougey quickly climbed the ranks in Denver, working his way up from an intern to assistant general manager. He’s provided the front office with a bit of continuity over the past few years, as he is one of the few executives to work under both former general manager John Elway and current general manager George Paton.
“Darren is an outstanding evaluator who has an excellent reputation around the league as an up-and-coming personnel executive,” Paton said when Mougey earned a promotion to Director of Player Personnel in 2021. “Getting to work with Darren over the last five months, he is a strong communicator and has great leadership qualities. We’re fortunate to have Darren leading our pro and college scouting while also being a sounding board on all roster decisions.”
This isn’t Newmark’s first time meeting with the Jets; he also interviewed for the team when they were seeking a GM in 2019 (a job that ultimately went to Joe Douglas). Newmark spent 26 seasons with the Lions, and while he lost out on the team’s most-recent GM search to Brad Holmes, he still stuck around as the team’s senior director of player personnel. That was until last offseason, when Martin Mayhew lured him to Washington to serve as the Commanders assistant GM.
Speaking of the Lions, Spielman has transformed into a key member of Detroit’s front office in recent years. The former Pro Bowl Lions linebacker and FOX analyst works as a special assistant to the team’s president/CEO; he is believed to carry notable power within the organization, and the team made an effort to keep Spielman for the foreseeable future by extending his contract last offseason.
The Jets’ GM search is now at 15 names, with the group of candidates also including:
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/8
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive (Bengals): Interview requested
- Thomas Dimitroff, former general manager (Falcons): Interviewed 12/16
- Ray Farmer, senior personnel executive (Rams): Interviewed 1/9
- Brian Gaine, assistant general manager (Bills): Interview requested
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/10
- Ryan Grigson, senior vice president of player personnel (Vikings): To interview
- Alec Halaby, assistant general manager (Eagles): Interviewed 1/8
- Jim Nagy, Senior Bowl director: Interviewed 12/19
- Louis Riddick, former director of pro personnel (Eagles): Interviewed 1/2
- Jon Robinson, former general manager (Titans): Interviewed 12/17
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, director of player personnel (Packers): Interview requested
Does Aaron approve of these candidates?
more importantly what does Brick think…
Chris Spielman is a perfectly legitimate candidate, but it still feels worth mentioning his brother Rick is one of the heads of the Jets’ search committee.
All Spielman managed to do in Minnesota was stockpile 7th round picks. I don’t see that as a viable strategy for building a championship contender.
He also traded Stefan Diggs and used the pick he got in return to take Justin Jefferson.
Excuse me but wasn’t Chris Spielman one of the guys they had looking for the next GM? What is he going to do interview himself? I’m betting he gets the job. Jets trying to outdo the Bears in the sheer folly effect. They can’t stand being out done by the Bears. You can’t make this stuff up.
Chris Spielman and Rick Spielman are brothers, not the same person.
So what’s the difference? I’m still betting he gets the job.
You asked if he was going to interview himself, so that’s one difference between brothers and the same guy. And it’s not like the Johnsons will just hire the guy’s brother because he says so. As a Jets fan, from the start of this process, I thought it might be good if the Jets bring Rick Spielman in house as more than just search committee.
All these interviews and this…
“The NY Jets announce that Mike Tannenbaum will be the next GM.”
Bill O’Brien is the only name that will consistently maintain the continuity of the finely tuned machine that is the New York Jets front office