Mark Dominik - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Raiders, Reggie McKenzie

December 10th, 2018 at 3:03pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday afternoon, the Raiders released a statement to confirm the firing of longtime GM Reggie McKenzie.

“We are grateful for everything Reggie has done for this organization as a player, executive and member of the Raider family,” the statement read. “The Raiders will immediately begin a search for a new front office executive.”

Curiously, the statement indicates that the Raiders will look “for a new front office executive,” which may mean that the club will not give anyone the title of GM for 2019.

Here’s the latest out of Oakland:

Those in the building say that Gruden actually liked McKenzie, even as Gruden picked apart the roster that he built, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. Things weren’t outwardly contentious between the two men, Breer hears, and he notes that McKenzie’s decision to set high asking prices for Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper actually paid off. Before each deal, there was speculation that McKenzie was looking to sandbag the efforts, but that does not appear to be the case in retrospect.
The Raiders may view executives such as Jimmy Raye III, Mark Dominik, and Chris Polian as candidates to become the new GM or chief of personnel, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). And, despite previous rumors linking Redskins exec Bruce Allen to the post, Pelissero hears that Allen is not “on the front burner” for the Raiders at this time.

Latest On Redskins’ GM Search

March 23rd, 2017 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are casting a wide net in their search for a general manager, but they’re already finding that several top executives are not interested in working for them. Redskins officials are looking at some of the more successful teams in the league to find a highly qualified candidates, but several targets have already removed themselves from consideration, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora.

La Canfora doesn’t list specific names of execs who have been considered, but he hears that the search has included front office people with the Steelers, Seahawks, and Packers. I would speculate that the list of candidates could include Packers Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf, Packers Director of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst, and Seahawks co-Directors of Player Personnel Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner. However, based on what JLC is hearing, they might not have any interest in the job.

Front office guys from around the league have multiple concerns about the gig. It’s not clear who would really have the power in D.C. given the history of meddling from team president Bruce Allen and owner Dan Snyder. Furthermore, the team’s proposed GM salary is in the $1.5MM range, and that might not be enough money to make a top candidate overlook all of the red flags in Washington. There’s also concern about whether Snyder will be willing to pump the necessary resources into scouts and talent evaluators.

So far, former Bucs GM Mark Dominik and ex-Chargers GM A.J. Smith have been among the names linked to the opening, but JLC hears that neither guy is expected to land the job. Former Redskins quarterback Doug Williams and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock have also been mentioned as possibilities. In the past, La Canfora has opined that Redskins executive Alex Santos would make a good internal candidate for the job and today he also put forth the name of Washington cap guru Eric Schaffer.

As we’ve heard previously, no hire will be made before the draft in late April, but JLC gets the sense that the Redskins also don’t want to let the process linger too far beyond the draft either.

Redskins Considering Mike Mayock For GM

March 10th, 2017 at 2:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Yes, you read that right. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock is a candidate to become the next general manager of the Redskins, according to Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As previously reported, the Redskins are also considering ex-Bucs GM Mark Dominik.

For what it’s worth, Mayock denies having “official contact” with Washington. To us, that sounds like a technical denial rather than an outright one.

“There has been no official contact between myself and the team and no interviews about the job,” Mayock said in a statement (Twitter link). “My focus and energy – as it typically is this time of year – is squarely focused on the NFL Draft and NFL Network’s coverage of that event…this year in my hometown of Philly!”

Mayock, a former NFL safety, is one of the game’s most colorful personalities. Considered to be a leading expert in talent evaluation (at least, in the field of broadcasting), Mayock could bring a lot to the table as the Redskins approach the draft during this turbulent time.

What Mayock doesn’t offer, however, is front office leadership experience. He has been working in sports broadcasting since the mid-90s and has been with the NFL Network for about 12 years, but he has never overseen a draft room, managed a salary cap, or otherwise been responsible for the roster of any football team at any level. Scouting acumen counts, but – as the Jets are finding out with GM Mike Maccagnan – it doesn’t guarantee success.

Interestingly, Washington is not likely to hire a GM until after the draft, Schefter writes. He adds that Mayock has been considered for other front office jobs at various points in his career, but has passed on those opportunities to remain on TV. It’s not clear whether he has been in the mix for top front office jobs or just scouting positions. It’s also not clear how serious any of those offers were. For what it’s worth, the 49ers hired a GM with zero front office experience this winter and they seem confident about it working out.

This week, the Redskins relieved Scot McCloughan of his duties as GM. Depending on who you ask, the move was made either because McCloughan has an ongoing issue with alcohol or because of in-fighting and jealousy.

If Mayock gets the job, you can expect the Redskins to target players with bubble butts, sand in the pants, and oily hips. Perhaps even a few guys who are natural benders and downhill thumpers.

Coaching/FO Notes: Browns, Garcia, 49ers

February 1st, 2017 at 7:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have interviewed Jeff Garcia for their vacant quarterbacks coach position, tweets Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. Cleveland is aiming to replace Pep Hamilton, who served as QBs coach in addition to acting as associate head coach, after he joined the University of Michigan staff. Garcia, 46, enjoyed a long NFL career as a signal-caller that included a stint with the Browns (2004). His only professional coaching experience, however, came with the Montreal Alouettes in 2014 and the Rams in 2015.

Here’s more from the NFL’s hiring cycle:

Former Lions general manager Martin Mayhew could land in John Lynch‘s new 49ers front office, according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Mayhew, who served as Detroit’s GM 2008-15, served as the Giants’ director of football operations/special projects last year. Schrager also confirmed that ex-Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik is still a candidate to head to San Francisco, despite the club’s hiring of Lynch and VP of player personnel Adam Peters.
The Jets announced today that they’ve hired Stump Mitchell as their new running backs coach. Mitchell will reunite with New York head coach Todd Bowles, as both men previously worked under Bruce Arians in Arizona. Mitchell had been with the Cardinals since 2013, but the club opted last week not to renew his contract. Gang Green has now filled out most of its offensive staff under new coordinator John Morton, but still needs to hire a QBs coach.
The Panthers are expected to promote assistant defensive backs coach Curtis Fuller to secondary coach, reports Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Fuller’s promotion would be the final link in a chain of events that involved former Carolina defensive coordinator Sean McDermott taking the Buffalo head coaching position, followed by Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks‘ promotion to DC. Fuller has worked for Carolina since 2013.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Lynch, Dominik, Saints

January 30th, 2017 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the NFC:

Before he was hired as the 49ers‘ new GM, John Lynch did not want his involvement in the search to leak out because he was afraid of league-wide perception, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Had he not been hired, he was worried others would feel he was using his TV gig to land a job with an NFL team. Of course, some in the football world could still be of that opinion. As an ex-player and color commentator with no known ambitions of an executive job, Lynch may have had special access to information on rival teams and players.
As of this afternoon, the 49ers have not scheduled an interview with ESPN analyst/ex-Bucs GM Mark Dominik, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). That doesn’t mean Dominik won’t be a consideration, but it may at least mean that a deal is probably not imminent between the two sides. By the same token, the Niners managed to keep the surprising hire of John Lynch under wraps.
Saints owner Tom Benson‘s ownership lawsuit is one week away from trial, Katherine Sayre of The Times-Picayune writes. Benson is seeking to remove ownership shares in the Saints (and the NBA’s Pelicans) from trust funds created for his daughter and grandson from back when the family was still on good terms. Ultimately, the trial will not impact control over the teams. Benson maintains control by impact control over the teams.

49ers Moving Toward Mark Dominik Hire?

January 30th, 2017 at 11:23am CST by Sam Robinson

New 49ers GM John Lynch reportedly seeks an experienced personnel man to work with him in the San Francisco front office, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes “buzz is building” about Mark Dominik joining Lynch soon. Multiple sources told Florio that Dominik would step into a director of player personnel-type role.

Florio pointed out Lynch had already picked out who he wanted to hire in this capacity, and the 49ers considered Dominik for their GM post. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported last week rumblings at the Senior Bowl featured the prospect of Dominik joining the 49ers “in some capacity.” The 49ers, though, did not interview the former Buccaneers GM for the job.

The 45-year-old Dominik served as a scouting director for the Bucs during seven years of Lynch’s tenure in Tampa Bay. It’s believed Dominik and the 45-year-old Lynch have a good relationship, and that Lynch’s rapport with expected head coach Kyle Shanahan clearly played a key role in that unorthodox hire. While Lynch has a good relationship with Kyle Shanahan, playing under Kyle’s father Mike Shanahan for four years in Denver, Kyle Shanahan also worked as an offensive quality control coach with the Bucs for two years during Dominik’s stay.

Assistant GM Tom Gamble could remain in place, per Florio, even if the 49ers move to hire Dominik. We heard earlier today the 49ers were planning to give Gamble a chance to prove he could stay with the team, with the time between now and the draft serving as an audition of sorts. The five-year Bucs GM currently works as an analyst at ESPN. He’s only worked for one NFL franchise, serving in various capacities with the Bucs from 1994-2013. The 49ers’ power structure would consist of two members who have spent much of the past several years on television should they make this move, with Lynch being a Fox analyst since his retirement in 2008.

West Notes: Dominik, Shanahan, Smith, Berry

January 29th, 2017 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the mystery candidate for the 49ers’ GM job became revealed as off-the-board hire John Lynch, fellow TV analyst Mark Dominik received consideration for the GM job, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). However, the sides never scheduled an interview. But Lynch getting the job doesn’t necessarily mean a path from ESPN to the 49ers isn’t on the table for Dominik.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Lynch plans to bring in an experienced personnel man as his top lieutenant, and CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora wonders if Dominik — the Buccaneers’ scouting director during part of Lynch’s career in Tampa before becoming the team’s GM later — will land in San Francisco because that familiarity with Lynch (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the 49ers’ surprising hire, along with the latest from some other NFL teams as the Pro Bowl continues.

The six-year contract that’s expected to be offered to Kyle Shanahan is two years longer than the deals for both Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly, and one year longer than Jim Harbaugh, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes.
Alex Smith took from his exit interview with Andy Reid he will return for a fifth season as the Chiefs‘ starting quarterback. “We’ve talked a lot, and for sure, the talk was just the sense of urgency — [him saying] ‘let’s go get it, you and me,’ ” Smith said, via Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star. “For both of us, I think you realize the opportunities are less and less.” Reid said as much publicly after the Chiefs’ second-round loss to the Steelers, but calls for the Chiefs to replace the middling quarterback will certainly come from pundits. Smith will turn 33 in May. He has two more years left on his deal and will take up $16.9MM of Kansas City’s cap in 2017. That number rises to $20.9MM in 2018, and by ’18, the Chiefs would save $17MM by parting ways with Smith.
Add Chiefs DC Bob Sutton to the list of those wanting Eric Berry to return. Joining Reid on this topic, Sutton said from the Pro Bowl, “That’s out of my wheelhouse but I mean, you’d be crazy not to [want him back],” Sutton said, via Conor Orr of NFL.com. “I thought he had an MVP-type season. He was a dynamic force. I don’t know how much more you could do. This guy had an impact on our entire team. Not just our defense, but our entire team.” Berry is a UFA for the second straight year. It would cost the Chiefs $12.967MM to retain him on the franchise tag again. Kansas City stands to possess less than $5MM in cap space before roster cuts are made.
Chiefs co-player personnel director Brett Veach looms as a candidate to fill new Colts GM’s Chris Ballard‘s shoes, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets, pointing to his scouting acumen as a route up the ladder.

49ers’ GM Search Includes Three Candidates?

January 29th, 2017 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers are expected to hire a new general manager early this week, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. But there appears to be a third finalist who didn’t go through the formal interview process.

San Francisco is said to be deciding between finalists George Paton and Terry McDonough, who completed second interviews with the team on Saturday in Atlanta. Maiocco adds a third candidate with whom presumptive head coach Kyle Shanahan is comfortable is being considered. The 49ers have discussed ESPN analyst — and former Buccaneers GM — Mark Dominik, per Maiocco, but he didn’t interview with the team. It’s uncertain at this point whether Dominik is the third candidate.

Shanahan doesn’t have experience working with Paton or McDonough but does have a history with Dominik. During Shanahan’s days as Bucs offensive quality control coach in 2004-05, Dominik worked as the team’s director of pro scouting — a post he held for 12 years before ascending to Tampa Bay’s GM job.

Falcons coach Dan Quinn recommended Paton, with whom he worked in Miami, to the 49ers. And Maiocco notes the Vikings assistant GM may be the favorite based on the amount of time he spent with 49ers brass this weekend. Paton had dinner with Shanahan and Jed York on Friday before the Saturday interview. Shanahan also spoke directly with Paton and McDonough about how much control the GM position would have in terms of personnel, contractually and functionally, per Maiocco. Shanahan, however, continues to not insist on full roster control.

Mike Shanahan would certainly be a coach Kyle is familiar working with, but Maiocco does not include the former HC (and 49ers OC) as a candidate despite the elder Shanahan being mentioned as a possible front-office solution in San Francisco.

Today marks four weeks since the 49ers jettisoned Trent Baalke, and we heard this weekend the team wasn’t fully committed to hiring one of the two finalists. Additionally, Paton wasn’t considered a lock to take this job if offered. Paton remains in the hunt for the Colts’ GM job, but Chiefs player personnel director Chris Ballard has emerged as the favorite after securing a second interview.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Eagles, Vikings

January 26th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In their drawn-out quest to find a general manager, the 49ers are down to two finalists – Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Cardinals Terry McDonough – but “it’s not a lock” either will end up with the job, a source close to the team told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. While there’s a “good chance” one of them will land the role, per the source, the previously reported Mark Dominik “could become involved” if the Niners go in another direction, writes Maiocco.

Ex-Bucs GM Mark Dominik Could Join 49ers

January 25th, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the 49ers still haven’t officially hired a new general manager or head coach, the “scuttlebutt” at this week’s Senior Bowl is that former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik could join the 49ers in some capacity, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSSports.com.

[RELATED: 2017 GM Search Tracker]

Dominik presumably wouldn’t be hired as San Francisco’s general manager given that he hasn’t been linked to the club’s ongoing search. The Vikings’ George Paton and Cardinals’ Terry McDonough are the favorites for the job at the moment, and both are conducting second interviews with the 49ers. However, the club is said to be willing to restart its GM hunt if neither of the remaining candidates are the correct fit.

Dominik, now an ESPN analyst, had spent nearly his entire NFL career with Tampa Bay, acting as the team’s director of pro scouting from 1997-2008 and its general manager from 2008-13. Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers’ presumptive head coach, was on staff with the Buccaneers from 2004-05, so it’s possible the two men have a connection. Additionally, Dominink has been viewed as a package deal with current Falcons head coach Dan Quinn during past hiring cycles, meaning Quinn may have given a recommendation to his offensive coordinator.