Chris Ballard - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Hire Chris Ballard As GM

January 29th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts moved quickly to land their man, hiring Chris Ballard as their new general manager, the team announced. Previously the Chiefs’ director of football operations, Ballard was the only candidate to interview with the Colts twice out of the six-man search.

Ballard met with the Colts a second time on Sunday and will succeed Ryan Grigson, beating out Packers executive Eliot Wolf, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Seahawks co-player personnel directors Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer and internal candidate Jimmy Raye III, who served as the Colts’ interim GM during this process.

The newly hired executive is planning a 2017 season with Chuck Pagano, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, so there will be no late coaching change after Jim Irsay orchestrated a belated GM switch.

Viewed as Irsay’s top choice from the start of this process, Ballard opted to go through with the interview. He did not interview for the 49ers’ GM job, which remains unfilled, since the Chiefs blocked him from doing so. Teams can utilize this tactic during the season, but with Kansas City having been eliminated in the divisional round, Ballard was free to interview with Indianapolis. However, Ballard was viewed as the “first choice, second choice and third choice” in San Francisco.

The Chiefs’ decision may be a seminal move depending on what happens with the Colts and 49ers in the next several years. Although, the Colts’ job was viewed an attraction, more so than the 49ers’ position, with Andrew Luck‘s presence playing a key role.

Prior to becoming John Dorsey‘s right-hand man in Kansas City, Ballard spent 12 seasons with the Bears, working in either a scouting or scouting directorial capacity. The Chiefs’ 43 regular-season wins since 2013 came on the heels of a 2-14 2012 season under the franchise’s previous regime and represent the fourth-most in the league during that span.

His potential top choice for head coach could be Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, although Irsay committed to Pagano coaching the team in 2017. Pagano sat in on the candidate interviews, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported, so a Ballard/Pagano partnership looks like the Colts’ arrangement this coming season. Ballard will be tasked with elevating the franchise back to the playoffs after it finished 2016 with the same 8-8 record 2015 brought, with ’16 featuring nearly a full season’s worth of Luck’s services.

Chris Ballard Books Second Colts Interview

January 29th, 2017 at 8:06am CST by Sam Robinson

The buzz surrounding Chris Ballard as Ryan Grigson‘s potential successor looks legitimate. The Chiefs’ director of football operations became the first candidate to secure a second interview with the Colts, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This could be a quick process, per Schefter, who reports (on Twitter) the Chiefs are bracing to lose Ballard to the Colts. The second summit is set for Sunday.

The four-year Chiefs executive was part of a six-person interview contingent that met with Colts brass from Wednesday-Friday in Mobile, Ala. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets, Ballard did not disappoint in that interview, and it appears as if he will, in fact, be offered the position. Per Breer, Ballard was the Colts’ top choice all along, although that of course conflicts with earlier reports tabbing interim GM Jimmy Raye III as the favorite for the job.

But Ballard and Packers exec Eliot Wolf emerged as the early favorites once the club began interviewing outside candidates, and rumblings of the Colts being “definitely intrigued by” John Dorsey‘s top lieutenant — and Ballard’s preferring Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub as his head coach — emerged yesterday. Ballard, Wolf and George Paton — whose interview reportedly went well — came away with positive reviews from the Colts’ meeting process thus far.

Despite the fact that Ballard would like to bring in Toub as his head coach, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that Ballard’s having to work with Chuck Pagano — who will reportedly return for the 2017 campaign — will not be a deal-breaker. Instead, if the team is looking for a new head coach next offseason, the Colts could simply pursue Toub at that time (Twitter links).

After spending 12 seasons with the Bears in a scouting or scouting directorial capacity, Ballard has helped oversee a Chiefs resurgence in the mid-2010s. Only the Patriots, Seahawks and Broncos have more regular-season wins than the Chiefs’ 43 since 2013. Kansas City could be set to lose Ballard but will be retaining Dorsey for at least one more season after a report emerged Dorsey is in fact under contract through 2017.

The Chiefs blocked Ballard from interviewing with the 49ers but could not do so when the Colts’ GM job opened because league rules only enable this practice during the team’s season.

Colts Considering Ballard/Toub Partnership?

January 28th, 2017 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Colts aren’t expected to rush in their pursuit to fill their GM position, positive reviews continue to surround one candidate. The Colts are “definitely intrigued by” Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. And that could be an interesting development because of Ballard’s ties to a recent head coaching candidate.

Ballard’s preferred choice as HC would be Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, per La Canfora. That is a logical pairing, but the Colts are not currently in the market for a head coach. Jim Irsay reaffirmed his commitment to Chuck Pagano and is prepared to bring him back for a sixth season. Pagano’s seat, though, would be arguably the hottest in the NFL going into 2017 after consecutive 8-8 seasons helped end the Pagano/Ryan Grigson partnership.

Ballard and Packers player operations director Eliot Wolf are considered the favorites for the Indianapolis GM position, a status interim GM Jimmy Raye III occupied last weekend before the official interviews commenced. The Colts met with all six of the candidates between Wednesday and Friday.

Irsay’s been connected to multiple head coaches this offseason, and while the owner said his conversations with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden were merely about the stete of his team, Sean Payton trade rumors also surfaced recently. The Colts said the call came from a Payton associate rather than being an Irsay-initiated process. Hiring a GM who has a coach preference not currently employed by the franchise would add to the uncertainty surrounding Pagano. Recently, much of Pagano’s staff received word they are going to remain in their positions for at least one more year.

The 54-year-old Toub interviewed for the Chargers’ and Broncos’ HC positions, being one of just three coaches Denver considered for its since-filled vacancy. Ballard and Toub have worked in Kansas City since John Dorsey‘s hire in 2013.

Latest On Colts’ General Manager Search

January 27th, 2017 at 6:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts aren’t rushing through their hunt for a new general manager, and have identified “no specific timetable” during which they will make a decision on their next personnel chief, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. The process isn’t expected to reach a conclusion for at least another week to 10 days, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.

[RELATED: 2017 GM Search Tracker]

Indianapolis and owner Jim Irsay finished up its first round of interviews, and follow-up meetings are to be scheduled, per Holder. Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard and Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf are considered the favorites for the position, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), although incumbent candidate Jimmy Raye III — currently acting as the Colts’ interim GM — has also been mentioned as the leader in the clubhouse.

The six contenders — a list that includes the Seahawks’ Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner, the Vikings’ George Paton, and those listed above — are meeting with Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano as part of the interview exercise, tweets Garafolo, rightly noting that the “dynamic” between Pagano and the next general manager will be critical. The mandatory retaining of Pagano is a small barrier for some candidates, per Holder, but the vacancy is still viewed as highly attractive.

“What a great situation,” one of six contenders anonymously told Holder. “But you’ve got to fix that defense. It’s old.”

Colts To Interview Chris Ballard For GM Job

January 25th, 2017 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts continue to traverse the path the 49ers did weeks ago at the outset of their GM search, and Indianapolis has requested permission to interview a candidate who didn’t end up getting that chance in San Francisco. The team sent out a request to meet with Chiefs director of football operations Chris Ballard, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter).

Ballard will take the Colts up on their offer and interview for the job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The interview will occur today, per Rapoport. Ballard joins Jimmy Raye III, Scott Fitterer and George Paton as confirmed candidates who will meet with Jim Irsay for the job.

This comes after the 49ers made the same request, but San Francisco didn’t have a chance to meet with the exec that was reportedly the team’s first choice because Kansas City blocked the move. With teams being able to block execs from interviewing for GM jobs during their respective seasons, the 49ers lost out on that opportunity. Since the Chiefs’ season is over, Ballard made the decision on his own and will vie for the job.

Ballard has been with the Chiefs for four seasons, coming to Kansas City at the same time GM John Dorsey did. In that span, the Chiefs have returned to being a perennial playoff contender after more than five years spent residing mostly near the bottom of the league. Kansas City finished its second straight season in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Kyle Shanahan Likely To Become 49ers’ HC

January 18th, 2017 at 8:10am CST by Connor J. Byrne

As of Tuesday evening, Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan wasn’t a lock to accept the 49ers’ forthcoming offer to become their head coach. However, Shanahan’s now “almost certain” to take the job, reports Mike Silver of NFL.com.

With Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable having withdrawn from the race this week, Shanahan is the last man standing among the eight candidates the 49ers have interviewed. The rest have accepted head coaching positions elsewhere. Thus, in the unlikely event Shanahan turns San Francisco down, it would send CEO Jed York and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe scrambling to hit the reset button on their search to replace Chip Kelly.

The 49ers are also on the hunt for a new general manager, of course, and lost one candidate when Cable’s Seattle colleague, co-director of player personnel Trent Kirchner, took himself out of consideration Tuesday. Of the GM possibilities the Niners have considered, Kirchner, fellow Seahawks executive Scott Fitterer and Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard would have preferred to work with Cable, according to Silver. The Chiefs prevented Ballard from talking to the 49ers, though, and awarded him a pay raise as compensation, Silver writes.

Cable has another fan in defensive coordinator-to-be Gus Bradley, who would have gone to San Francisco had it hired Cable. Instead, after Cable dropped out of contention Tuesday, Bradley spurned the 49ers when they asked if he’d be interested in teaming with Shanahan. It appears, then, that Bradley will become the Chargers’ D-coordinator.

Shanahan is currently preparing for Sunday’s NFC championship game between the Falcons and Packers. If Atlanta advances to Super Bowl LI, the 49ers wouldn’t be able to hire him until after Feb. 5. Regardless, he’ll have a second interview with the Niners next week and will discuss GM choices with team brass. Packers director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst remains the favorite, relays Silver, who adds that Green Bay director of football operations Eliot Wolf and Vikings assistant GM George Paton are also strong contenders.

John Dorsey Could Succeed Ted Thompson As Packers GM

January 8th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier today that the Chiefs are expected to pursue an extension for head coach Andy Reid, who is under contract through 2017, at the end of the season. But general manager John Dorsey, who, like Reid, came to Kansas City in 2013, is already in the final year of his deal, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Dorsey could take over the Packers’ GM job next season.

Ted Thompson, the Packers’ current GM, has two years remaining on his contract, but the 63-year-old could step aside to a senior scouting role, which Rapoport reported last week. If that happens, the door could be open for Dorsey to return to Green Bay, where he first found front office success.

Dorsey helped to build the Packers into a consistent contender, first as a college scout from 1991-97 and then as director of college scouting in 1998. After a one-year stint as the Seahawks’ director of player personnel in 1999, Dorsey returned to the Packers, where he served as the team’s director of college scouting from 2000-11 and as the director of football operations in 2012.

Per Rapoport, Dorsey’s success in his various roles with Green Bay made him incredibly well-regarded by the club’s executive committee, including president and CEO Mark Murphy. In addition to Dorsey, Thompson’s list of potential successors includes current director of football operations Eliot Wolf–who was long considered to be the heir apparent to Thompson but who interviewed for the 49ers’ GM job last week–vice president of football administration Russ Ball, director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst and senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith.

It is interesting to note that, whether the Chiefs blocked current director of player personnel Chris Ballard from interviewing for the 49ers’ job or whether he turned down San Francisco’s overtures on his own–there are conflicting reports on that front–the fact remains that Ballard will remain in Kansas City. It could be, as Rapoport suggests (via Twitter), that Ballard plans to be elevated to the Chiefs’ GM job sooner rather than later.

Chiefs Blocked Chris Ballard/49ers Meeting

January 7th, 2017 at 7:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Nick Caserio declined an interview request for the 49ers’ GM job, Chris Ballard did not receive the opportunity. The Chiefs blocked their director of football operations from interviewing for the 49ers’ GM vacancy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

This runs counter to a previous report indicating Ballard turned down the opportunity, so San Francisco has now run into issues on multiple fronts in bringing some of its top candidates in for an interview for Trent Baalke‘s former job. Teams can block front-office execs from interviewing for GM jobs until their respective seasons end. So, the 49ers could wait until the Chiefs’ season concludes, but that would mean stalling their HC search as well while other teams vie for the available candidates.

This looms larger than the Patriots’ player personnel director turning this potential opportunity down. A source told Florio that Ballard was the 49ers’ “first choice, second choice and third choice” for the position. Ballard has been an NFL personnel man for 16 seasons and is finishing up his fourth with the Chiefs. Interestingly, Ballard was given permission to interview for the Titans’ GM job — one that ultimately went to Jon Robinson — last year.

Ballard spent 12 years with the Bears, the first 11 as a southwest area scout and in 2012 ascended to the role of director of pro scouting with the franchise prior to joining John Dorsey in Kansas City.

49ers Ask To Interview Chiefs’ Chris Ballard

January 2nd, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by Zachary Links

7:55pm: According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Ballard will not be taking the interview with the 49ers. The executive believes he’s in an excellent situation in Kansas City and has a great relationship with general manager John Dorsey.

8:21am: The 49ers’ general manager search is underway and it sounds like Chris Ballard is a priority candidate. The Niners have reached out to the Chiefs for permission to interview the exec, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).

It seems likely that the Chiefs will grant permission for the interview since Ballard has been a GM candidate for some time and was allowed to interview for the Titans job last offseason. Ultimately, that job went to Jon Robinson, partially because Ballard’s assessment of coach Mike Mularkey didn’t align with that of team ownership.

Ballard, who just completed his third season with Kansas City, has been an NFL personnel man for 16 years. This offseason, he could interview for multiple vacancies and this could be the year that he breaks out from John Dorsey‘s shadow.

49ers Targeting Tom Cable, Others For HC Job

January 2nd, 2017 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Josh McDaniels isn’t the only candidate on the 49ers’ list. The team is also looking to bring in Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, Jaguars interim coach Doug Marrone, and Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, according to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco.

The Jets interviewed Cable for their head coaching vacancy before the 2015 season, but he did not receive any interviews last offseason. Cable, of course, offers head coaching experience after nearly three years at the helm in Oakland. From 2008-2010, the Raiders went 17-27 under Cable and never finished higher than third in the AFC West.

Meanwhile, the top GM candidates right now are Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, and Seahawks co-player personnel directors Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer.

CEO Jed York and executive vice president of football operations Paraag Marathe are leading the search to fill both vacancies. After witnessing years of discord between former coach Jim Harbaugh and former GM Trent Baalke (and perhaps some disagreement between Baalke and recent ex-coach Chip Kelly), the 49ers may opt for a ready-made GM/coach combo like McDaniels and Caserio. McDaniels appears to be one of the hottest coaching candidates on the market this offseason and Caserio has been viewed as a rising front office star for the last couple of years.