HEADLINES

Ed Dodds

Titans Setting Up Second GM Interviews

January 14th, 2025 at 11:55am CST by Sam Robinson

JANUARY 14: The Titans’ second round of interviews will take place in person today, tomorrow and Thursday, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports’ reports. Once all six candidates have been met with, it would come as no surprise if a decision were to be made in relatively short order. Tennessee may well be the first of the three GM-needy teams to move forward with a hire during the 2025 hiring cycle.

JANUARY 13: Needing a GM for the second time in three years, the Titans are moving fast. Less than a week after firing Ran Carthon, Tennessee is setting up second interviews. One of those involves a candidate the team met with in 2023 as well.

Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham met with Titans brass two years ago, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes the Ryan Poles lieutenant is in line for a second interview this time around. Joining Cunningham in advancing to this stage will be Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi and Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek.

We may not be at the finalist stage yet, though third interviews are virtually unheard of. Still, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray and Colts AGM Ed Dodds are also expected to receive second interviews. Ditto Jon-Eric Sullivan, per Pelissero. While this process is moving swiftly, the Titans still have several candidates in the race.

This batch of candidates includes some who are still in consideration for the Jets and Raiders’ GM gigs. Spytek, a Tom Brady college teammate, is on the Raiders’ radar early. Borgonzi is a Long Island native who has interviewed with the Jets. Sullivan interviewed for the Jets’ job as well. Beyond these three, none of the Titans’ set of second interviewees has been connected to one of the other available jobs. Though, the Raiders have not made official requests yet.

Cunningham would join the Bears’ HC search committee once he is no longer connected to leaving, but for now, the fourth-year Chicago staffer is in limbo. The Bears gave Cunningham an extension after he lost out to Adam Peters for the Commanders’ GM job. The Titans strongly considered Cunningham in 2023, giving him a second interview during the pursuit Carthon eventually won. Cunningham is also believed to have turned down the Cardinals’ GM job that year, with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort winning. Titans brass circling back with another second interview bodes well for Cunningham’s status this year.

Dodds has been on GM carousels previously and has been in the AFC South for seven seasons now. The Colts hired Dodds shortly after Chris Ballard took over in 2017. Dodds interviewed for the Chargers, Panthers and Raiders jobs last year. Gray met with the Bolts and Raiders but declined a Patriots interview request, joining others in doing so as the Patriots looked to satisfy the Rooney Rule for a job most correctly figured would go to Eliot Wolf.

Borgonzi was part of last year’s GM carousel as well, meeting about the Commanders job, but this year marks the first time he has met with multiple teams in the same offseason. The Chiefs have lost Ballard and Brandt Tilis from their front office during Andy Reid‘s tenure. Considering Kansas City’s success over the past several years, it would surprise if Borgonzi was not in the mix for the Jets and Titans’ jobs until the end. Both the Bucs’ assistant GMs, Spytek and Mike Greenberg, are on this year’s GM carousel. Greenberg has interviewed with the Jets. Spytek has been with the Bucs for nearly 10 seasons, two in his current role.

The Titans are giving Chad Brinker significant power, with the team’s former assistant GM — after having usurped Carthon — now president of football operations. That will affect the team’s next GM considerably, significantly affecting this search. Sullivan’s resume should be important here, as he and Brinker worked together for nearly 15 years in Green Bay. Sullivan has been with the Packers since 2004, learning under Ted Thompson and Brian Gutekunst. Brinker featured the same background upon arriving in Nashville.

Via PFR’s General Manager Search Tracker, here is how the Titans’ process looks nearly a week in:

Titans Request GM Interviews With Ed Dodds, Reggie McKenzie, John Spytek

January 10th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Nikhil Mehta

JANUARY 10: McKenzie is likely to receive considerable support for the GM role, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes. He may be the favorite at this point in the process, although things could of course change over the coming days as interviews take place.

JANUARY 8: The Titans are casting their net far and wide in search of their next general manager, adding three more interviews to their list on Wednesday.

The latest candidates are Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero), Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie (per ESPN’s Turron Davenport), and Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek (per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).

[RELATED: Titans Begin GM Search With Three Requests]

Dodds has worked under Colts GM Chris Ballard since 2017. He began his NFL front office career as a scouting intern for the then-Oakland Raiders in 2003. That led to a scouting gig in Seattle, where Dodds finished as a senior personnel executive after nearly a decade. He then started as vice president of player personnel in Indianapolis before receiving a promotion to assistant GM in 2018. The Colts have hit on a number of first- and second-round picks in Dodds’ tenure, including Quenton Nelson and Shaquille Leonard in 2018 and Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor in 2020, but they have struggled to consistently find talent in the later rounds.

McKenzie is a former NFL linebacker who retired from playing in 1992. He briefly coached at the University of Tennessee before landing a scouting job with the Packers. McKenzie stayed in Green Bay for almost 20 years, eventually rising to director of football operations in 2008. The Packers won two Super Bowls in McKenzie’s tenure, which also included the 2005 draft selection of Aaron Rodgers.

McKenzie was then hired to turn around an expensive, underperforming Raiders roster as GM. He hit on Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Amari Cooper in back-to-back drafts but struggled to find and retain talent in subsequent years amid interference from new owner Mark Davis and his handpicked head coach, Jon Gruden. McKenzie was fired during the 2018 season and joined the Dolphins a few months later. Miami’s next three drafts all yielded several future starters, including Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle, though the team is still chasing their first AFC East title since 2008.

Spytek spent time with the Lions, Eagles, Browns, and Broncos – primarily as a scout – before arriving in Tampa Bay in 2016. The Buccaneers have been one of the most successful front offices in the last decade under GM Jason Licht, who has consistently hit on draft picks and free agent signings. Tampa Bay won Super Bowl LV after successfully engineering the acquisition of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski during the 2020 offseason and has won four straight division titles since. The Buccaneers’ drafts under Spytek have been littered with success, particularly at offensive line.

The Titans’ search is being overseen by president of football operations Chad Brinker, whose football experience stands in contrast to some of Tennessee’s other business-focused executives. He has ties to Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, all of whom could be candidates for the Titans’ GM job.

Brinker may also look for familiarity with head coach Brian Callahan, in which case a Bengals executive like Mike Potts, Trey Brown, or Steve Radicevic could be considered, according to Breer.

2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

January 8th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans and Raiders are again part of a GM carousel in the 2020s. Tennessee canned its front office boss after two seasons, while Las Vegas moved on after one. These two join the Jets. Here is how the three AFC teams’ searches look thus far. If other teams make changes atop their front offices, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-19-25 (09:05am CT)

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Anthony Richardson Battling Back Injury; Latest On Colts’ QB, GM Situations

January 2nd, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Richardson has not taken sufficient steps forward in Year 2, calling his future in Indianapolis into question. As the Colts attempted to sideline him to compete for the playoffs around Joe Flacco, Plan B did not work thanks to the 39-year-old’s struggles. This leaves a franchise that has been starved for a quarterback since Andrew Luck‘s retirement again facing a foggy future.

Although the plan is for Richardson to start for a third season, GM Chris Ballard said recently (via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer and James Boyd) the team should not have turned to the former No. 4 overall pick as a starter as a rookie in 2023. Ballard said the Colts should have parked Richardson on the bench in a developmental year. Jim Irsay is believed to have driven the bus for Richardson to start, calling behind the scenes for the high-end prospect to play immediately.

This was not Irsay’s first QB-driven directive in recent years, as the owner had previously called for the Colts to dump Carson Wentz after one season, pushed Ballard to acquire Matt Ryan via trade and then insisted the team bench Ryan for Sam Ehlinger midseason (just before the Jeff Saturday decision, which Ballard attempted to stop). The team’s Richardson pick, which initially came out of a Morocco Brown scouting mission, also took place after assistant GM Ed Dodds called his one season as a college starter “a rollercoaster,” per Boyd and Keefer. Richardson’s 2024 season has proven that to be a telling assessment.

Richardson has completed a woeful 47.7% of his passes, being all set to become just the seventh QB to finish a 21st-century season south of the 50% barrier on at least 200 attempts. The Colts’ decision to bench Richardson and then reinsert him into the starting lineup two weeks later, after Flacco could not match his 2023 Browns work, “really affected the team,” in the words of one anonymous player. Another unnamed Colt informed The Athletic of a lack of vision coming from the franchise, which is set to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in Ballard’s eight seasons as GM.

In Ballard’s defense, he has built a roster that has produced a host of Pro Bowl-level players — from Quenton Nelson to Jonathan Taylor to Kenny Moore. The GM also saw Luck abruptly retire just before the 2019 season, but the team’s inability to find a successor has reminded of the Broncos’ run of misses following Peyton Manning‘s retirement. Richardson has followed Philip Rivers, Wentz, Ryan and Gardner Minshew — the latter in place only because of Richardson’s 2023 shoulder injury — as primary Colts QB starters in the 2020s. None of Indianapolis’ plans have produced consistent success, with the team still yet to recover from a disastrous Week 18 loss to the Jaguars as two-touchdown favorites in a game that denied a playoff berth in 2021.

Irsay has spoken highly of Ballard in the past, keeping him around despite the Frank Reich firing, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes “murmurs” regarding a potential change have emerged in connection with this job. An unnamed GM also told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora that Irsay is certainly thinking about firing Ballard, though the anonymous exec said it would still surprise if the owner moved on after this season. If the owner does not can his GM, Ballard’s seat will be hot entering the 2025 offseason.

It is also true Irsay’s meddling — at both quarterback and other spots, highlighted by the 2023 Taylor standoff — has undercut his GM, which would make this a potentially difficult position to fill with a quality candidate. But Ballard’s inward-focused 2024 offseason approach has not yielded results. Granted, Richardson’s struggles have had plenty to do with that. DeForest Buckner joined Ryan Kelly and others in speaking to Richardson after his benching, with the Pro Bowl defensive tackle indicating (via The Athletic) he signed his two-year, $46MM re-up largely because he believed in the athletic QB talent. Richardson’s lack of preparation played into the organization’s initial benching call, which famously came after he asked to leave the Colts-Texans matchup due to fatigue.

This season is also not ending well for Richardson, who is battling a potentially significant back injury. Shane Steichen said an MRI revealed a disk issue that “might be chronic,” though the second-year QB does not believe he will need surgery, via Boyd. Richardson said this week his back issue was severe enough he could not stand. Richardson added (via Fox59’s Brett Bensley) he has dealt with back issues since eighth grade, though they have not been this severe before. It certainly sounds like Flacco will start in Week 18 and that Richardson will enter the offseason with some rehab to complete, which reminds of his 2024 offseason.

It would stand to reason the Colts will seek another veteran backup to replace Flacco, as Richardson would at least need to be backstopped — both due to injury and performance — in 2025. If the plan indeed remains Richardson-centric, Steichen and Ballard would be on the hook to answer for the pick should it end up backfiring and leave the Colts again in need at the game’s premier position. That is, if both power brokers are back for the 2025 season.

2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

May 7th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Patriots hiring Eliot Wolf as their de facto GM after having moved on from Bill Belichick, all five teams in need of a GM have filled their post this offseason. If other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list.

Updated 5-11-24 (4:35pm CT)

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Washington Commanders

Raiders Hire Tom Telesco As GM

January 23rd, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Raiders kept Antonio Pierce, previous reports indicated he and interim GM Champ Kelly were not necessarily a package deal. That detail looks to prove critical now. The AFC West team is expected to go in a different GM direction.

Former Chargers GM Tom Telesco looks set to have an immediate second chance. The Raiders are likely to hire the 11-year GM veteran, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Telesco worked as the Bolts’ GM from 2013-23 but was fired shortly after the Raiders’ 63-21 demolition late this season. With no other team interviewing Telesco for its GM vacancy, he is now set to team with Pierce in Las Vegas. The Raiders subsequently announced the hire.

This hiring comes after the team had Kelly sitting in on HC interviews ahead of the Pierce hire. While Kelly had established clear momentum and was certainly on the radar to join Pierce as the rare interim figure to keep a job, the Raiders will go with a more experienced candidate. This could well lead Kelly elsewhere, though The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes he remains under contract. The well-respected front office figure only met with one other team — the Panthers — about its GM job. Carolina promoted Dan Morgan to fill that post Monday.

It would be a bit odd to see Telesco sign off on working with perhaps his top competition for this job, so it bears monitoring to see if Kelly will remain with the Raiders.

For Telesco, this will provide a chance to start over after his Philip Rivers– and Justin Herbert-centered rosters repeatedly ran into obstacles in Southern California. Injury issues routinely plagued the Chargers during the 2010s and 2020s, though their rosters always always generated praise coming into seasons. Telesco will now work with another first-time HC. Hiring only rookie HCs during his run with the Chargers (Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, Brandon Staley), Telesco’s teams only qualified for three playoff fields in his 11-year run.

Telesco, 51, came in for a second Raiders interview Monday. That meeting may have changed the team’s thinking. The longtime Chargers front office leader will bring more than 30 years of NFL experience to Las Vegas. Beginning his career as a Bills intern during Bill Polian‘s GM run, Telesco followed the future Hall of Famer to Charlotte and then Indianapolis. With the Colts, Telesco worked his way up to director of player personnel. He held that title for six years, being with the team during its Super Bowl XLI win and its Super Bowl XLIV loss three years later. A year after the Colts fired Polian and hired Ryan Grigson, Teleseco received his GM opportunity and became one of the longer-serving true GMs entering this past season.

With the Chargers, Telesco gave Rivers Pro Bowl pieces in the late 2010s. He drafted Keenan Allen in the 2013 third round and added Joey Bosa and Derwin James in 2016 and ’18, respectively. Telesco added Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater in the 2021 first round as well. He excelled on the extension front, giving new deals to Melvin Ingram — ahead of the veteran’s Pro Bowl years — along with Allen, Bosa, James and Mike Williams. Telesco also signed Austin Ekeler to what became one of the best running back deals in recent memory, a four-year, $24.5MM pact that locked in the passing-down dynamo before back-to-back seasons leading the NFL in touchdowns.

Telesco landing Herbert at No. 6 overall may be his defining GM move, and the decision-maker gave the next Chargers GM a boost by extending Herbert through 2029 last summer. Herbert has become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, quickly showing that form. However, Telesco’s Staley hire — and the litany of injuries to plague the Bolts — have restricted the prodigious passer. The Chargers are just 1-for-4 in playoff appearances with Herbert, and the lone cameo resulted in a 27-point wild-card collapse in Jacksonville. Rather than fire Staley and go after Sean Payton — long rumored as interested in the job — Telesco (and Chargers ownership) retained Staley. This preceded the December firings of the Bolts’ HC and GM.

Pairing Pierce with a seasoned GM makes sense. Of the candidates the Raiders interviewed, Telesco is the only one with experience as a full-time GM. Mark Davis spoke of the possibility of bringing in a football ops-type presence to lead the way. With Telesco being hired, he might well be that figure to work alongside the owner and head coach.

Kelly and Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds were believed to be the other finalists, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Dodds and Kelly were believed to be the frontrunners recently, Reed adds, indicating the team was leery about putting Pierce with a first-time GM. Dodds interviewed for the Las Vegas GM job in 2022 and was believed to have made a good impression on Davis. It is unsurprising the longtime Indianapolis exec was again in this race until the end. While Dodds figures to stay in his current post, it will be interesting to see if Kelly — hired to be Dave Ziegler‘s assistant GM in 2022 and taking over as interim GM in November — ends up elsewhere.

Given Pierce’s limited coaching background, it should be expected it will be Telesco making the final calls regarding the team’s 53-man roster. While Josh McDaniels was widely believed to be calling the shots in Vegas during his short HC tenure, Davis emphasized it was Ziegler controlling the roster. The Raiders’ coordinator hires will be the next dominoes to fall. While the team has blocked DC Patrick Graham from making lateral moves, it will be interesting to see if the HC carousel regular will be OK working for a head coach with considerably less experience.

For now, Telesco will step into a situation that differs from his Chargers setup. Rivers was entering his eighth season as a starter when Telesco took over in 2013. With the Dolphins selecting Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall in 2020, Herbert was available. The Raiders are unlikely to have comparably easy access to a top-tier QB talent this offseason, holding the No. 13 overall pick after an 8-9 season. That will be the top roster need for Telesco, who will join Pierce in assembling a coaching staff.

Tom Telesco Taking Part In Second Raiders GM Interview; Mike Caldwell In Play For Defensive Role

January 22nd, 2024 at 4:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:50pm: The Raiders’ final decision between Telesco, Dodds and Kelly could be made as early as tomorrow, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. As a result, the team’s ongoing search will certainly be worth following closely in the immediate future.

2:20pm: The list of finalists for the Raiders’ general manager vacancy continues to grow. Former Chargers GM Tom Telesco is in Las Vegas for a second interview for the position today, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. As his colleague Tashan Reed notes, Colts exec Ed Dodds has also met with the Raiders twice.

Telesco’s long run with the Chargers came to an end midway through the 2023 season after he and head coach Brandon Staley were fired. As a result, the franchise is looking for a new GM for the first time since 2013. While that search is ongoing, Telesco has received interest from the division-rival Raiders. Dodds has generated greater interest, and he is seen as a top challenger to interim GM Champ Kelly for the full-time gig.

Telesco and the Raiders met earlier this month, and that interview obviously went well given today’s update. The Raiders recently sorted out their coaching situation by removing the interim tag from head coach Antonio Pierce. That move has been celebrated by many, but it leaves the team short on experience on the sidelines. Pairing Pierce with a rookie GM would thus carry risk, something which could be avoided by hiring Telesco.

The latter helped lead the Chargers to a winning record six times during his tenure, and he was responsible for a number of high-profile player acquisitions. One of his most important moves was authorizing the massive extension Justin Herbert signed last offseason, though the Raiders face a much more uncertain situation under center at the moment. Finding stability at the QB spot will be a top priority for whomever gets the nod from owner Mark Davis.

Meanwhile, former Jaguars DC Mike Caldwell is on the Raiders’ radar. Caldwell will interview with the team for a defensive staff position, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. In the event Patrick Graham – who is currently in place as defensive coordinator – departs for a head coaching position, Caldwell could be in play to take over in that role with Vegas, Fowler adds.

With plenty yet to be determined on the sidelines and in the front office, here is how the Raiders’ GM search is taking shape:

Latest On Raiders’ GM, HC Positions

January 17th, 2024 at 1:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:02pm: Kelly has sat in on the Raiders’ HC interviews this week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Although Dodds and others may remain in the GM mix, that certainly represents a good sign for Kelly’s chances of staying in Las Vegas. Kelly’s presence at Pierce’s Monday interview would obviously stand to help his chances, given the buzz the latter has received in recent days.

10:56am: While Antonio Pierce‘s experience level would make him one of the most unusual head coach hires in NFL history, it looks like the linebackers coach-turned-interim leader is the clubhouse leader to secure the job. The Raiders are considering running it all back.

Champ Kelly has gone through a second GM interview, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. Pierce has already completed his coaching interview. Although the Raiders have not necessarily been adamant the Kelly-Pierce tandem stay together, this looks to be a scenario that is very much in play.

On the surface, the Raiders sticking with two Josh McDaniels-era hires would be extraordinarily odd considering how quickly McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler were dismissed. Kelly has a history with Ziegler, from their time together in Denver, but did not work for the Patriots. Pierce only worked with McDaniels and Ziegler over the past two seasons, coming back to the NFL after four seasons at Arizona State. Top Raiders players, a contingent driven by Maxx Crosby, want Pierce back. They may soon get their wish.

Initially pegged as set to attempt a swing for a big-name HC, Mark Davis looks to be taking his players’ views seriously re: Pierce. The former linebacker’s knowledge of Raiders history and their culture has appealed to the owner, whose previous big swings — on McDaniels and another Jon Gruden stint — whiffed. Still, with Jim Harbaugh, Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel available, it would be interesting to see the Raiders pass on requesting interviews with any of them.

Raiders interviews with Kris Richard and Leslie Frazier have satisfied the Rooney Rule, which mandates clubs meet with at least two external minority candidates before hiring a head coach. These two represent the only external candidates interviewed for the job at all, with the Raiders initially focusing on their GM position. It would seem a misstep on Davis’ part to hire Pierce without exploring the field, but the owner has expressed regret about not hiring former interim HC Rich Bisaccia two years ago.

The Raiders do not view Pierce and Kelly as a package deal, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds Ed Dodds — the Colts’ assistant GM who impressed during his 2022 interview with the Raiders — is viewed as Kelly’s top threat for the gig. Dodds met with Davis during this cycle on Jan. 12. A Pierce-Dodds partnership would be in play as well, given the interim HC’s lack of history with Kelly. But the partnership that helped the Raiders finish 5-4 post-McDaniels may still be favored to return. Kelly has been viewed as firmly in the mix to stay for a few weeks now.

Las Vegas’ first round of GM interviews wrapped this weekend; a decision should be expected soon. Dodds impressing back in 2022 and remaining on the team’s radar would point to the seven-year Colts exec receiving a second meeting as well. A Seahawks scout for 10 years, Dodds has a history with the Raiders. The veteran personnel man began his NFL career interning with the team while Al Davis was still in place. Dodds was with the Raiders from 2003-06. He has since been on several teams’ GM radars and has been integral to the Colts building a quality roster — one held back for years by an inconsistent QB situation.

If Pierce is to be back, it might point Patrick Graham out of town. A five-year defensive coordinator, Graham has considerably more experience coaching in the NFL than Pierce. With Pierce’s background on defense, Graham may seek an opportunity elsewhere. The Raiders have not interviewed Graham for their HC job yet. Pierce’s unique lack of experience would also likely lead to him prioritizing seasoned staffers. One of them may be veteran DC Gregg Williams, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora.

Out of the league since his two-year run as Jets DC ended ignominiously late in the 2020 season, Williams has been a defensive coordinator for eight teams. He spent last season as the defensive boss for the XFL’s DC Defenders. Williams, 65, is best remembered for his role in the Saints’ Bountygate scandal, but the former Bills HC has remained employable since. Pierce and Williams have a strong bond, per La Canfora. This would date back to the two’s time in Washington; in place as Washington’s DC from 2004-07, Williams coached Pierce in 2004 — before the standout linebacker signed with the Giants a year later.

The Jaguars are also interested in Williams, La Canfora adds. Jacksonville may be prioritizing experience in its search to replace Mike Caldwell as DC; four current or former coordinators received interview requests. Williams was in place as the Jags’ DC in 2008, a one-year tenure under Jack Del Rio in 2008.

In addition to Davis, the Raiders have a handful of staffers — along with recent Hall of Fame inductee Richard Seymour, a Raider from 2009-12 — on their interview panel. Team president Sandra Douglass Morgan, director of football administration Tom Delaney, board member Larry Delsen and advisor Ken Herock join Davis and Seymour, per Reed. Davis described Herock, a longtime Raiders consigliere, as the ringleader of the searches that led to McDaniels and Ziegler being hired two years ago. We heard in the fall he and Delaney would play roles in the team’s latest searches. Al Davis once approached Seymour about a future front office role, Breer adds, noting the star D-lineman also helped Mark Davis during his years as Raiders owner. It would not surprise if the four-year Raiders defender was tapped to play a key role in the next regime.

Chargers To Interview Ed Dodds For GM Job

January 13th, 2024 at 12:23pm CST by Ben Levine

A third team has emerged as a suitor for Ed Dodds. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts assistant general manager is set to meet with the Chargers on Wednesday regarding their general manager vacancy.

[RELATED: Chargers Expected To Meet With Jim Harbaugh]

We previously heard that Dodds was set to interview for GM jobs with the Raiders and Panthers. Indeed, Schefter notes that the executive met with Las Vegas yesterday and will meet with Carolina tomorrow.

Dodds was named the Colts assistant general manager in 2018. He’s generated six head coaching interviews over the past four years, but he’s continued to stick in Indy as Chris Ballard‘s right-hand man. Dodds has been credited with helping guide the Colts in a post-Andrew Luck era. While the team hasn’t made a whole lot of noise in the AFC over the past five years, the Colts have still earned three winning records, including a 2020 campaign where they went 11-5.

Before his time in Indy, Dodds spent a decade with the Seahawks, overseeing the organization’s college and pro scouting departments. During his time in Seattle, the Seahawks earned six NFC West titles and made a pair of Super Bowl appearances.

This news follows reports from this morning that the Chargers were preparing to meet with Jim Harbaugh next week regarding their head coaching vacancy. It was believed that the Michigan head coach would be seeking some kind of personnel control, and at the very least, the Chargers were expected to pursue a GM who had some connection to Harbaugh. Besides their stints in the NFC West, Dodds hasn’t worked with Harbaugh.

The Chargers have a growing list of candidates to replace Tom Telesco as the Chargers GM. As our 2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker shows, that grouping includes:

Panthers Request Five More GM Interviews

January 8th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

David Tepper and co. aren’t wasting any time finding their next general manager. The team announced that they’ve requested permission to interview eight GM candidates.

[RELATED: Panthers Fire GM Scott Fitterer]

Five of these names are new: Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, Saints assistant GM Khai Harley, Ravens vice president of football administration Nick Matteo, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, and Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly. We heard earlier this evening that Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown, Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg, and Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis were set to meet with the Panthers to replace Scott Fitterer, who was fired earlier today.

Halaby has spent 16 years in Philadelphia, including the past two as the Eagles assistant general manager. His focus has been on “player evaluation, roster management, and resource allocation” (per the team website), and he’s also played a crucial role in adding analytics to the team’s decision making. Halaby previously spent six seasons as the team’s vice president of football operations and strategy.

Harley has spent close to two decades in New Orleans, with a lengthy stint as director of football administration before earning a promotion to his current role. The executive has primarily dealt with “contract negotiation and strategic planning/management of the Saints salary cap and roster management,” although he’s also played a role in preparing for free agency and the draft.

Matteo has spent the past four seasons in Baltimore, with the team website crediting him for negotiating the contracts for all 37 draft picks over that span. The executive has also worked on deals for free agents and extensions for “key Ravens,” including tight end Mark Andrews.

Dodds has been a popular name on the GM market in recent years, generating six interviews since 2020. However, the executive has continued to stick in Indy as Chris Ballard‘s right-hand man. Dodds is also set to interview for the Raiders GM vacancy.

Following stints in Denver and Chicago, Kelly joined the Raiders as their assistant GM in 2022. Following the firing of Dave Ziegler, Kelly was promoted to interim GM, and similar to interim head coach Antonio Pierce, the executive has drawn praise for his team management down the stretch. After being a popular GM candidate in recent years, Kelly is expected to be a hot name once again in 2024.

Interestingly, one name that was included in the press release was Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan , who is expected to have an opportunity to succeed Fitterer.

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