Jimmy Raye III - Pro Football Rumors

Jimmy Raye III Among Browns’ Front Office Hires

June 16th, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

A regular on the general manager interview circuit, Jimmy Raye III is now working in the Browns’ front office. Among other changes, the Browns announced Thursday they brought in the veteran exec.

Raye and Browns GM Andrew Berry worked together with the Colts back in the mid-2010s, when the latter was beginning his rise to the GM level. Raye, 53, began his scouting time in 1996 and has held high-ranking positions with a few AFC franchises. Much of that time came with the Chargers, his employer from 1996-2012. Raye left the Bolts after lengthy tenures as their college scouting director and director of player personnel.

Most recently, Raye worked with the Lions as a senior personnel executive. Hired during Bob Quinn‘s GM stay, Raye saw his Detroit tenure end in early 2021 — shortly after Brad Holmes took over the Lions’ front office. Prior to his time in Detroit, Raye worked as Houston’s assistant GM briefly and was Indianapolis’ VP of football ops from 2013-16. The latter two gigs led to Raye interviewing for GM jobs with the 49ers, Colts, Texans and Panthers from 2017-18. Raye, who was the Colts’ interim GM between Ryan Grigson and Chris Ballard‘s tenures, also interviewed for the Panthers’ assistant GM post last year.

The Browns also promoted Adam Al-Khayyal from assistant director of pro scouting to their pro scouting director post. Sam DeLuca will take over Al-Khayyal’s former job. Al-Khayyal and DeLuca have been with the franchise amid extensive front office overhauls, the former arriving in 2015 and the latter two years earlier. Sixth-year Browns staffer Tyler Hamblin will now serve as director of football operations.

After 10 years with the Dolphins, Chris Burford relocated to Cleveland to work as a national scout with the Browns. Burford spent the past three seasons as a southwest area scout with the AFC East franchise. The Browns are also moving Zach Ayers to the national-scout level; he spent the past six years overseeing the team’s West Coast scouting. Seventh-year Browns staffer Josh Cox will move into Ayers’ old role. Joe Dever will rise from scouting assistant to the team’s Mid-Atlantic area scout, with the team also announcing Matt Donahoe as its new southeast area scout.

Panthers To Interview Jimmy Raye III, Jeff King For Assistant GM Job

May 7th, 2021 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:57pm: A fourth candidate is now in the mix. Another ex-Panther starter — tight end Jeff King — is on the team’s interview list for the assistant GM job, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A former Panthers fifth-round pick who played with the team from 2006-10, King currently serves as the Bears’ assistant director of pro scouting. King and Morgan, who has also interviewed for this position, were teammates for two seasons in Carolina.

2:02pm: Add Jimmy Raye III to the growing list of interviewees for the Panthers’ assistant GM post under Scott Fitterer. Raye is meeting with the team about the position, per Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter).

Raye most recently worked with the Lions under Bob Quinn but did not retain his role under the team’s new regime. The veteran NFL executive, however, previously served as the Colts’ interim GM and interviewed for several GM jobs over the past several years. Raye joins ex-Panthers linebacker-turned-Bills exec Dan Morgan and Eagles director of player personnel Ian Cunningham on this interview list.

This marks Raye’s latest interview with the Panthers, though it comes under new management. Before Carolina rehired Marty Hurney as its full-time GM in 2018, the franchise interviewed Raye for the post. Raye, who interviewed for that job during Jerry Richardson‘s ownership tenure, ended up in Detroit and spent the past three seasons there. Four months after Raye’s previous Panthers interview, David Tepper purchased the franchise.

Morgan has an extensive history with Carolina, having played with the team for seven seasons, and with Fitterer; he was part of Seattle’s front office before heading to Buffalo. But Raye has interviewed for GM positions with the Colts, 49ers and Texans. Overall, Raye has 25-plus years’ experience as an NFL staffer — in scouting or executive capacities.

Lions Part Ways With Execs Jimmy Raye III, Kyle O’Brien

March 5th, 2021 at 6:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two experienced NFL executives are now free agents. The Lions’ Brad Holmes-led front office will not include Bob Quinn-era holdovers Jimmy Raye III and Kyle O’Brien, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes.

The Lions hired O’Brien shortly after naming Quinn GM. He served as the franchise’s VP of player personnel. In December, O’Brien interviewed for the job that ended up going to Holmes. O’Brien spent most of his career with the Patriots, following Quinn from New England to Detroit in 2017.

Raye worked as a senior personnel executive with the Lions, joining the team in 2018. The veteran scout/exec has been a regular on the GM interview circuit, having met with the Colts, 49ers, Texans and Panthers about their respective jobs from 2017-18. Raye served as Indianapolis’ interim GM in between Ryan Grigson‘s firing and the hiring of Chris Ballard. Most of Raye’s career has come with the Chargers, who employed him from 1996-2012.

Holmes, assistant GM Ray Agnew and senior personnel exec John Dorsey are now in charge of the Lions, who are expected to conduct a rebuild. The front office quickly greenlit a Matthew Stafford trade that brought back two first-round picks and Jared Goff.

Fritz Pollard Alliance Recommends GM Candidates

December 14th, 2018 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Fritz Pollard Alliance has released its annual list of minority candidates for general manager vacancies. Much like the latest batch of recommended coaching hires, the suggested GM list is more than twice as long as last year’s.

Here’s the full rundown, via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link):

Ray Agnew (Rams)
Joey Clinkscales (Raiders)
Quentin Harris (Cardinals)
Alonzo Highsmith (Browns)
Brad Holmes (Rams)
Champ Kelly (Bears)
Martin Mayhew (49ers, ex-Lions GM)
Will McClay (Cowboys)
Jimmy Raye III (Lions)
Jerry Reese (ex-Giants GM)
Doug Whaley (ex-Bills GM)
Doug Williams (Redskins)

Clinkscales, Highsmith, McClay, and Williams were all featured on last year’s list, but none of those executives landed GM jobs. The only executive from the last round of recommendations who did not carry over to this year was Ray Farmer, the former Browns GM who is currently serving as a senior consultant with the Rams.

Of the dozen suggested executives on this list, only three sat for GM interviews in the last cycle: Mayhew (Panthers), Raye (Texans), and Whaley (Packers). McClay was asked to interview for the Texans opening, but declined the opportunity and instead signed a two-year extension to stay with the Cowboys. McClay may garner consideration again this time around, but he might not be interested in leaving Dallas.

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.

Lions Hire Jimmy Raye III

June 19th, 2018 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions added veteran NFL executive Jimmy Raye III as Senior Personnel Executive late last week, league sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Raye most recently served as the Texans’ assistant GM but was fired in April.

In his new role, Raye will work directly with GM Bob Quinn, Rapoport hears. Raye was “highly coveted” in league circles, so this is a solid get for Detroit as they build out the front office.

Raye climbed the ladder in Houston and become the team’s assistant GM when Brian Gaine left to join the Bills as their vice president of player personnel. When Gaine returned to Houston to take over for former GM Rick Smith, he cleaned house and fired five executives, including Raye.

Although Gaine was displaced in Houston, his experience was valued elsewhere in the league. Raye spent 17 years as a scout and executive with the Chargers, later served as vice president of player operations with the Colts, and has been a GM candidate for several clubs – including the Texans – in recent years.

Last year, the Lions missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Now under the guidance of a new head coach, they’ll look to get on the right track in 2018.

Texans Fire Jimmy Raye III, Other Scouting Personnel

April 29th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Rory Parks

The Texans just completed their first draft under new GM Brian Gaine, and now the team is shaking up its scouting department. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the team has dismissed assistant GM Jimmy Raye III, director of college scouting Jon Carr, assistant director of college scouting Mike Martin, college scouting coordinator Matt Jansen, and college scout Seth Turner.

As Wilson observes, Martin was credited for uncovering UDFA gems like Arian Foster and A.J. Bouye, but the biggest name on that list is Raye, who actually replaced Gaine in Houston last season when Gaine went to Buffalo as the Bills’ vice president of player personnel. After 17 years as a scout and executive with the Chargers, Raye served as vice president of player operations with the Colts and has been a GM candidate for several clubs (including the Texans) in recent years.

All of the dismissed personnel were hired by former GM Rick Smith, and it is not unusual for an overhaul like this when a new general manager or head coach comes aboard. However, Carr and Martin had been with the team for over a decade, and both have a solid track record.

As of yet, there is no word on any potential replacements.

South Rumors: Panthers, Colts, Texans

January 29th, 2018 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Panthers have two outside candidates set to interview for their GM post, they are expected to retain Marty Hurney, Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk notes. The Panthers do not plan to have a formal interview with its interim GM, who is in his second stint in this job, but “everyone in their building” knows Hurney will get the job over Jimmy Raye III and Lake Dawson. Both black, Raye and Dawson will satisfy the Rooney Rule requirement. However, Gantt notes that with the Panthers effectively knowing what they will do here, this represents another shortcoming of the rule — even if it’s not as transparent as the Raiders’ Jon Gruden hire. This franchise being up for sale, however, may not ensure optimal job security for Hurney. But he’s expected to receive another crack after running the Panthers this season.

Here’s the latest from the South divisions.

The Panthers‘ interview with Raye will take place on Thursday and they’ll meet with Dawson on Friday for the GM job, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Texans’ assistant GM, Raye interviewed for the top jobs in Houston, Indianapolis and San Francisco only to be passed over. The Bills’ assistant college scouting director, Dawson interviewed with the Panthers after they fired Hurney the first time. But Carolina chose Dave Gettleman.
Under expected new DC Matt Eberflus, the Colts are likely to implement a 4-3 scheme to take the place of the 3-4 look they’ve used for most of this decade, Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star writes. Eberflus’ background comes in Dallas’ 4-3 look, one the Colts used to some success during their run of playoff berths in the 2000s. Outside linebackers John Simon and Jabaal Sheard would shift to ends, and Johnathan Hankins has four years’ experience as a 4-3 nose. Keefer notes the team will need to upgrade its linebacker situation, however, before this move comes to pass.
If the Texans want to become a 2018 contender, they need to address their offensive line, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com posits. Houston traded Duane Brown and has three starters eligible for free agency. And the team’s Jeff Allen contract has not worked out especially well. Derek Newton remains without a timetable, and the Texans — thanks to multiple trades with the Browns — do not have a pick in the first two rounds come April. So, some of the team’s free agency budget will need to be allocated here.
The Titans could be set to make ex-Ravens DC Dean Pees‘ retirement short.

Panthers Set Up GM Interviews For Next Week

January 27th, 2018 at 7:29pm CST by Micah Powell

Though interim general manager Marty Hurney is the frontrunner to be named the Panthers new GM, the team has also scheduled interviews with a pair of external candidates for next week, the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person writes.

Those two candidates are Texans assistant general manager Jimmy Raye III and Bills assistant college scouting director Lake Dawson. Both Raye and Dawson, as Person notes, satisfies the Rooney Rule that requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority candidate.

Though a time has not been divulged, the Panthers are also expected to sit down with Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden, who formerly served as a scout with Carolina.

Raye, a former player with the Rams, joined the Houston front office after stints with the Colts, as vice president of football operations, and Chargers, as director of player personnel. He has 23 years of experience in the NFL and previously interview for the Texans GM job earlier this month. Dawson joined the Bills in May 2017 following a stint as Cleveland’s national scout. He served as a receiver for six seasons before getting into college and pro scouting.

Hurney, who rejoined the Panthers following the dismissal of Dave Gettleman in the 2017 offseason, will not have a formal interview. His contract runs through June and has been backed by head coach Ron Rivera. In his one season on the job, Hurney dealt top wideout Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo, which led to Carolina’s passing improvement down the stretch.

Panthers To Interview Two Candidates For GM Gig

January 27th, 2018 at 10:42am CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers will be interviewing a pair of general manager candidates this week. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the organization will talk to interim general manager Marty Hurney and Texans vice president of player personnel Jimmy Raye III about the full-time gig.

Hurney, who served as the Panthers GM for more than a decade during the early 2000s, reclaimed his former position (on an interim basis) after the organization fired Dave Gettleman last July. The executive was originally supposed to advise through the 2018 NFL draft and assist with finding a new general manager, but plenty has changed in the organization since that time. Following a successful 11-5 campaign, new chief operating officer Tina Becker could simply decide to remove the interim tag from Hurney’s title.

Meanwhile, Raye has moved up the front office ranks in recent years. The 49-year-old served as the Chargers’ director of player personnel from 2008 through 2012, and he moved on to become vice president of football operations with the Colts. In 2017, he served as vice president of player personnel/assistant general manager with the Texans. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the organization is also eyeing Bills executive Lake Dawson and Titans executive Ryan Cowden.

As ESPN’s David Newton writes, the Panthers general manager will certainly have their hands full this offseason. While the team has already extended head coach Ron Rivera, they’ll have to try to lock up a pair of key veterans in defensive end Julius Peppers and left guard Andrew Norwell.