HEADLINES

Trey Brown

Chiefs Exec Mike Borgonzi Expected To Be Popular GM Candidate

November 21st, 2024 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

GM-needy teams could turn to Kansas City for a front office leader. Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes that Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi is already the “hot name” that’s circulating ahead of the offseason hiring cycle.

Borgonzi has worked in Kansas City for 16 years, working his way up from college scouting administrator to his current role as right-hand man to general manager Brett Veach. Borgonzi has worked under three GMs during his tenure with the Chiefs (Scott Pioli, John Dorsey, Veach), and it sounds like he’ll finally get a serious shot at running his own front office. The Brown graduate has been linked to several GM gigs over the years. He was connected to the job in Carolina several years ago, and he garnered an interview with the Commanders this past offseason.

Pauline also mentions Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown as a name to watch. Brown was already popular during last year’s cycle, with the executive earning an interview with the Raiders while also landing on the Patriots’ short list of candidates. Brown got his front office start in New England before joining Philly’s operation in 2013. He ended up spending six years with the Eagles, working his way up to director of college scouting. After a few years in the AAF and XFL, he landed with the Bengals in 2021.

Fortunately for both Borgonzi and Brown, there should be plenty of gigs to go around. Josina Anderson recently pointed to at least five GM gigs that will open this offseason (not including the recently fired Joe Douglas with the Jets).

Joe Douglas Fallout: Jets, Johnson, Rodgers, Saleh, Brown, Ravens

November 19th, 2024 at 8:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets’ firing of general manager Joe Douglas was not necessarily a surprise given the team’s struggles during his tenure, but Tuesday’s announcement still felt unusual with six games remaining in the season. Douglas’ contract was set to expire after the 2025 season, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, giving New York a natural transition point as they attempt to rebuild from a disastrous two years since trading for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

However, Jets owner Woody Johnson grew impatient after his team dropped to 3-8 after giving up a fourth-quarter lead to the Colts in Week 11. Rather than wait until the offseason to find his next general manager, Johnson opted to fire Douglas so he could begin the search for a successor without any internal awkwardness, according to Cimini.

Johnson’s statement announcing Douglas’ departure included a note that the team “will begin the process to identify a new General Manager immediately,” though the Jets cannot interview any external candidates until the end of the regular season. Here is the latest coming out of the Jets’ GM firing:

  • Douglas’ days were clearly numbered when he was cut out of Johnson’s decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh in October. The fact that Douglas lasted more than a month longer than Saleh surprised some in New York, per Cimini. Since the team was openly pursuing Davante Adams while trying to resolve Haason Reddick‘s holdout, the Jets may have wanted to keep Douglas around for appearance’s sake until those moves were finalized.
  • However, Douglas “lost most of his authority” after Saleh’s firing, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, with other Jets executives handling negotiations with the Raiders and Reddick, both of which had stalled under Douglas. Since stepping back from his duties, Douglas “had become disenchanted in recent weeks,” per Cimini, “hoping a miracle turnaround might change things.”
  • Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown could be a candidate to become the Jets’ next general manager, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Brown interviewed for the Raiders’ GM gig during the offseason and turned down a request from the Patriots to interview for the same position. However, Johnson has largely listened to “nonfootball yes men” as the Jets’ owner, with outside criticism driving too much of the team’s direction, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Johnson ponied up a six-year, $20MM contract to secure Douglas to lead the front office in 2019, but money will only go so far to lure a would-be general manager who wants to execute his own vision for the franchise’s future.
  • Johnson even suggested benching Rodgers after a 10-9 loss to the Broncos in Week 4, per Zach Rosenblatt and Diana Russini of The Athletic. Douglas and the coaching staff had to convince Johnson to stay the course with Rodgers to avoid embarrassing the mercurial quarterback and upsetting the locker room.
  • Douglas’ next career move could be returning to Baltimore, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. He began his front office career as a Ravens scout in 2000 and remained in the team’s personnel department until the Bears hired him as director of college scouting in 2015. Douglas still enjoys a solid reputation in Baltimore, and he drafted several excellent young players in New York, including Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, Breece Hall, and Michael Clemons all in 2022.
  • With their owner cleaning house and questions circling around Rodgers’ future in New York, the Jets’ locker room has “checked out,” according to SNY’s Connor Hughes. “Players aren’t angry or annoyed at their 3-8 record. They’re, as one person described, “just ready for it to be over.”

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

Bengals’ Trey Brown Declines Patriots Interview

May 6th, 2024 at 9:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots have kicked off their search for a “top football executive,” but one of the team’s targets has already rejected an interview. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown has declined an interview for the Patriots’ de facto GM job.

[RELATED: Patriots Begin Top Executive Search]

A move to New England would be a bit of a reunion for Brown, as the 39-year-old started his front office career as a Patriots scout. He followed that up with a long stint in Philadelphia, where he eventually climbed to the role of Eagles director of college scouting. Brown had brief stints in the AAF and XFL before joining the Bengals as a scout in 2021. Following one year with the organization, he was promoted to his current role of senior personnel executive.

Brown’s rise through the Bengals organization coincided with the team’s on-field turnaround, and the executive garnered plenty of praise for his role in the operation. He first popped up on the GM carousel in 2022 when he earned an interview for the Raiders GM job. He got another look for the Raiders job this offseason but walked away empty handed. Considering his track record, Pelissero notes that Brown will remain a top GM candidate during next year’s hiring cycle.

While the Patriots have continually signaled that they’ll eventually be conducting a search for a front office leader, today’s development still comes as a bit of a surprise. After moving on from head coach/de facto GM Bill Belichick, the team basically handed the reins to Eliot Wolf, who retained his title of director of scouting. While the new-look Patriots relied on a group effort to fill the Belichick-sized void, Wolf played a major role in the team’s free agency and draft approach. With the roster pretty much set (and the organization having made a significant decision with Drake Maye at No. 3), the team will now curiously consider another executive to lead the way.

With that said, Wolf’s presence may cause some issues for Robert Kraft and the Patriots’ top decision makers. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes, the Patriots may have a tough time convincing candidates that Wolf isn’t “a lock to get the job.” For what it’s worth, Volin notes that the Patriots have already complied with the Rooney Rule in regards to their GM vacancy.

The Patriots haven’t employed a traditional GM since Kraft took over ownership of the organization. It sounds like the long-time owner is once again considering a creative approach to his front office.

Raiders Request GM Interviews With Trey Brown, Terrance Gray; Champ Kelly To Be Interviewed

January 8th, 2024 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two more Raiders GM interview requests have come in. The Raiders are interested in meeting with Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown and Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Brown’s inclusion is interesting due to the Raiders’ past with the young executive. The team met with Brown in 2019 and again in 2022. Gray has not previously interviewed for a GM job. These two AFC staffers join 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters and Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds in being on the Raiders’ list of interview hopefuls. Dodds joined Brown in meeting with Mark Davis and Co. during the 2022 search that produced a Dave Ziegler hire.

When the Raiders met with Brown in 2019, he held the Eagles’ director of college scouting position. Brown, 38, ascended to that job at just 31. He began his run as an NFL scout back in 2010 with the Patriots. Brown held front office positions with two short-lived leagues between his Eagles and Bengals gigs, working with the Alliance of American Football and second XFL iteration. The Bengals promoted Brown to his current post in 2022.

Gray has 20 years’ experience as an NFL staffer, working for the Chiefs and Vikings prior to his recent run with the Bills. Gray logged 11 years in Minnesota, coming up under Rick Spielman through the scouting ranks. Upon taking the Buffalo GM job in 2017, Brandon Beane hired Gray. He has held his director of player personnel title since 2022. Gray will likely meet with the Raiders later this week, per SI.com’s Albert Breer.

The Bills lost their assistant GM, Joe Schoen, to the Giants that year. Considering Buffalo’s success during Beane’s stay, it stands to reason Gray will be a name to watch on the GM interview circuit. While the Bengals saw Joe Burrow‘s injury impede their route back to the playoffs, the team has qualified for two AFC championship games during Brown’s years in Cincinnati.

While these four candidates may all interview, the Raiders will indeed meet with interim GM Champ Kelly, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. Davis said the team is likely to hire a GM before a head coach, though he indicated that is not a locked-in strategy. Kelly is expected to draw interest from other teams as well. The popular exec had built some momentum during his final weeks in the interim role, with a December report indicating he is more likely to stay than Antonio Pierce.

No Jim Harbaugh-like candidate exists thus far on Las Vegas’ GM interview list, so Kelly may not have the kind of competition Pierce stands to during this process. Though, if the Raiders are serious about Harbaugh, it would be a near certainty they would work with the Michigan HC to pair him with an approved GM. Davis is also considering a president of football operations-type hire that would be in this mix as well, complicating the AFC West franchise’s offseason.

AFC Staff Notes: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers

June 3rd, 2022 at 8:31pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens saw David Blackburn get promoted into their director of college scouting position recently. According to Ravens staff writer Ryan Mink, Blackburn was not alone in his promotion. This week, Baltimore announced promotions for Mark Azevedo, Houegnon Attenoukon, Patrick McDonough, and Derrick Yam, as well.

Azevedo was promoted to assistant director of player personnel in his 18th year with the team, assisting the Ravens’ two directors of player personnel, Joe Hortiz and George Kokinis. Attenoukon, known in the clubhouse as “Q,” is entering his sixth year with the team and was promoted to a full-time role as an area scout. The area he will cover has not yet been determined. McDonough is becoming the team’s northeast area scout. Yam was promoted from his role of quantitative analyst into the position of manager of data and decision science. Yam conducts data-based player evaluations for both college and professional players. He builds statistical models from a variety of data sources designed to assess player value, performance, and development.

Here are a few other notes concerning staff moves in the AFC North, starting with the reigning division champions:

2022 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

May 18th, 2022 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Along with the head coaches being fired, a few NFL teams are looking for new general managers. Listed below are the GM candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status.

If and when other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 5-24-22 (9:03pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Raiders Request GM Interview With Bengals’ Trey Brown

January 18th, 2022 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

After spending some time with both of the recent spring leagues, Trey Brown is back on the NFL GM radar. The current Bengals exec has caught the Raiders’ attention.

The Raiders, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), sent an interview request to Brown. The former Eagles staffer caught on with the Bengals as a scout last year. While Brown’s current title does not match most others in GM mixes, he has been part of this process before — including with the Raiders.

A six-year Eagles staffer from 2013-18, Brown rose to the position of director of college scouting during his final three years in Philly. This garnered him attention from the Bills, who interviewed the then-32-year-old exec for the GM job that went to Brandon Beane in 2017. The Raiders then interviewed Brown for the job that went to Mike Mayock. With Mayock and Jon Gruden now out of the picture, Mark Davis is eyeing Brown once again.

In between Brown’s Raiders interview and Bengals hire, he spent time with the Alliance of American Football and XFL — with the Birmingham Iron and St. Louis BattleHawks, respectively. Brown, 36, began his NFL career with the Patriots in 2010. Brown joins Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler and Colts VP of player personnel Ed Dodds to receive Raiders interview requests.

Raiders Satisfied Rooney Rule Before Mike Mayock Hire

January 1st, 2019 at 11:21am CST by Zachary Links

Last offseason, the Raiders caught flack for hiring a head coach off of the TV screen and potentially not living up to the spirit of the Rooney Rule. This week, they went back to the well to hire former NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock as their GM. They may or may not have given real consideration to minority candidates, but they did technically check that box.

Before the Mayock hire, the Raiders interviewed former Giants college scouting director Marc Ross and former Eagles personnel man Trey Brown, according to Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Raiders also reached out to former Giants GM Jerry Reese, but he declined the opportunity.

With the Ross and Brown interviews, the Raiders ensured that they will not face a penalty for violating the Rooney Rule. However, their course of action is reminiscent of last year when they interviewed Tee Martin and Bobby Johnson for a head coaching job that was already promised to Jon Gruden.

Latest On Birmingham, San Antonio AAF Franchises

June 20th, 2018 at 9:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, then-Eagles executive Trey Brown interviewed for the Bills’ GM job. Last month, however, Brown was no longer listed on the Eagles’ front office roster.

Now, the experienced scouting exec will latch on with an Alliance of American Football Franchise. The 33-year-old Brown will be part of the AAF’s Birmingham franchise, serving in its front office, Alex Marvez of the Sporting News reports (on Twitter).

Additionally, the Birmingham franchise will hire former Giants and Steelers defensive coordinator Tim Lewis as its first head coach, per Marvez. Lewis’ most recent NFL job was 49ers DBs coach in 2015. Former Browns, Panthers and Bills OC Joe Pendry will also serve as a Birmingham exec, Marvez reports.

As for the San Antonio franchise, former Cowboys fullback and current Fox analyst Daryl Johnston is expected to be named GM, Marvez tweets. Former Chargers head coach Mike Riley is expected to be the San Antonio HC.

Brown spent eight seasons as an NFL scout/exec, breaking into the league with the Patriots in 2010 and spending five years with the Eagles. He earned multiple promotions, one involving a climb to the post of Eagles director of college scouting in 2016, and was viewed as a rising star in the executive ranks. This led to the Bills interviewing him for the GM job that went to Brandon Beane.

Lewis interviewed to become the Redskins’ secondary coach in 2017 and the Cowboys’ DBs boss in 2016. The 56-year-old coach spent nine seasons on Bill Cowher‘s staffs from 1995-03 and was Tom Coughlin‘s first DC with the Giants.

The Chargers’ HC from 1999-01, Riley just recently accepted a job as an assistant head coach at Oregon State. He served as the Beavers’ HC from 2003-14 before serving as Nebraska’s head coach for three seasons. His last NFL gig came as a Saints assistant in 2002. Pendry’s previous pro coaching gig came as Texans offensive line coach in the 2000s.

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