Titans GM Interviews thread

I want us to take our time, but I also want there to be candidates left lol

 

No need to get desperate. Both job openings are attractive. It appears that Underwood is gonna get the best guys for the job.

 

Any news from yesterday's interviews? I don't want the Titans to rush things can't afford to bring in another Webster! Hopefully they will hire someone soon though! Maybe Monday?

 

By Monday night, the Tennessee Titans will have had a week to talk to the majority (if not all) of their candidates for the General Manager position. Here is a quick timeline of that week in review according to website NFL Trade Rumors.

-The Tennessee Titans get rid of Ruston Webster and schedule to interview with Marc Ross of the New York Giants (later interviewed).


-The Titans try to interview Eric DeCosta, but he declines the interview.

-Titans try to schedule an interview with Jimmy Raye of the Indianapolis Colts.

-Titans reportedly have interest in current Titans front office member Blake Beddingfield (there is some belief that the Titans interviewed him at some point).

-Titans interview Martin Mayhew former GM of the Detroit Lions.

-The Titans request to interview Minnesota Vikings assistant GM George Paton for the job (later declined).

-Titans interview Chris Polian of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

-Titans interview Jon Robinson the Tampa Bay Buccaneers directory of Player Personnel.

-Titans schedule a Monday interview for Chris Ballard of the Kansas City Chiefs.

-Titans interview former Denver Broncos GM Ted Sundquist.

So that means that the current shortlist for the Titans GM job seems to be trimmed down even more to (in no order):

1. Ted Sundquist

2. Chris Ballard

3. Jon Robinson

4. Chris Polian

5. Martin Mayhew

6. Blake Beddingfield

7. Jimmy Raye

8. Marc Ross

I would go as far as to say that according to reports in the media based on a variety of reasons including how much each of these guys are involved with their franchises, the success and talent on their rosters, their personalities and approaches, and their history of filling the holes in other franchises that mirror what the Titans are missing, I believe the list should be even shorter.

Here is how I believe the Titans will have their GM list ordered on Monday afternoon:

1. Chris Ballard

-He is a major cog in developing a roster that just won 10 straight games without their best player Jamaal Charles. He also did a great job revamping his team. In his three years in as his current position in Kansas City, he has been in charge of a roster that has averaged over 10 wins per season. That is very impressive any way you slice it.

2. Jon Robinson

-He has a lot of experience with rebuilding a roster as he showed with maybe the best draft class in the league last year in Tampa Bay. He rebuilt the Tampa Bay offensive line in a year and also managed to add one of the best rookie defenders in the league in Kwon Alexander.

3. Chris Polian

Between he and his father (who I imagine will be a resource for him) they have drafted Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson. That is three true number one receivers and and a great number two. The Titans are in desperate need of wide receiver help and if they can identify that it will be key for the Titans development of Marcus Mariota.

And that is it. I don't think that any of those other candidates have done anything to really set themselves apart from the pack except for Marc Ross who isn't well liked but who has been involved in drafting some very good second round talent.

 

s the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for the New England Patriots, we will cast our eyes towards the future, to a degree, in discussing who may be the most important ‘free agent’ the Chiefs worry about losing. Current Director of Football Operations Chris Ballard.

While the Chiefs will be facing difficult decisions this offseason with popular players at numerous spots, losing Ballard could be the most painful loss of anyone.

For those who don’t know who Ballard is, fans both avid and passive alike have seen his impact on the roster. Ballard was instrumental in the Chiefs opting for the much-maligned cornerback Marcus Peters in the NFL Draft, personally spending time with Peters and his family in Oakland, calming the concerns of management and assuring the organization that Peters would be a good solider, both on and off the field.

Thus far, Peters has been everything you could hope on the field and certainly no apparent issues off the field. Both head coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey are both quick to point out the time Ballard spent with the Peters family as one of the important pieces of information that aided the organization in being confident and comfortable with the Peters pick.

Prior to this 2015 season, Ballard carried the title of Director of Player Personnel, and was instrumental in the organization’s efforts to find value pickups in free agency, helping the franchise be competitive immediately after the Scott Pioli era crashed and burned in spectacular fashion.

Prior to joining the Chiefs, Ballard’s career in the NFL started with the Chicago Bears in 2001, as a regional scout, working his way up to Director of Pro Scouting (job is primarily to scout players already in the NFL as opposed to players in college) in 2012 before moving to the Chiefs with Dorsey in 2013. This is important to point out as, especially early on, much of the impact on the Chiefs roster didn’t come from the rookies, but from veteran castoffs that the coaching staff could turn into a competitive organization.

Ballard’s experience and knowledge was certainly a well represented on the field in the 2013 season, and continues to this day with the performance and production of Jaye Howard (released by Seattle), Husain Abdullah (free agent took 2012 season off for a religious purpose) and Marcus Cooper (released by San Francisco)


As mentioned above, Ballard not only played a pivotal role in the Chiefs selecting Marcus Peters, he also was instrumental in the selecting of Mitch Morse. If reports at the time are to be trusted, the Chiefs were said to be between Peters and Florida State offensive lineman Cam Erving. Erving struggled mightily this season with the Cleveland Browns, further showing the pick of Peters was correct.

While revisionist history isn’t exactly fair, one certainly can wonder where this team with a struggling rookie center and a less than stellar corner back on the outside. The Chiefs 2015 draft class, at least at first glance, appears to have contributors at multiple spots. For a team facing a salary cap and free-agent crush this offseason, this organization could be hit hard by his departure.

Last off season, Ballard was considered the front-runner for the general manager spot of the Chicago Bears before the job went to Ryan Pace. Reports are that Ballard was ‘to honest’ in his assessment of the organization and it’s issues and scared off owners and other decision makers (again, no factual info, just multiple places have reported this).

He is considered this year a candidate for both the Tennessee job (which one would imagine a good job, first-overall draft pick and a young, promising quarterback) and the Cleveland job (Can’t imagine anyone would want that job right now). After, in previous years, reportedly turning down job interviews with the Jets (15) and Buccaneers (14), it appears to be a matter of time before Ballard is running his own show.

 

Sounds like Ballard is the guy, I love the honesty... hopefully we'll see the roster overhaul that we desperately need besides like ~10-20 players.

 

Yes agreed. Then on to the HC. Should be Ballard or Robinson.

 

so we have a new GM yet or what?

 

@NFLSTROUD: #Bucs director of player personnel Jon Robinson interviewed for #Titans GM job Fri. Expects to hear a decision as early as the next day or 2

 

At this point I'm hoping for :
Ballard and Toub
Or
Robinson and McDaniels

Anything involving Ross and Mularkey or Polian AND Marrone will kill me.