| The Detroit News
It will probably be another six weeks or so before the Detroit Lions make the decision, but the first domino to fall in the franchise’s leadership overhaul will be the selection of a new general manager.
The team fired Bob Quinn on Saturday, in the middle of his fifth season, along with coach Matt Patricia. The search for replacements begins in earnest immediately, but owner Sheila Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood won’t be able to interview prospective candidates employed by other teams until January.
In the meantime, we thought it might be a good time to familiarize yourself with some of top options available. Please note, the list is in alphabetical order.
► Mike Borgonzi, Kansas City Chiefs director of football operations
Smarts outweighs toughness in an NFL front office, but Borgonzi possesses both as a former Ivy League fullback. After his dreams of playing professionally fizzled, he began his career at Boston College, as an assistant recruiting coordinator.
Borgonzi made the jump to the NFL in 2009, joining the Chiefs as a college scouting administrator. In the years since, he’s earned five promotions en route to his current title, where he serves as the right hand of general manager Brett Veach.
During his time with the franchise, the Chiefs have amassed a wealth of talent that goes far beyond MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City has also shown a willingness to take on high-risk players with glaring red flags, such as Tyreke Hill and Frank Clark, molding them to be part of the organization’s winning culture.
► Ryan Cowden, Tennessee Titans director of player personnel
A former scout who spent his first 16 years with the Carolina Panthers, Cowden joined the Titans in 2016. He currently oversees both the team’s college and pro scouting departments.
Among the team’s biggest hits during his time in the role was pulling the plug on Marcus Mariota in favor of Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. In the draft, A.J. Brown and Jeffrey Simmons have been huge wins for the franchise.
In an interview with The Athletic, Cowden talked about the importance of not being a “yes man” to Titans GM Jon Robinson. Understanding the value of having different voices in the front office is the sign of a strong leader.
► Ed Dodds, Indianapolis Colts vice president of player personnel
Working in Seattle from 2007-17, he saw the rise of the organization into one of the NFL’s powerhouse franchise. That’s not to say he was pounding the table for the team’s critical draft selections of Russell Wilson, Early Thomas or Richard Sherman, but he unquestionably learned a lot about the process of roster construction while there.
Brought to Indianapolis as part of that team’s regime change in 2017, Dodd has served as the chief lieutenant to Chris Ballard during his rebuild of the Colts after Josh McDaniels left the team at the altar and Andrew Luck decided to abruptly call it a career. Ballad was the PWFA’s Executive of the Year in 2018, providing another strong mentor for Dodds.
What does Dodd value in players? In an interview with the Colts website, he said, “We just want to make sure they’re relentless competitors, and they have the mental toughness to handle it.”
► Terry Fontenot, New Orleans Saints vice president of pro personnel
A college safety, Fontenot started with the Saints as a marketing intern, before getting an opportunity to try his hand at scouting. That was the start of a long climb to the upper echelons of the team’s front office.
Admittedly, the Saints haven’t always done the best job managing the salary cap, but they’ve been a Super Bowl contender year in and year out much of the past decade, building around the talents of quarterback Drew Brees.
Fontenot interviewed for the Jets GM job last year.
► Scott Fitterer, Seattle Seahawks vice president of football operations
Fitterer has been in Seattle since 2001 and was serving as the director of college scouting when the team was hitting home run after home run in the draft while building a Super Bowl champion.
He’s drawn some consideration for previous GM openings, including Kansas City and Indianapolis in 2017 and the Jets last year, but continues to wait for his opportunity to run a franchise.
There’s a lot of appeal to a candidate from Seattle, which has built a successful culture being the anti-Patriots, encouraging players to embrace their individuality.
► Joe Hortiz, Baltimore Ravens director of college scouting
When you’re around a winning culture for so long you can’t help but pick up some things through osmosis, right? Horitz has been in Baltimore since 1998, a stretch that includes 12 playoff berths, six division titles and two Super Bowl championships, separated by 12 years.
Part of the franchise’s 20/20 club, coined by former GM Ozzie Newsome’s practice of hiring and developing young assistants at a $20,000 starting salary, Horitz spent eight years in Baltimore as a regional scout, with a focus on the northeast and southeast.
He was promoted to director of college scouting in 2009, helping build that second Super Bowl team. The Ravens have finished under .500 just once since that promotion.
► Brandon Hunt, Pittsburgh Steelers director of pro scouting
Kevin Colbert is a name you’re going to hear from pundits, but it’s difficult to imagine the Pittsburgh native leaving the Steelers to come back to Detroit, where he served as the franchise’s pro scouting director from 1990-99 — otherwise known as the lowly franchise’s modern era glory years, where they went to the playoffs six times in 10 seasons.
Colbert has famously been working on one-year deals, but those run through the draft. The Lions aren’t waiting that long and the Steelers have no reason to grant permission for him to leave.
So why not move to the next man on the Pittsburgh’s organization chart? Hunt has spent nearly his entire career with the franchise, joining in 2005 as an intern and working his way up to the presumptive replacement when Colbert calls it quits.
Also a Pittsburgh native, in line for a dream job, it might be impossible to sell him on an opportunity in Detroit. It’s reminiscent of Eric DeCosta, who was the GM in waiting for Baltimore for several years before Newsome’s retirement.
► Trent Kirchner, Seattle Seahawks vice president of player personnel
Hey, look, another Seattle connection. Kirchner was on Detroit’s short list the year they hired Bob Quinn, but he pulled out of the process before sitting down for an interview. He also pulled out of consideration for the 49ers’ job in 2017.
After scouting internships with Washington, Kansas City and Minnesota — the Twins, not the Vikings — Kirchner landed a permanent job in Carolina, where he worked from 2002-09, before coming over to Seattle in 2010 as part of GM John Schneider’s front office makeover, reconnecting the two after working together at two previous stops.
► Will McClay, Dallas Cowboys vice president of player personnel
No one is going to pretend things are going well in Dallas these days, but McClay has been at the top of these prospective GM lists for several years.
Likely few will remember him for it, but McClay played for the Detroit Drive, back when the team was dominating the Arena League. After more than a decade coaching in the Arena League and XFL, McClay joined the Cowboys in 2009 as a pro scouting coordinator.
The fact that McClay has worn so many hats is a selling point, but he’s never shown a desire to leave Dallas, escape the eclipsing shadow of Jerry Jones and run his own team.
► Dan Morgan, Buffalo Bills director of player personnel
A former first-round pick and All-Pro linebacker, Morgan had to prematurely retire due to injuries. He quickly transitioned into scouting, starting as an intern under John Schneider in Seattle, rapidly rising up the franchise’s ranks to director of pro scouting.
Morgan moved to Buffalo in 2018, reconnecting with GM Brandon Beane, who was the director of football operations in Carolina during Morgan’s playing days. In three seasons, the team has gone from 6-10 to 10-6 to the front-runner to unseat the Patriots in the AFC East in 2020.
The team has drafted well and made excellent veteran additions, including an aggressive trade for Stefon Diggs, giving young quarterback Josh Allen a top-flight receiving option.
► George Paton, Minnesota Vikings vice president of player personnel
Paton’s resume is extensive, serving in high-ranking front office roles for three different organizations. He’s been with the Minnesota Vikings since 2006, working alongside Rick Spielman, not just here, but also Chicago and Miami.
During Paton’s time in Minnesota, the team has qualified for the postseason six times, while winning four division crowns. The team has landed many of its key pieces in the draft, including stars like Dalvin Cook, Harrison Smith, Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, Kyle Rudolph and Justin Jefferson, while supplementing the roster via free agency.
The Vikings showed aggressiveness and creativity to land their quarterback, Kirk Cousins, with a short, fully guaranteed contract.
► Adam Peters, San Francisco 49ers vice president of player personnel
Like Quinn, Peters cut his teeth with the Patriots. Unlike Quinn, Peters spread his wings and developed outside of the New England bubble, spending eight seasons in Denver, before jumping to San Francisco.
In Denver, Peters started as a regional scout, before climbing all the way to scouting director. He was in that role when the team snagged Justin Simmons in the third round in 2016. The young safety has since developed into a first-team All-Pro talent.
As the vice president of personnel in San Francisco, Peters has helped accrue the talent that’s allowed the franchise go from 2-14 to 13-3 and a Super Bowl berth in four seasons.
► Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst
One of the best draft commentators on television, Riddick’s name has been floated as a GM candidate following the successful transitions of Mike Mayock from the NFL Network and John Lynch in recent years.
But unlike Mayock and Lynch, Riddick actually has experience evaluating talent for NFL teams on his resume, working more than a decade as a college scout and director of pro personnel in Washington and Philadelphia.
Previously, Riddick was viewed as a package deal with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. That would be a tough sell for a Lions team scarred by its recent Patriots way experience. But if that’s not the case, it’s worth exploring more closely.
► Chris Spielman, Fox broadcaster
Speaking of going from the booth to the head of the organization, Spielman’s name was recently floated by former teammate Herman Moore.
As a player, Spielman was a fan favorite for his toughness and production. And he’s maintained a close relationship with the organization through the years, even filming a weekly analysis piece for the team’s website.
If having a deep understanding of the franchise’s historic struggles, and how that impacts the community, Spielman makes all the sense in the world. He’s lived it for three decades. But his lack of experience makes him the biggest risk on this list.
► Amy Trask, former Raiders CEO
Is Trask a realistic option? Would she even be interested? That’s unclear, but the longtime Raiders executive turned analyst is more than worthy for consideration to be the NFL’s first female general manager.
Trask broke barriers during her more than two decades working for the Raiders, but is defined by more than her gender. She’s a smart and confident leader who is universally liked and respected by her peers.