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The first round of the marathon is finally over.
The New York Jets have completed the first round of their interviews to find their next general manager. CBS NFL Insider Jonathan Jones confirmed that there were 15 names that the team spoke with for the GM role.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said the next step is for the Jets to “cut the field and conduct a second round of interviews, hoping to have a GM in place by the start of in-person HC interviews next week.”
Full List of Names The Jets Are Considering
In no particular order, here are all of the people the Jets have spoken with for their vacant GM gig via The Jets Wire:
- Thomas Dimitroff, former GM of the Atlanta Falcons
- Jon Robinson, former GM of the Tennessee Titans
- Jim Nagy, the executive director for the Reese’s Senior Bowl
- Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst
- Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs
- Alec Halaby, assistant general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles
- Ray Farmer, senior personnel executive with the Los Angeles Rams
- Mike Greenberg, assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Darren Mougey, assistant general manager of the Denver Broncos
- Lance Newmark, assistant general manager of the Washington Commanders
- Trey Brown, senior personnel executive with the Cincinnati Bengals
- Chris Spielman, special assistant to the president/CEO/chairperson with the Detroit Lions
- Ryan Grigson, senior vice president of player personnel with the Minnesota Vikings
- Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice president of player personnel with the Green Bay Packers
- Brian Gaine, assistant general manager of the Buffalo Bills
Separating The Names That Stand Out From The Ones That Don’t
That is a lot of word salad for Jets fans to sort through. There are a lot of good candidates in there that have the potential to turn this Jets franchise around.
Here are the ones that I’d have near or at the top of my list to interview for a second time and therefore join the finalist group.
“I think you would be hard-pressed to find a more qualified GM candidate right now than Mike Borgonzi. He’s been involved in every facet of team building for a team that has won 3 Super Bowls in 5 years with a shot at a 4th on tap. The Chiefs have done incredible work in the draft and nailed some keys free agents and trades. The assistant GM plays a huge role in all aspects of team building,” ESPN’s Field Yates explained on social media.
Borgonzi has been patient biding his time for the right GM role. Unlike head coaches, general managers normally only get one chance to get a gig and either succeed or fail with it. He comes from a winning organization, has served in nearly every role under the sun, and is from the Northeast.
I really love Brian Gaine. He had a cup of coffee with the Jets as a player in 1996. A Bill Parcells guy who after his playing days jumped into scouting with the Jets. He knows the AFC East incredibly well serving in roles with the Miami Dolphins, Jets, and most recently with the Bills. Also, he got to sit in the GM chair before during his time with the Houston Texans.
How has Thomas Dimitroff not received another NFL front-office role? He had a wildly successful run with the Falcons as their GM from 2008 through 2020. A Super Bowl appearance, drafted a franchise quarterback, drafted a future Hall of Fame wide receiver, and had multiple winning seasons and playoff appearances.
Alec Halaby is a super smart guy from Harvard – that doesn’t hurt. He has an analytical background, is a former quarterback, and has been with a winning program with the Eagles.
One more name I want to shout-out is Jim Nagy with the Senior Bowl. Before running the best college all-star event in the country, Nagy was a scout for 18 years. He knows the college football game better than anyone. If he can’t secure the GM role, I hope the team brings him in as part of the front office.
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