Chad Alexander, John McKay, Dave Ziegler, Others Receive Vikings GM Interview Requests
2:38pm: It is certainly possible more candidates emerge, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Gray and the five candidates to emerge today represent the full list of external options in the Vikings’ search.
12:59pm: The Vikings’ mid-offseason GM interview search is forming. After Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray received the first known request Wednesday, the Vikes have sent out a host of interview slips.
Minnesota is focusing on the assistant GM level; five more execs with that title join Gray among the NFC North franchise’s list of hopeful meetings. A second-chance candidate — a rarity in the modern NFL — is on Minnesota’s list, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting the team sent Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler a request.
Rams assistant GM John McKay, 49ers AGM R.J. Gillen, Chargers AGM Chad Alexander and Seahawks AGM Nolan Teasley also received interview slips from the Vikings, according to Pelissero, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Alexander, Gillen and McKay have been part of GM interview processes before; this is a first for Teasley. Gray joins this quintet among candidates, with the Vikes’ current top front office decisionmaker — interim GM Rob Brzezinski — likely to receive an interview as well.
Ziegler teamed with Josh McDaniels with the Raiders, but Mark Davis short-circuited this regime’s plans by firing both less than two years in. Ziegler, who established himself as a GM candidate by working with the Patriots and Broncos, landed as the Titans’ assistant GM in January 2025. Considering Ziegler’s abrupt Las Vegas ouster and the Titans’ 2025 performance, it is a bit surprising the Vikings are interested.
That said, Ziegler did work closely with Bill Belichick and now-Texans GM Nick Caserio in New England, which won three Super Bowls during Ziegler’s time in the front office. This is Ziegler’s first interview request since his Vegas dismissal. After both Tom Telesco and Trent Baalke received pink slips in 2025, the NFL does not have any second-chance GMs in place presently.
Gillen and McKay each interviewed for the Dolphins’ GM post this year. That marked the first such meetings for both NFC West execs. Gillen climbed to the AGM level in San Francisco in 2025, coming up through the scouting ranks to become the team’s player personnel director in 2023. Gillen has been with the 49ers since before John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s arrivals, being hired during Trent Baalke‘s GM tenure.
McKay joined the Rams a year before Sean McVay, joining Les Snead‘s front office as a scouting assistant. The McVay-era Rams have certainly represented a launching pad for HC and GM candidates. Ex-Ram staffers Brad Holmes (Lions) and James Gladstone (Jaguars) are currently in GM roles.
Alexander has more interview experience than his California AGM counterparts. The Chargers exec joined Gillen and McKay in the Dolphins’ search and competed with Gladstone for the Jags’ gig last year. The Raiders also brought in Alexander for a meeting in 2025. Alexander has been with the Chargers since shortly after Joe Hortiz‘s 2024 GM hire, coming over from the Jets.
Teasley’s name may be the most interesting here, seeing as the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX. Teasley climbed to the AGM level in 2023 but has been with the Seahawks under John Schneider since 2013. Schneider having won Super Bowls 12 years apart, with two completely different rosters, sets him apart in NFL history. Considering how impressive the Seahawks’ post-Russell Wilson retooling effort has been, it is unsurprising Teasley is on the GM radar. If the Vikings do not end up hiring him, the longtime Seattle staffer figures to be a prime candidate for roles come winter 2027.
The Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January and went through the draft with Brzezinski in place in the interim. The team held off on conducting a search until after the draft. With that point having arrived on the NFL calendar, Minnesota’s next FO boss figures to emerge this month.
Buccaneers Sign Round 1 EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
Rueben Bain Jr. was not viewed as likely to be available at No. 15. The Buccaneers were believed to have given the Miami defensive end a top-five grade on their board. Tampa Bay entered the draft in need of EDGE help, and the team exited Round 1 with one of the top prospects at the position.
The Bucs have made quick work of signing Bain to his rookie contract. The sides agreed to terms on Bain’s first-round slot deal Thursday, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Bain’s deal comes fully guaranteed — worth $22.79MM — and will include a fifth-year option for the 2030 season.
[RELATED: Bucs Exercise DL Calijah Kancey’s Fifth-Year Option]
Tampa Bay was in the Trey Hendrickson market, something GM Jason Licht confirmed this week, and pursued Jonathan Greenard via trade. but ended up with a lower-cost option (Al-Quadin Muhammad — at one year and $4MM) in free agency. As Muhammad profiled as a stopgap alongside contract-year rusher YaYa Diaby, the Bucs now have Bain in place as a high-end developmental option behind the veterans. Diaby is an extension candidate, and Bain’s rookie deal would complement a second contract for the team’s top incumbent edge rusher nicely.
Linked to trading down from No. 15, the Bucs were “over the moon” to come away with Bain in that spot. Bain was mentioned as a candidate to go in the top 10, but potential EDGE-seeking teams Kansas City and New Orleans went in different directions.
An arm-length issue, albeit one that may not have been as clear-cut as it seemed, impacted Bain’s draft stock. He was also involved in a car accident in which one of the passengers in the vehicle he was driving died. The latter issue did not bring charges, only a careless driving citation, and it was not believed to have much effect on the ex-Hurricane’s perception among teams entering the draft; teams had known about the incident for longer than the public.
Diaby hit as a third-round pick for the Bucs, but the team has not seen a player eclipse eight sacks in a season since Shaquil Barrett‘s 2021 campaign. The team whiffed on first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and its 2025 Haason Reddick free agency addition did not work out. Diaby’s seven sacks paced the Bucs last season; no one else reached the five-sack mark. That has been a theme for Tampa Bay in recent years, even as Vita Vea has been one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles in this span.
Bain, 21, registered 7.5 sacks as a freshman in 2023 and tallied 9.5 to help Miami reach the CFP championship game. Bain racked up 15.5 tackles for loss last season, earning All-America acclaim. While an edge rusher by trade, Bain worked as an inside disruptor at points for the Hurricanes as well. That would give Tampa Bay some options.
The Chiefs were believed to view Bain as their backup plan to Mansoor Delane, but Kansas City left Bain on the board when Cleveland greenlit a trade that sent the draft’s top cornerback prospect to Missouri. Staying in Florida, Bain will attempt to give the Bucs a dependable edge-rushing presence after falling to 15.
Calais Campbell Addresses Ravens Deal
Earlier this week, Calais Campbell officially signed the deal which will see him return to the Ravens for 2026. A 19th NFL season is now in store, something the defensive line stalwart did not envision coming to pass.
“I’ve always told myself once I got old, it was one year at a time,” Campbell said (via the Ravens’ website). “Play well enough that if you want to play again, you’ll have opportunity. It’s cool to still be wanted.”
The 2010s All-Decade Team member noted multiple suitors showed interest in him during free agency. Campbell is preparing to play his age-40 season, so having multiple destinations to choose from illustrates the regard in which he is still held. Campbell will spend a fourth campaign in Baltimore and first since 2022, although efforts were made on the part of the Ravens to bring about a reunion earlier.
Baltimore released the former Defensive Player of the Year in a cost-shedding move following the 2022 season. The team’s intention was to retain Campbell at a reduced rate, but he wound up signing with the Falcons. One year in Atlanta was followed by a Dolphins campaign; Baltimore worked out a trade to re-acquire Campbell but then-Miami coach Mike McDaniel nixed it.
Campbell noted the Ravens tried once again to trade for him in 2025. Instead, the Cardinals (the team with which his decorated career began) elected to retain him. While waiting until April to make a determination on his playing future, Campbell noted Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta made another push to bring him back. This latest effort led to the six-time Pro Bowler choosing to return to the Ravens despite interest on the part of the Cardinals in working out a deal for 2026.
During his three-year run in Baltimore, Campbell operated as a full-time starter and made consistent contributions against the run and pass. He will be expected to do so upon return with retirement questions delayed once more for the time being. In the event Campbell does continue playing in 2027, though, he could have a notable free agent market.
Bears, C Garrett Bradbury Agree To Restructure
In the aftermath of Drew Dalman‘s retirement, the Bears found themselves in need of a veteran center. Chicago was among the teams which showed free agent interest in Tyler Linderbaum, but the trade route wound up being taken.
The Bears swung a deal with the Patriots for Garrett Bradbury in March. That acquisition gave Chicago a new starter for 2026, the final year of Bradbury’s contract. The ex-Vikings veteran’s deal has been revised recently.
A restructure has been worked out between team and player in this case, as detailed by Spotrac. Bradbury has seen $1MM in incentives converted into a guarantee. As a result, he is now owed $3.7MM in locked-in base salary. Bradbury can collect an additional $1MM through workout and per-game roster bonuses. He will carry a cap charge of $4.7MM in 2026.
Chicago still has 2025 trade acquisitions Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in place at the guard positions. Right tackle Darnell Wright remains under team control for another two seasons with 2027 marking his fifth-year option campaign. The left tackle spot, by contrast, is much less certain. It remains to be seen if Ozzy Trapilo will able to play in 2026, so Braxton Jones or recent addition Jedrick Wills could see notable time on the blindside next season.
Regardless of how things play out on that front, Bradbury will spend the summer aiming to cement his first-team status. The Bears drafted Logan Jones in the second round, making him the team’s planned long-term option at the center spot. For now, though, Bradbury is in place. His Bears deal now includes a bump in guarantees, pointing further to his importance for 2026.
Travis Kelce Informed Chiefs Of 2026 Plans Following Week 18
Once the Chiefs’ season ended, attention turned to the question of Travis Kelce‘s future. It appeared uncertain for a time if he would suit up for the 2026 campaign, but the team had a good indication of his intentions right away.
“We played our last game of the season in Vegas last year, and when we got back we have player meetings and exit interviews,” general manager Brett Veach said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link). “It was a cool deal where Trav came in and he basically said ‘I’m going to take a few weeks off here, but I’m not going out like this, let’s stay in touch and let’s figure something out.’
“While free agency and there was still some questions in the air on whether or not he’d return, we knew basically the day after our last game. He made it known to [head] coach [Andy] Reid and to me that there was no way he was going out like this.”
The possibility of Kelce speaking with other teams was raised shortly before the start of free agency, although another Kansas City contract was ultimately worked out. The three-time Super Bowl champion is owed $12MM fully guaranteed in 2026, and his latest deal is designed for a post-June 1 release to end his decorated career. Kelce will once again be counted on to serve as a key figure in the passing game this season with the Chiefs aiming for a return to full health from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a rebound from 2025’s team performance.
Retirement has increasingly become a talking point for Kelce, 36, in recent years. The four-time All-Pro has remained durable through the latter stages of his career, although 2025 marked the third consecutive season in which he recorded less than 1,000 yards. Greater efficiency on offense will be a goal for Kansas City moving forward, and Kelce – whose yards per reception average rebounded to 11.2 last season – is in line to continue handling a starter’s workload for at least one more year.
Questions about Kelce’s future beyond 2026 will no doubt be asked as next season unfolds. If he maintains a similar level of communication with the team at the end of the campaign, though, the Chiefs will have clarity regarding his status without a lengthy waiting period taking place.
Eagles Promote Adam Berry To Assistant GM, Add Mike Maccagnan To Staff
Following Alec Halaby‘s decision to leave his assistant general manager post with the Eagles, the team has made moves to solidify that tier under longtime front office boss Howie Roseman.
The team extended assistant GM Jon Ferrari and has since announced Adam Berry‘s promotion to the AGM level. The twin brother of Browns GM (and ex-Eagles exec) Andrew Berry, Adam will move from vice president of football operations and strategy into Halaby’s old post. This is among the promotions and hires unveiled by the team Wednesday.
The most notable staff addition in Philly comes via a Mike Maccagnan hire. Maccagnan, the Jets’ GM from 2015-19, is joining the Eagles as a personnel executive. Maccagnan, 58, has not held an NFL role since the Jets fired him following the 2019 draft. He carries 25-plus years of NFL experience, however, and will join Joe Douglas as ex-Jets GMs on Roseman’s staff.
Douglas’ New York GM predecessor oversaw five Jets drafts, including first-round picks of Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams, Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams, but was unable to stop the franchise’s playoff drought. Douglas followed suit, compounding the Jets’ QB trouble by trading Darnold and attempting to build around Zach Wilson. Rumors of a power struggle between Maccagnan and then-new Jets HC Adam Gase emerged when the team moved on, and Gase helped the Jets bring in Douglas.
Prior to his 2015 Jets hire, Maccagnan spent 15 years on the scouting side with the Texans. He finished that tenure by serving four years as the team’s college scouting director. This run included the team’s J.J. Watt draft choice. Prior to being in on the ground floor in Houston, Maccagnan spent seven years as a Washington scout.
In his second stint with the Eagles, Douglas will rise from the scouting level to senior VP of player personnel. This notable title bump comes after the Falcons interviewed the six-year Jets GM this offseason. Douglas is back in a familiar role, having served as the team’s VP of player personnel from 2016-19 — ahead of his Jets GM ascent. Roseman rehired Douglas in May 2025.
Alan Wolking will slide from director of player personnel to VP of football ops and strategy. Wolking has been with the Eagles since 2011, when Roseman and Andy Reid were working together to lead the operation. Phil Bhaya, who is moving from player personnel director to VP of player personnel, has been with the team since 2014.
Jeremy Gray, whom the Eagles hired in 2022, is moving from assistant director of player personnel to director of that department. Lee Divalerio, who had served on the scouting level previously, is rising to assistant director of pro scouting. Divalerio has been with the Eagles since 2017. The Eagles are also elevating Preston Tiffany (to southwest area scout) and hiring Caspian Svenson as a pro scout.
As for Berry, he has made a major climb in just three years in football. A longtime Goldman Sachs staffer, Berry joined the Eagles in 2023 as their director of football operations and strategy; this came three years after the Eagles saw then-staffer Andrew land the Browns’ GM gig. Adam, 39, has never worked with his brother in the NFL.
This rise, however, figures to place the less experienced Berry twin on the GM radar. The Eagles have regularly lost talent in their front office, with the 2022 offseason seeing four Roseman lieutenants — Ian Cunningham, Catherine Hickman, Brandon Brown, Andy Weidl — all leave for AGM roles elsewhere (Cunningham has since been hired as Falcons GM). Less turnover has ensued in recent offseasons, however, and Roseman will turn to Berry and Ferrari as his right-hand men moving forward.
Vikings Request GM Interview With Terrance Gray
Over three months after the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, they have identified their first external candidate to replace him. The Vikings have requested an interview with Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski has served as the team’s interim GM since Adofo-Mensah’s ouster in late January. Brzezinski has interest in a full-time promotion, but the Vikings have enlisted search firm TurnkeyZRG to assist in finding the best candidate. If Gray ends up as the choice, it is worth pointing out there is already familiarity between him and the organization. Gray worked as a college scout in Minnesota from 2006-16. Brzezinski was also with the Vikings then.
Since leaving the Vikings in 2017, Gray has taken on multiple roles in the Bills’ Brandon Beane-led front office. Before his promotion to assistant GM last May, Gray spent time as a director of college scouting, an assistant director of player personnel, and a director of player personnel. During his long run in Buffalo, Gray has conducted GM interviews with the Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Raiders. Those teams went in other directions, though it is possible Gray will finally get a coveted GM opportunity this year. Also a former Chiefs staffer, Gray has worked in NFL front offices since 2003.
If the Vikings select Gray or another outside GM candidate, it may still lead to a promotion for Brzezinski. The Vikings will reportedly consider bumping Brzezinski to a president of football operations-type role, which means he would outrank the GM. The Falcons installed a similar setup when they hired Matt Ryan as president of football and Ian Cunningham as GM earlier this offseason.
Packers To Keep Sean Rhyan At Center
The Packers are planning to keep fifth-year offensive lineman Sean Rhyan at center moving forward, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said this week.
Rhyan, 25, finished the 2025 season as Green Bay’s starting center following a season-ending injury to Elgton Jenkins. The team parted ways with Jenkins in the offseason and signed Rhyan to a three-year, $33MM extension, effectively guaranteeing him a starting job in 2026.
The 2022 third-round pick lined up exclusively at left tackle at UCLA and converted to right guard in the NFL. Rhyan held the starting job for the entire 2024 season and retained it heading into 2025. However, he was benched in Week 5 after allowing 10 pressures and committing three penalties across the previous three games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Packers’ offensive line injuries kept him in the mix at both guard spots until Week 10, when he took over at center. He surrendered 17 pressures and zero sacks to close out the year, though he still earned low pass blocking grades from PFF.
“When we lost Elgton [Jenkins], he stepped up and just kind of took control of it,” Stenavich said. “There were mistakes, for sure, but as we progressed through the season, he just kept getting better and better and better.” The fifth-year coordinator noted that Rhyan is likely best at center and praised his ability to handle the pre-snap duties of the position.
“It was good to watch him out there take command of the offense, making the calls and getting us set up front,” Stenavich added.
In other Packers offensive line news, general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky) that right tackle Zach Tom underwent knee surgery in the offseason. The 27-year-old dealt with an oblique injury early in the year and later suffered a partially torn patellar tendon that ended his season. Gutekunst did not provide a timeline for Tom’s surgery or return, but previous reporting indicated that he would undergo the procedure shortly after the season ended with a six-month recovery period.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/5/26
Only one NFL team finalized a 2026 draft pick signing on Wednesday:
Denver Broncos
- TE Dallen Bentley (seventh round, Utah)
Bentley was the second-to-last pick in the draft, leaving him one spot away from the Mr. Irrelevant title that went to new teammate Red Murdock instead. His four-year rookie contract is worth just over $4.5MM, per OverTheCap, though the only guaranteed portion is a roughly $123k signing bonus.
Travis Hunter To See More Time At CB, Will Be ‘Full-Go’ By Training Camp
The Jaguars traded up during last year’s draft to select Travis Hunter, believing that his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball was worth giving up a future first-round pick. But a torn LCL cut his rookie year short and raised questions about his future as a two-way player.
Jacksonville, though, is undeterred. Hunter is “set to play both sides of the ball” in 2026, general manager James Gladstone said on the Rich Eisen Show, adding that he expects “an uptick in corner usage.”
“That’s not to say anything impacts his availability and usage on offense,” Gladstone continued. “It just means that cornerback usage will increase.”
Across his seven appearances in 2025, Hunter played 324 snaps on offense, good for 46.3 per game and a 67% snap share. He lined up for 162 snaps on offense, or 23.1 per game and a 36% snap share. Among Jacksonville’s currently-rostered players, he ranked third in outside cornerback snaps last year despite his abbreviated season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Jaguars let Greg Newsome depart in free agency and did not make any major additions at cornerback in the offseason, so there should be more snaps available for Hunter in 2026. The current positional room has one clear boundary starter in Montaric Brown with Jourdan Lewis expected to remain the team’s primary slot corner. Jarrian Jones spent time in both spots last year amid injuries to Hunter and Lewis, but may stay in a versatile backup/dime role this season with Hunter eating into his time on the outside.
“He wants to play both ways,” Gladstone said when asked about Hunter’s desires. “That’s his dream, and we’ll look to support that in the best way we can.” He added that the team is focused on “winning football games” and believes that Hunter’s two-way abilities are the best way to accomplish that.
Hunter’s return timeline from last year’s injury remains unchanged. He will be a limited participant in the Jaguars’ offseason program with the expectation of being “full-go” by training camp, Gladstone said.