HEADLINES

Dave Gettleman

Dave Gettleman Officially Announces Retirement

January 10th, 2022 at 11:51am CST by Adam La Rose

It’s official: the Giants are in need of a new General Manager. The club released an announcement that Dave Gettleman has retired from his position as Senior Vice President and General Manager. 

After informing owners John Mara and Steve Tisch of his decision, Gettleman said, ““It was a privilege to serve as the general manager of the New York Giants the last four years and to have spent so many years of my career with this franchise. We obviously have not had the on-the-field success I expected, and that is disappointing. However, I have many fond memories here, including two Super Bowl victories, and I wish the team and organization only the best moving forward. There are many good people here who pour their souls into this organization. I am proud to have worked alongside them.”

In a joint statement, Mara and Tisch said, “We would like to thank Dave for his commitment to this franchise. Dave was integral in building three of our Super Bowl teams, including two championship teams, and we wish Dave, his wife Joanne and their entire family all the best in his retirement.”

It has been widely expected for quite some time that Gettleman was going to step down from his position. As a result, many names have been floated as potential replacements. Perhaps the name at the top of that list is current Assistant GM Kevin Abrams – someone who has been labelled a “strong contender” for the job. On the other hand, many believe that the club will stray from its tendency to promote from within, and that the successful candidate may not have ties with Head Coach Joe Judge.

Regarding the search for a new GM, Mara went on to say that, “We are looking for a person who demonstrates exceptional leadership and communication abilities, somebody who will oversee all aspects of our football operations, including player personnel, college scouting and coaching”. 

The Giants have become the third team with a GM vacancy, joining the Vikings and Bears after they fired Rick Spielman and Ryan Pace, respectively, on Monday. News from the morning, however, suggests that Judge will be staying on – something that had been expected throughout the Giants’ 4-13 season.

Giants Ownership To Push For Offensive Staff Changes; Outside GM Hire Likely?

January 7th, 2022 at 3:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are wrapping up one of the most miserable seasons in franchise history. They are expected to have a new GM soon, with Dave Gettleman on track to step down. But Joe Judge is expected to receive a third season. Other changes should be anticipated.

Ownership keeping Judge will come with stipulations, with SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano indicating the embattled head coach will likely be asked to hire some new offensive staffers. Mainly, a new offensive coordinator would be expected to take over instead of bumping interim OC Freddie Kitchens up to a full-time play-calling role.

While Kitchens has not been given much to work with since Daniel Jones‘ injury, the Giants have lost each of their five games without Jones by at least two scores. Their latest Mike Glennon offering resulted in a minus-10-yard passing performance — the worst team total since a Chargers Ryan Leaf-quarterbacked game in 1998. Kitchens likely will not be the only offensive staffer to be axed.

Gettleman’s GM replacement also may be given a chance to determine Judge’s future in 2022, though Vacchiano adds ownership’s plan to keep Judge will likely stick. The Giants fired their previous two HCs — Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur — after two seasons. Judge would obviously enter Year 3 on a scorching-hot seat. He is 10-22 in two seasons.

The Giants also have a decades-long penchant for hiring GMs from within. Since Hall of Famer George Young came in from outside the organization in 1979, the Giants have promoted Ernie Accorsi and Jerry Reese and hired Gettleman, who had been with the Panthers but had extensive experience as a Giants exec prior to his Charlotte stay. This time, many sources indicate an outside GM hire is a “strong possibility,” Vacchiano adds.

Given Gettleman’s rough tenure, another promotion from within — such as assistant GM Kevin Abrams, who is set to be a candidate — would almost certainly not go over well with Big Blue’s fanbase. Gettleman is 19-45 as GM and is on the brink of a forced resignation. Prior to Gettleman’s arrival, the Giants missed the playoffs in five of Reese’s final six seasons.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman Unlikely To Return In 2022

November 28th, 2021 at 8:15am CST by Rory Parks

The Giants are sitting at 3-7 and are at the bottom of the NFC East. They are on pace for their fifth consecutive season of 10 or more losses, and if they pull off that dubious feat, GM Dave Gettleman — who was hired at the end of 2017 — will have presided over four double-digit loss campaigns. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes, Gettleman is not expected to return to the club in 2022.

It seems as though Gettleman has been under fire ever since he first took the job. Even late last December, the Giants were reportedly prepared to part ways with him and bring in a new top exec to head up the personnel department. However, Big Blue has traditionally given its GMs a long leash, and co-owner John Mara knew when he hired Gettleman that his team was embarking on a multi-year rebuild. He also knew that hiring a a new head coach (Joe Judge) last season could delay that rebuild a bit, as Judge would be implementing new systems and a new culture.

Gettleman, 70, managed to hit on a few of his free agent pickups in 2020 — cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker Blake Martinez, and defensive back Logan Ryan — which may have helped him retain his position for 2021. But Mara made it clear this summer that while he was not issuing a playoff mandate, any stagnation or regression could prompt an organizational shakeup.

And not only might the Giants fail to match last year’s six wins, but they also have not seen any progress from two of Gettleman’s defining draft choices, QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley. Both selections garnered a fair amount of criticism when they were made — Gettleman’s use of the No. 6 overall pick on Jones in 2019 was widely regarded as a reach, and his use of the No. 2 overall pick on Barkley in 2018 was deemed too high for a running back for a rebuilding outfit — and between Jones’ struggles and Barkley’s injury problems, the G-Men are getting very little production from two picks that they needed to get right.

Of course, the team recently fired OC Jason Garrett, and it sounds as though Gettleman will be following him out the door. If Mara opts for an internal replacement, Rapoport names VP of football operations and assistant GM Kevin Abrams as one possibility. Any candidate from outside the organization would ideally have a background in the Patriots’ scouting system and would have philosophies more in line with those of Judge, an ex-New England staffer.

The clear implication is that Judge’s job is safe for at least one more season.

Latest On Giants GM Dave Gettleman’s Job Status

August 17th, 2021 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants have gone 15-33 since Dave Gettleman took over as general manager, but president and co-owner John Mara wouldn’t go as far as to say the executive was on the hot seat.

“We’re all on the hot seat with our fans in particular, we’ve given them too many losing seasons…it’s time to start winning,” Mara told reporters today when he was asked about Gettleman’s spot on the hot seat (via SNY on Twitter). “But, no I wouldn’t say that’s an accurate statement.”

The owner didn’t reveal any specific mandate to make the playoffs, and he hinted that incremental improvements could be enough for everyone (including the head coach and quarterback) to keep their gigs in 2022. However, Mara also acknowledged that the organization can’t take a step back in 2021.

“I gave the same answer last year, I think, but when I walk off the field after the last game, whenever that is, I want to feel like ‘Does this group give us a chance to win the Super Bowl? Are we moving in that direction?’” Mara said (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv). “If the answer to that is yes, then we’re not going to consider making big changes. If I feel like we’re going backwards, that’s another discussion.”

“I’ll look at that at the end of the season and see whether I think we’re continuing to make progress and moving in the right direction, but I’m not issuing a playoff mandate,” Mara added. “I don’t think those ever do any good. I don’t think I need to say or do anything to motivate the people in this building any more than they’re already motivated. They all want to win.”

The Giants’ six wins in 2020 was their best showing in three years. While seven wins probably wouldn’t be tolerable among Giants fans, it just might be enough for Gettleman and co. to keep their jobs.

Giants Owner John Mara On Expectations, Dave Gettleman

April 1st, 2021 at 8:05pm CST by Rory Parks

The Giants have lost double-digit games in four consecutive seasons. GM Dave Gettleman has presided over the last three of them. Although club co-owner John Mara did not explicitly say so, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv says it is inconceivable that Gettleman will be back in 2022 if Big Blue suffers through another losing season.

Of course, it was far from a sure thing that Gettleman would keep his job after the 2020 campaign. Even in late December, there were reports that ownership was more comfortable getting rid of Gettleman, who turned 70 in February, and bringing in a new top exec to work alongside head coach Joe Judge.

But the G-Men have traditionally given their GMs a long leash, and Gettleman has proven to be no exception. Several seasons ago, Mara knew that the team was embarking on a multi-year rebuild, and last season, he knew that a new HC with new systems and a new culture could delay that rebuild a bit. So it stands to reason that a team that favors continuity anyway would stay the course with a GM that was dealt a difficult hand.

That said, Gettleman’s personnel decisions have been a mixed bag at best. He did make some savvy pickups last offseason in cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker Blake Martinez, and defensive back Logan Ryan, and he was vindicated for his gamble on defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Those acquisitions were probably what saved his job, but like most GMs, Gettleman will ultimately be judged on if he made the right call at quarterback. And the jury is very much out on Daniel Jones, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 draft (though Mara did say that he thinks very highly of Jones).

Clearly, the team feels that it can compete this season, and it authorized a few significant contracts in free agency, the most notable of which was the four-year, $72MM whopper for WR Kenny Golladay. Mara admits that his hopes for his club this season are higher than they have been in recent seasons, and as a result of those expectations and the major financial commitments that were made in an effort to realize them, Gettleman is surely feeling the pressure.

When asked directly if Gettleman would be retained if 2021 turns into another disappointment, Mara said, “I’m not going to speculate that right now. Let’s just see how the season plays out.” But he also said, “I’m tired of the losing and of having the postseason press conference trying to explain what went wrong, why I think we’re making progress. It’s time for us to start winning some more.”

It would be surprising to see Judge ousted if the team struggles this year, given how much ownership and the locker room seems to like him, though Vacchino suggests it could be a possibility. But even if Judge could survive a sub-.500 finish, it seems clear that Gettleman will not.

Giants To Keep Dave Gettleman

January 5th, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants will be making plenty of changes this offseason, but they’re standing pat with their GM. Dave Gettleman will return in 2021, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. 

Gettleman, 70 in February, is heading into his fourth year as the Giants’ GM. The team’s 6-10 record might have fallen short of summertime hopes, but they nearly qualified for the playoffs thanks to the state of the NFC East. Their record also showed at least some progress from 2019, when they finished 4-12.

The Giants were more encouraged by Gettleman’s wins in the spring. Cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker Blake Martinez, and defensive back Logan Ryan all proved to be savvy pickups. Meanwhile, the veteran GM was vindicated for his expensive gamble on defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who finished 2020 with a career-best 11.5 sacks.

Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge will now be tasked with evaluating the rest of the locker room and coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett‘s status remains murky after Daniel Jones‘ disappointing season, though things probably would have been better with Saquon Barkley in the lineup. Meanwhile, they’ll have some in-house accounting to do — this year’s free agent class features Williams and Barkley is eligible for an extension.

Coaching/GM Notes: Hurney, Lewis, Morris, Lynn, Gettleman

December 21st, 2020 at 6:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Panthers made a big splash Monday by firing GM Marty Hurney. Although the timing was interesting since Carolina’s season will be over in just a couple of weeks, it wasn’t the result of any sudden developments or changes. The move had apparently been in the works for a while, as Albert Breer of SI.com was told that Hurney was in the final year of his contract and that he and owner David Tepper had been talking about an exit for weeks now (Twitter link). Breer adds that the analytics-minded Tepper wants to “modernize” the personnel side. As for names to keep an eye on for the now vacant role, Breer tweets that 49ers VP of player personnel Adam Peters is one to watch. Peters played for Panthers head coach Matt Rhule back when Rhule was the defensive line coach at UCLA.

It sounds like Tepper knows more or less what he wants, and accordingly the relatively new owner told the media on Monday he won’t be using an outside search firm like some teams for the GM opening. To clarify on the modernization, David Newton of ESPN.com reiterates that the Panthers will look for a new GM who “is driven by data and analytics, characteristics that didn’t define” Hurney. Carolina seems to have found their coach of the future with Rhule but they’ve still got plenty of questions to address moving forward, like whether or not Teddy Bridgewater is the long-term answer under center. Who they hire here should tell us a lot about the direction they plan to take.

Now that we’ve broken down most of the Hurney fallout, let’s pivot to the rest of the front office and coaching staff talk around the league:

  • Former Texans GM Rick Smith looks like a hot candidate this cycle. Smith recently interviewed with the Falcons, and sources told Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that he’ll interview with the Lions soon. That’s not all, as sources also told La Canfora that Washington is interested in having Smith run their football operations. We heard back in January that Washington almost hired Smith before electing not to hire a front office head for the time being, so this isn’t too surprising. VP of player personnel Kyle Smith is currently overseeing things for Washington, but sources told La Canfora that the team is “very likely to fill a traditional general manager spot” this offseason. Smith left Houston after the 2017 season when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and is generally well regarded around the league.
  • Speaking of guys looking to get back into the league after a hiatus, we might not have seen the last of Marvin Lewis. The former long-time Bengals coach is “under consideration for several head coaching opportunities in 2021,” sources told La Canfora. Lewis was never able to make a deep playoff run in Cincy, but he undeniably did an incredible job turning them from a perennial laughing stock and doormat to annual contender in the AFC North for a while. After spending an impressive 16 season roaming the Bengals’ sideline, he’s spent the past couple years on Herm Edwards’ staff at Arizona State. La Canfora writes that “numerous teams have indicated an interest in speaking to Lewis,” although he doesn’t specifically name any. Lewis reportedly received strong interest from both the Cowboys and Washington during last year’s cycle, and it sounds like this could be the year he makes it back in.
  • Finally, a few notes via Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com. The Falcons managed to turn their season around a bit after firing Dan Quinn, although things have started to go off the rails again in recent weeks. The initial success led to some buzz that interim coach and former Bucs head coach Raheem Morris could be a candidate for the full-time job, although Pauline throws some cold water on that. Pauline says there’s a “very slight chance” they keep Morris, noting people who he has talked to won’t completely rule it out. That being said, he hears that Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy is still at the top of their list.
  • Anthony Lynn and the Chargers have now won back to back games, but Pauline writes he’ll need a “miracle” to save his job. One source he talked to put the odds of Lynn returning at 20 percent, and he writes that’s a best-case scenario for the embattled Los Angeles coach. Lynn has made a number of high profile game management blunders in recent weeks, and Pauline writes the consensus of “well-connected” people is that he’ll be fired. With a talented roster and a stud young quarterback in Justin Herbert, the Chargers’ job should be an attractive one.
  • While a lot of these decisions already appear to be more or less set in stone, Pauline says that Giants GM Dave Gettleman’s status is genuinely undecided and up in the air. He writes that it’ll depend on what happens the rest of the year (presumably whether the G-Men win the NFC East), and that there’s been no “definitive decision.” However, Pauline does say that as of right now he hears the Giants are “more comfortable” getting rid of Gettleman and bringing in someone new to work alongside first-year coach Joe Judge, who people inside the building are apparently “ecstatic” about. As one that could seemingly go either way, the situation in New York will be one of the most interesting to monitor the last couple weeks. What happens with Gettleman could also very well determine whether the team runs it back with Daniel Jones or looks for a new quarterback this offseason.

Giants Interested In Patriots’ Nick Caserio

November 5th, 2020 at 2:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are barreling toward their fourth consecutive 10-loss season, a streak that would represent a new low for the franchise. Rumblings of the team considering a GM change have surfaced.

Were the Giants to fire third-year GM Dave Gettleman, they would have interest in Patriots executive Nick Caserio, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. Caserio has been on the Giants’ radar for some time, and many around the league expect the team to have a GM vacancy soon.

Recently given a Patriots extension, Caserio will nevertheless be an in-demand GM candidate — which has been the case for a while. His new contract does not contain language that prevents him from interviewing for GM posts, which became an issue for the Texans last year. Caserio, however, has resurfaced as a Texans GM candidate. While the Texans have ex-Pats exec Jack Easterby running the show currently, the Giants also have key employees Caserio knows well.

Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham spent extensive time in New England, and some believe the Giants’ northeastern location would appeal to Caserio, JLC adds. Caserio has been in his current role — Patriots director of player personnel — since 2008.

Additionally, some within the Giants organization believe Gettleman should have been fired after last season. The team’s rebuild has not taken off under the ex-Panthers GM. The Giants, however, have given extensive time to their GMs, per La Canfora. In the modern era, the franchise’s shortest GM tenure came when Hall of Famer Andy Robustelli lasted only four years (1974-78). He presided over the organization’s previous modern-era low point, with George Young, Ernie Accorsi and Jerry Reese enjoying far more successful tenures. Giants ownership, however, may be preparing to change course sooner than expected after the team’s second 1-7 start in three years.

Extra Points: Bieniemy, Giants, Panthers

October 21st, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants are just one game back of the NFC East lead, they are 1-5 and appear on the verge of their fourth straight double-digit loss season. GM Dave Gettleman has presided over the previous two 10-plus-loss campaigns, and some around the league have tabbed the Giants GM job as a potential opening ahead of the 2021 offseason, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com note. The Panthers‘ GM spot has also surfaced around the NFL as one to monitor. Marty Hurney, in place long before Matt Rhule‘s arrival, has been rumored as a potential chopping-block candidate because of Rhule’s overhaul and seven-year contract. Hurney’s contract runs through 2020. Gettleman made his way back to New York shortly after his Carolina ouster, but his rebuild has not taken off. The Giants have never lost double-digit games in four straight seasons.

Here is the latest from around the league:

  • Sticking with staffs, the Texans are indeed expected to strongly consider Eric Bieniemy. Deshaun Watson has advocated for Patrick Mahomes‘ OC, and Graziano and Fowler note the Texans “definitely” have interest in the Chiefs assistant. The Chiefs are prepared to lose Bieniemy this offseason, which would mark the third time they have lost an OC since 2016. Houston is believed to be seeking a quarterback guru and will have Josh McDaniels (again) and Bills OC Brian Daboll on its target list as well.
  • The Bears may not need to make it back to the playoffs for their current power brokers to stay in place. Both Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace are believed to be on track to stick around for 2021, per Fowler and Graziano. Chicago’s 5-1 start has come with just a plus-12 point differential, and the team benched Pace’s handpicked quarterback early in the season. Despite Mitchell Trubisky‘s struggles and current backup status, Pace is currently believed to be safe to receive a seventh year as GM.
  • It does not sound like the Chargers are expecting to have Austin Ekeler back anytime soon. The Bolts’ starting running back is battling what Anthony Lynn calls a “very serious” hamstring injury that has him set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, Daniel Popper of The Athletic tweets. Given a four-year, $24MM extension this offseason, Ekeler went down in Week 4. The Bolts have been without many key players on offense since turning to Justin Herbert in Week 2.
  • Adoree’ Jackson returned to Titans practice Wednesday. The team designated the former first-round cornerback as an IR-return player, making him eligible to face the Steelers in Week 7 — if the team activates him by Saturday afternoon. Jackson landed on IR before Week 1 with a knee injury.
  • The Panthers placed Joey Slye on their reserve/COVID-19 list and brought in kickers for workouts this week. Carolina has auditioned Casey Bednarski (Minnesota State), Taylor Bertolet and Austin Parker (Duke), per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Bednarski began his coronavirus testing with the team Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. None of these kickers has NFL experience. Slye has not tested positive but came in contact with someone who had, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes. The Panthers do not have a kicker on their practice squad, but Slye has not been at the team’s facility since Sunday and could still kick in Week 7.
  • The Dolphins conducted an interesting workout Wednesday. They brought in former Seahawks second-round pick Malik McDowell for an audition, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 2017 draftee has not played an NFL down, with an ATV accident and subsequent legal troubles harpooning his career. The former Michigan State defensive lineman recently spent time in prison after a bevy of charges stemming from a 2019 arrest.

Longest-Tenured GMs In The NFL

May 20th, 2020 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

When we ran down the longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL, we found that less than half of the league’s current coaches have been in their positions for more than three years. That’s not quite the case with general managers, but there have been plenty of changes in recent years.

A handful of general managers have gotten to take their coats off and stay for a long while. Among coaches, Bill Belichick had joined his team prior to 2003. Here, you’ll see that five GMs have been with their teams since before ’03 (Belichick, of course, is also on this list). Two of those five – Jerry Jones and Mike Brown – are outliers, since they’re team owners and serve as de facto GMs. But the Patriots, Steelers, and Saints, have all had the same general managers making their roster decisions for well over a decade.

Here’s the complete list of the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs, along with the date they took over the job:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Kevin Colbert (Pittsburgh Steelers): February 18, 2000[4]
  5. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  6. Rick Spielman (Minnesota Vikings): May 30, 2006[5]
  7. Thomas Dimitroff (Atlanta Falcons): January 13, 2008
  8. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010[6]
  9. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010
  10. John Elway (Denver Broncos): January 5, 2011[7]
  11. Les Snead (St. Louis Rams): February 10, 2012
  12. David Caldwell (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 8, 2013
  13. Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013
  14. Tom Telesco (San Diego Chargers): January 9, 2013
  15. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014
  16. Ryan Pace (Chicago Bears): January 8, 2015
  17. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016
  18. Bob Quinn (Detroit Lions): January 8, 2016
  19. Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016
  20. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017
  21. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017
  22. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017
  23. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017
  24. Marty Hurney (Carolina Panthers): July 19, 2017
  25. Dave Gettleman (New York Giants): December 28, 2017
  26. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
  27. Mike Mayock (Oakland Raiders): December 31, 2018
  28. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  29. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019[8]
  30. Ron Rivera (Washington Redskins): January 1, 2020[9]
  31. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  32. Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans): January 28, 2020

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Colbert was initially hired as the team’s director of football operations and received the newly-created general manager title in 2011.
  5. Spielman was initially hired as the team’s VP of player personnel and received the GM title in 2012.
  6. While Schneider holds the title of GM, head coach Pete Carroll has the final say on roster moves for the Seahawks.
  7. Elway was initially hired as the team’s executive VP of football operations and received the GM title in 2014.
  8. In 2018, the Ravens announced that DeCosta would replace Ozzie Newsome as GM for Ozzie Newsome after the conclusion of the season. The Ravens’ ’18 season ended with their Wild Card loss to the Chargers on 1/6/19.
  9. Technically, the Redskins do not have a GM, as of this writing. Rivera is, effectively, their GM, working in tandem with Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle Smith. Smith may receive the GM title in the near future.
Load More Posts