HEADLINES

Khai Harley

2024 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

January 19th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Commanders making a hire, four teams remain in search of general managers. This includes the Patriots, who have moved on from HC/de facto GM Bill Belichick. If other teams decide to make GM changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown of where searches stand:

Updated 1-30-24 (8:15am CT)

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

Washington Commanders

Panthers Request Five More GM Interviews

January 8th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

David Tepper and co. aren’t wasting any time finding their next general manager. The team announced that they’ve requested permission to interview eight GM candidates.

[RELATED: Panthers Fire GM Scott Fitterer]

Five of these names are new: Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, Saints assistant GM Khai Harley, Ravens vice president of football administration Nick Matteo, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, and Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly. We heard earlier this evening that Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown, Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg, and Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis were set to meet with the Panthers to replace Scott Fitterer, who was fired earlier today.

Halaby has spent 16 years in Philadelphia, including the past two as the Eagles assistant general manager. His focus has been on “player evaluation, roster management, and resource allocation” (per the team website), and he’s also played a crucial role in adding analytics to the team’s decision making. Halaby previously spent six seasons as the team’s vice president of football operations and strategy.

Harley has spent close to two decades in New Orleans, with a lengthy stint as director of football administration before earning a promotion to his current role. The executive has primarily dealt with “contract negotiation and strategic planning/management of the Saints salary cap and roster management,” although he’s also played a role in preparing for free agency and the draft.

Matteo has spent the past four seasons in Baltimore, with the team website crediting him for negotiating the contracts for all 37 draft picks over that span. The executive has also worked on deals for free agents and extensions for “key Ravens,” including tight end Mark Andrews.

Dodds has been a popular name on the GM market in recent years, generating six interviews since 2020. However, the executive has continued to stick in Indy as Chris Ballard‘s right-hand man. Dodds is also set to interview for the Raiders GM vacancy.

Following stints in Denver and Chicago, Kelly joined the Raiders as their assistant GM in 2022. Following the firing of Dave Ziegler, Kelly was promoted to interim GM, and similar to interim head coach Antonio Pierce, the executive has drawn praise for his team management down the stretch. After being a popular GM candidate in recent years, Kelly is expected to be a hot name once again in 2024.

Interestingly, one name that was included in the press release was Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan , who is expected to have an opportunity to succeed Fitterer.

Panthers Request GM Interviews With Brandon Brown, Mike Greenberg, Brandt Tilis

January 8th, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Making the anticipated move to fire Scott Fitterer, the Panthers are joining other teams in sending out interview requests. Three have gone out as of Monday afternoon.

The Panthers want to meet with Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown, Buccaneers assistant GM Mike Greenberg and Chiefs VP of football operations Brandt Tilis, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Peter Schrager. While assistant Carolina GM Dan Morgan will have a chance to succeed Fitterer, David Tepper is hoping to bring in a handful of outside candidates.

Tepper’s actions in recent months and his general reputation during his ownership run introduce complications for his latest round of hires. But he remains the NFL’s second-wealthiest owner. That component may be important given the state of the Panthers, who do not have their first-round pick this year or their 2025 second-rounder due to the Bryce Young trade. As is the case for HC positions, there are only 32 GM jobs available. That will at least bring candidates to the table.

Tepper has already met with Tilis, who interviewed for the GM job in 2021. The Panthers conducted an expansive search that year, choosing Fitterer, who had enjoyed a successful run as a Seahawks exec. Fitterer did not have full control until Tepper fired Matt Rhule in October 2022, and the owner has referenced his own willingness to veto moves, pointing to Carolina’s GM having to contend with ownership as well. It is not known how Tepper plans to structure his next staff, in terms of handing power to the GM or head coach. That is among the notable questions Carolina faces this offseason.

As for the candidates, Tilis joins Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi in receiving early interview requests. Both have been with the team throughout its Patrick Mahomes-era rise. Tilis was a central figure in the Chiefs hammering out Mahomes’ outlier 10-year extension back in 2020, researching baseball contracts before the team came to terms with its centerpiece player on that landmark deal. The Chiefs have already needed to adjust that contract, due to the quarterback market accelerating in the years since that July 2020 extension. Tilis even predates Andy Reid in Kansas City, joining the team to start Scott Pioli‘s GM tenure back in 2009. Tilis has been in his current position since 2021.

Greenberg joins Tilis in being in his 14th season with his current employer. The Bucs exec is best known for helping the team navigate its salary cap, something that became pivotal during an all-in push centered around Tom Brady. Tampa Bay completed numerous restructures and became a piece of NFL transaction lore in 2021 by retaining its entire starting lineup plus notable backups in an effort to defend a Super Bowl title. While the Bucs could not complete that effort on the field, Greenberg’s work — which included Brady’s initial agreement, a subsequent extension and a post-retirement restructure — helped considerably. The Bucs promoted Greenberg to assistant GM last year.

The Giants hired Brown to be Joe Schoen‘s right-hand man in 2022, an offseason that featured four Eagles execs become assistant GMs elsewhere. Just 36, Brown spent five years with the Eagles, beginning his run with the team ahead of its Super Bowl LII-winning season. Howie Roseman promoted Brown to player personnel director in 2021, putting him on the radar for top lieutenant roles the following year.

Additionally, the Panthers may have their eye on another NFC South exec. Khai Harley, whom the Saints elevated to assistant GM this past offseason, is believed to be on Carolina’s radar, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Harley has helped Mickey Loomis as the team annually comes up with creative ways to free up salary cap space, being the NFL’s restructure kingpins.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Panthers, Edmonds

August 22nd, 2023 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints made a key tweak to their front office Tuesday, announcing Khai Harley will move into the assistant GM role. Harley has been with the Saints for 16 years, most recently serving as the team’s VP of football administration. Mickey Loomis has credited Harley as being one of the chief architects behind the franchise’s aggressive strategy with regards to the salary cap. Omar Khan used this background to become the Steelers’ GM, and Harley rising to this post may put him on the radar for interviews.

New Orleans also Scott Kuhn as director of football administration, Zach Stuart as director of analytics and Rishi Desai as a scouting assistant. Gaining extensive experience on the analytics front, Kuhn spent 16 years with the Vikings. Stuart spent the past three years as the Jets’ analytics coordinator. Additionally, former safety Matt Giordano is now an assistant on Dennis Allen‘s staff. Giordano, 40, spent one season with the Saints (2010); the 30-game starter also played for the Colts, Packers, Raiders and Rams from 2005-13. Giordano had spent six seasons as head coach of Buchanan High School in his native Fresno, concluding that tenure after the 2021 season.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Although Payton Turner carries a first-round pedigree, he is unlikely to beat out Carl Granderson for the starting role Marcus Davenport vacated this offseason. The Saints are more likely to turn to Granderson — a former UDFA — than Turner opposite Cameron Jordan, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Granderson, 26, has stood out in training camp and has two five-plus-sack seasons over the past three years. Turner entered camp after two iffy years, and while the Saints are likely to give the 2021 first-rounder another shot, a rotational role looks to be how this will play out.
  • Jordan’s two-year, $27.5MM Saints extension is fully guaranteed, and it will also include sack incentives. Jordan can pick up an extra $500K with a 10-sack season this year, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. The 34-year-old defensive end can add $250K by reaching $250K in 2024 and 2025. Sitting 23rd on the official sack list (115.5), Jordan has six double-digit sack slates on his resume — including a 12.5-sack showing in 2021.
  • Frank Reich is in place as the Panthers‘ play-caller to start his HC tenure, but OC Thomas Brown continues to loom as a future option for the post. The first-year Carolina HC said the long-term goal remains to make Brown the play-caller, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com tweets. This is Brown’s first OC post, but he has already booked HC interviews and received interest from other teams regarding their respective OC jobs. A former Rams assistant, Brown earning play-calling responsibilities this year would enhance his case for a top coaching job.
  • Deion Jones‘ one-year Panthers agreement is worth $1.17MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That doubles as the veteran minimum, though Wilson adds the former Falcons mainstay will receive a $75K bonus for making the Panthers’ 53-man roster. The Falcons gave Jones a four-year, $57MM extension before the 2019 season, but the team cut bait on that deal before the 2022 trade deadline. The Browns also removed a year from Jones’ contract, and scant interest came his way this offseason. This will be a key year for the 29-year-old linebacker.
  • The Panthers included four void years in Justin Houston‘s contract, dropping his cap hit to $2.13MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Houston signed a fully guaranteed one-year, $6MM deal earlier this month. The contract will include sack incentives, with Wilson adding Houston will receive $500K by reaching 11 sacks and could earn another $500K by hitting 12 (Twitter link). These are classified as not likely to be earned; Houston has one 11-sack season since 2015.
  • As the Buccaneers prepare to use Rachaad White as their starting running back, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes offseason addition Chase Edmonds is locked into the third-down role. Edmonds, who received just $153K guaranteed on a one-year Bucs deal, operated as a solid pass catcher for the Cardinals but is coming off a down year. The Dolphins included him as salary filler in the Bradley Chubb trade, and the Broncos made him a cap casualty in March.

Saints Notes: Winston, Sherman, Baun

July 4th, 2021 at 11:57am CST by Rory Parks

The biggest question facing the Saints this offseason is whether Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill will be the team’s starting QB come Week 1. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes Winston may be the frontrunner given that he is younger and has more upside, but the turnover and accuracy problems he had as a member of the Buccaneers are still major issues that he will need to clean up.

Of course, the club has been publicly complimentary of both players, and it was Hill — who also offers dynamic ability as a runner — who got the nod during Drew Brees‘ injury-related absence last year. Hill and Winston will be eligible for free agency following the 2021 campaign, so in addition to the starting gig, there is a lot of money riding on the outcome of this battle.

New Orleans selected former Notre Dame passer Ian Book in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and Book will learn behind Winston and Hill before perhaps getting a chance to throw his hat in the ring in 2022.

Now for more from the Big Easy:

  • The Saints’ record-setting extension for RT Ryan Ramczyk cleared about $5.5MM off their books, leaving them with $10-11MM of cap space. That number could increase if the club extends franchise-tagged safety Marcus Williams, a proposition that we recently discussed. Triplett believes New Orleans will put that money to use by signing a veteran or two, and he suggests that a big name like corner Richard Sherman — who has been connected to the team this offseason — remains a possibility.
  • GM Mickey Loomis is often credited as the man behind the Saints’ aggressive manipulation of the salary cap, and while Loomis has final say over the club’s transactions, Triplett also shines a light on a less recognizable member of the New Orleans front office. In examining the team’s use of backloaded contracts, restructures, and void years, Triplett describes vice president of football administration Khai Harley as one of the most innovative pioneers of those types of cap machinations, and he suggests that Harley could become a GM candidate in the future.
  • Linebacker Zack Baun, who generated some first-round buzz in the 2020 draft before ultimately falling to the third round, played in just 82 defensive snaps in his rookie season. But a hamstring injury suffered in training camp and the lack of a true offseason program hindered his development, and he will have the opportunity to make a bigger impact in 2021. As Sam Shannon of the team’s official website writes, Baun is transitioning from strongside linebacker to the weakside, which will require him to perform well in coverage. His projected ability to thrive in space is what led the Saints to draft him in the first place, and he will compete with second-round rookie Pete Werner for snaps alongside middle linebacker Demario Davis.