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After weeks of rumors and reports, it appears that teams are starting to settle on their preferred candidates for open general manager jobs, which means head coaches may not be far behind.
We start with the Broncos, who have just hired longtime Vikings executive George Paton as their new general manager. This is most noteworthy because Saints executive Terry Fontenot, widely considered to be one of the top candidates for the Falcons general manager job, had interviewed with Denver twice. That eliminates a strong competitor for Atlanta if they do have Fontenot atop their list.
Broncos finalizing six-year deal with Vikings’ personnel man George Paton to become Denver’s GM, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2021
However, as the headline notes, the Falcons may need to battle it out with the Detriot Lions if they’re interested in one of their other top reported candidates, Brad Holmes. Considered one of the bright minds behind the recent draft success for the Rams, Holmes is currently interviewing for the second time with the Lions and could be snapped up by Detroit soon if they can close the deal.
With Denver hiring George Paton as its GM, Brad Holmes becomes the favorite to become the Lions’ GM.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2021
If the Falcons are torn between Holmes and Fontenot, as The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz recently reported, then the Lions may be making their decision for them soon. If Atlanta thinks Holmes’ long experience on the draft side is more valuable than Fontenot’s well-rounded background (and his focus on pro personnel), they would do well to get on the phone with his representation very soon and try to get him back to Atlanta before it’s too late. The buzz around Rick Smith, considered a strong candidate throughout the process due to his ties to Rich Mckay and rich experience with Houston, has died down of late.
I think Fontenot is probably going to end up being the guy—we’ve had weeks of reporters tying him persistently to the job, perhaps with Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady—but I don’t know how soon we can expect that news. Perhaps the Lions snapping up Holmes in the near future, the Broncos getting Paton, and Nick Caserio landing with the Texans will help close up the search for the Falcons.