Tennessee Titans GM interview requests: Contenders and pretenders to be Ran Carthon's replacement
NASHVILLE – Key decision makers for the Tennessee Titans had a busy weekend while conducting interviews with several candidates for the organization’s vacant General Manager position. The Titans had a first round of virtual interviews taking place between Friday and Sunday. Former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, and Buccaneers assistant GM John […]
NASHVILLE – Key decision makers for the Tennessee Titans had a busy weekend while conducting interviews with several candidates for the organization’s vacant General Manager position.
The Titans had a first round of virtual interviews taking place between Friday and Sunday.
Former Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie, former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, and Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek all had interviews on Friday. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, Seahawks senior director of player personnel Matt Berry, Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, and Browns assistant GM Catherine Hickman all went on Saturday.
Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham had virtual interviews on Sunday. Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan also received a late interview.
Among these list of candidates receiving interviews, there is the real list of contenders to land the job. So I sorted every Titans GM candidate into contenders and pretenders based on the job description laid out by the team, the background of the executives being interviewed, and the requests for a second interview that the Titans have made.
Reggie McKenzie – Pretender
Reggie McKenzie is one of the few candidates to receive an interview that has experience as a General Manager in the NFL. While there were some early reports suggesting McKenzie was Tennessee's frontrunner, this does not feel like a natural fit to me.
McKenzie has a scouting background, but has not been a scout in the league in nearly 20 years. I'm sure he has interest in the job, but i think the Titans go for a younger executive with a more active role in their current organization.
John Spytek – Contender
I tend to believe that the best assistant GMs in the league that are up-and-coming candidates for GM roles would try to stay away from the Titans' job. It's no secret that the new GM will be answering to Chad Brinker and not have control over Tennessee's roster decisions. But John Spytek of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be an exception.
Spytek is one of two assistant GMs in Tampa. The other, Mike Greenberg, received an interview for the New York Jets vacancy.
While Greenberg works with GM Jason Licht on things like salary cap, contract negotiations, and the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, Spytek is the more hands-on scout that Tennessee is looking for. Spytek directly oversees the day-to-day of the college and pro scouting departments for Tampa Bay.
As evidenced by the fact that the Jets did not request an interview with Spytek, he is not as well-rounded as some of the other top GM candidates. But for the Titans, he may just be the perfect fit. Chad Brinker can handle the office duties while Spytek does all things scouting. I like this fit, and apparently so do the Titans.
Spytek is one of several candidates being brought in for a second round of interviews.
Ian Cunningham – Pretender?
Ian Cunningham is one of the best candidates out there. He has been an area scout for the Baltimore Ravens, the Director of College Scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles, and now the assistant GM for the Chicago Bears.
Many people around the league consider the 39-year-old GM to be one of the rising star executives. He has received a handful of interviews in the past, including being heavily considered for a GM job by the Washington Commanders in 2024 and the Tennessee Titans in 2023 before they hired Ran Carthon.
My issue with Cunningham: Why would he leave the job security he has in Chicago and take his one shot to be an NFL General Manager with an organization that lacks stability and won't give him roster control?
Cunningham can continue cutting his teeth being an active scout with the Bears. When he gets hired to be a GM, I'm guessing he wants to take over the ship. Maybe it'll be with the Jets or Raiders this cycle. Both are probably more attractive jobs than the Titans.
Mike Borgonzi – Pretender?
Mike Borgonzi goes in the same bucket with Cunningham. Why would he leave Kansas City and the Super Bowl rings to become a GM if he's not going to have full control of the team's roster decisions?
Borgonzi is also on the radar for the New York Jets, who would also have the ability to hire his own head coach (Chiefs OC Matt Nagy?).
Granted, this is my opinion of how I think the Titans job is perceived around the league. But I think the better fits for Tennessee are going to be the candidates who seem to be 1-2 years away rather than a shoe-in to land a job in the near future.
If the Titans were to hire him, it'd be a really good get for the organization.
Terrance Gray – Contender
Terrance Gray. Maybe my favorite candidate of the bunch. Definitely in the top two. I think he's got everything the Titans are looking for in the next GM.
Gray is the Director of Player Personnel for the Buffalo Bills and is incredibly involved in Buffalo's scouting process of collegiate talent.
Gray started with the Kansas City Chiefs and spent 11 seasons doing college scouting for the Minnesota Vikings. Even in his new position with the Bills, Gray is an active, boots on the ground worker. He checks the boxes of being "all football all the time" like the Titans want and comes with experience in winning organizations.
Another guy that doesn't have much office experience, but is a perfect fit for the job description the Titans have out there. I think there will be mutual interest. Gray has already been invited back for a second interview.
Matt Berry – Pretender
Matt Berry has been the Seattle Seahawks Senior Director of Player Personnel for the last two seasons after climbing the ranks of the organization as a scout. He's up there with Gray as one of my top two preferred hires for Tennessee.
People around the NFL view Berry as one of Seattle's secret weapons, particularly on the scouting front.
He has assisted GM John Schneider at turning that roster over year after year while remaining competitive in the NFC West. The Seahawks been to the playoffs nine (9) times since 2012 and have only had one losing season during that stretch. Schneider also crossed paths with Chad Brinker in Green Bay at one point. Berry is also a Nashville native.
Berry is definitely considered to be the high-level talent evaluator that the Titans are looking for and his experiences are pretty well rounded. Surprisingly, Berry did not received a second interview from the Titans. That essentially rules him out despite being a great fit on paper.
Ed Dodds – Contender
I'd really like to label Ed Dodds as a pretender. This just doesn't feel like the right fit to me. An assistant GM from a division rival that has underachieved. The Indianapolis Colts have not won an AFC South title since Dodds and GM Chris Ballard joined the organization.
But I have to go with the facts, and all signs are pointing to Dodds being a legitimate contender for the Titans GM job.
Before his time in Indianapolis, Dodds was a super scout for the Seahawks and proved himself to be a real grinder. He's all about film study, especially when it pertains to the NFL Draft. Like Berry, Dodds worked for Dan Schndeider, who was ties to Chad Brinker.
Dodds received a second interview from the Titans that will happen in person.
Catherine Hickman – Pretender
Catherine Hickman is wildly succesful for a 35-year-old female football executive. She has worked for the Philadelphia Eagles as the VP of Football Operations and the Cleveland Browns as Assistant GM since 2022.
Hickman has a bright future, but does not possess the scouting bakcground that the Titans very clearly want in their next GM. Hickman joined the industry working in football administration.
Going off the job description that the Titans very clearly laid out and the fact that Hickman has not yet received a request for a second interview, I think it's safe to eliminate her from contention.
Thomas Dimitroff – Pretender
When I first saw Thomas Dimitroff's name on a list of candidates being interview by the Titans, I immediately saw the fit. The former GM of the Atlanta Falcons was once named NFL Executive of the Year and would helped put together six seasons with 10+ wins and six playoff appearances for Atlanta.
Prior to his GM experience, Dimitroff spent a decade as an area and national scout before rising to prominence as the Director of College Scouting for the New England Patriots from 2003-2007.
Dimitroff has been involved in a sports analytics company as the CEO since the last time he worked in the NFL. But I was told he still had serious interest in the Titans GM vacancy.
It felt like a good fit for an executive trying to break back into the league, but given the fact that Tennessee has not requested a second interview with Dimitroff, I'm no longer optimistic that there is fire behind the smoke.
Jon-Eric Sullivan – Contender
Jon-Eric Sullivan has the most direct connection with Chad Brinker of any candidate being interviewed.
Now the VP of Player Personnel for the Green Bay Packers, Sullivan has been an area scout and director of college scouting in the past. He also overlapped with Brinker for over 13 years.
Sullivan does have interest from other teams around the league. He interviewed with the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. And while I would usually be hesitant about his interest in the job if New York is an option, his relationship with Brinker makes this feel incredibly possible.
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