3 GM Candidates if Washington Commanders Fire Martin Mayhew
If one had to bet on what Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris will do at the end of the season, it'd be that he'll clean house and start anew heading into the 2024 season.
If that's the path Harris chooses, that would spell the end for head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew. While the process of hiring a general manager and a head coach varies by team, most teams hire their GM first and let them bring in the coach they prefer.
Who Harris hires as the general manager will likely be the first significant hire of his tenure as the Commanders' owner. Having over $85 million in cap space plus five picks in the top 100 of the 2024 NFL Draft will make the job as attractive as it has been in recent years, but who should Harris target if he moves on from Mayhew?
Here are three candidates that should be on Harris' list if he chooses to move on from Mayhew and Rivera.
Martin Mayhew has been the Commanders' GM since 2021.
Trevor Ruszkowski, USA Today
Adam Peters - San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager:
Could this be the year Adam Peters becomes a general manager?
Peters has interviewed for numerous jobs and was a finalist for the New York Giants before they hired Joe Schoen in 2022. No one needs to look further than the star-studded roster San Francisco has accumulated on its path to becoming a perennial Super Bowl contender.
Peters has been with the 49ers since 2017 as the vice president of player personnel and was elevated to assistant general manager in 2021. Before joining San Francisco, Peters was with the Denver Broncos for eight seasons (2009-2016) and moved up the ranks, eventually becoming the team's director of college scouting.
Peters has also been credited for being high on tight end George Kittle and receiver Deebo Samuel before the 49ers drafted them.
If you're going to mimic a team when building a roster, one can't do much better than the 49ers. Should Harris go that route, Peters should be near the top of his list of GM candidates.
Ed Dodds - Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager
Dodds is another highly touted GM candidate who has interviewed for multiple jobs, though he has opted to stay in Indianapolis on each occasion.
He has been general manager Chris Ballard's right-hand man since 2017. Before joining Ballard in Indianapolis, he was with the Seattle Seahawks from 2007-2016. Dodds worked his way up the front office ranks and was instrumental in helping Seattle put together the Legion of Boom and winning a Super Bowl in 2013.
Dodds will be picky, but a chance to join Harris and rebuild a once prestigious franchise with numerous assets may convince him to leave Indy to run his own team.
Joe Hortiz - Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel
Much like the 49ers, there are few better teams to replicate than the Baltimore Ravens.
Hortiz is in his 25th season with the Ravens and fourth as the director of player personnel alongside George Kokinis. He was previously the team's director of college scouting from 2009-2018. Hortiz also interviewed for the Giants job in 2022 but wasn't one of the three finalists.
Among the players who have panned out under Hortiz's watch are quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews and rookie receiver Zay Flowers has lived up to the billing as the team's first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Baltimore has been one of the most consistent franchises in recent years, and Hortiz's ability to eye talent has played a pivotal role in that.
If Hortiz has his eye on a GM job, Washington may be the match he's looking for, and Harris wouldn't have to look far to find his guy.
