8 Potential GM Candidates the Jaguars Could Interview Before the Season Ends

The Jacksonville Jaguars will spend the next several weeks looking for a new general manager, but no answers will be found anytime before then -- in large part because several top candidates aren't allowed to be interviewed right now.

As of today, the Jaguars are the only team of the four teams with general manager vacancies (Houston, Detroit, Atlanta) to not be officially tied to any candidates (though there is reported interest on one).

The Jaguars have had an opening at general manager since former general manager Dave Caldwell was fired following a Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Caldwell served in his role for nearly eight seasons, so the search for a new general manager is not one the Jaguars have gone through frequently under owner Shad Khan.

But until the regular season ends, the Jaguars can't speak to candidates currently employed by NFL teams. This means any front-office executives from Baltimore, Kansas City, New Orleans, and everywhere else are currently off-limits.

With that said, the Jaguars are permitted to speak to any candidates not part of an organization. This may not be as deep of a pool of candidates, but it still features several interesting names worth looking at.

So, which potential general manager candidates can the Jaguars interview before Week 17 ends? We examine eight here.

Thomas Dimitroff

The former Atlanta Falcons general manager is already drawing interest from teams in this year's cycle of hirings. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday the Detroit Lions plan to interview Thomas Dimitroff, which means the former architect of the 2010s Falcons is at least interested in jumping back into a general manager role quickly.

Dimitroff's tenure with the Falcons ran from 2008 through Week 5 in 2020, seeing him lead the Falcons' roster to the playoffs six times in that span. They won the NFC Championship in 2016 before losing to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Jaguars hired Dave Caldwell in 2013 directly out of Atlanta's front office, so there is at least a minor connection between Dimitroff and Jacksonville.

Louis Riddick

As it stands today, current ESPN analyst and former NFL front office executive Louis Riddick is the only general manager candidate the Jaguars have been rumored to be linked to. ESPN's Adam Schefter said Wednesday the Jaguars have "expressed interest" in setting something up to speak with Riddick but have yet to formally do so.

One other note on MNF analyst Louis Riddick: Jacksonville has expressed interest in setting up a meeting with him about its GM job, but nothing has been scheduled, per @mortreport and me. https://t.co/rcs1aMGP4V
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2020

A former NFL defensive back, Riddick has NFL front office experience as well. He has been a pro scout (2001-2004) and director of pro personnel (2005-2007) with Washington and pro scout (2008), assistant director of pro personnel (2009), and director of pro personnel (2010-2013) with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been granted a number of general manager interviews over the years and this year has already been linked to the Houston job.

John Dorsey

A former general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs (2013-2016) and Cleveland Browns (Dec. 2017-2019), John Dorsey hasn't been officially connected to any of the four current openings, but the long-time scout and front office executive is eligible to be talked to at any time by the Jaguars, Lions, Texans or Falcons. You don't often see front office executives get third chances to lead a team, but Dorsey is experienced and respected, so who knows if he could buck the trend.

We covered the pros and the cons of Dorsey's candidacy here, but essentially he is a seasoned executive who has shown the willingness to make bold moves in free agency, the draft, and on the trade market -- sometimes to his own detriment. His hiring of Freddie Kitchens in 2019 is his greatest blemish, but overall he helped add a lot of talent to Kansas City and Cleveland.

Scott Pioli

Another former front office leader in Kansas City, Scott Pioli's background is an impressive one. It remains to be seen if the Jaguars are looking to explore him as an option, but Pioli has time as one of the primary team builders of the New England Patriots (2000-2008) during the early portions of their dynasty, a period of work that could draw interest.

A three-time Super Bowl winner and three-time Pro Football Writers of America NFL executive of the year winner, Pioli had his faults as Kansas City's general manager (2009-2012) due to a few failed head coaching hires, but his draft work was impressive. Of the 8 Pro Bowlers the Chiefs had in the year following his departure, seven of them were drafted or signed to contract extensions by Pioli, seeing him help set the foundation for Kansas City's impressive run in of regular season success in the middle of the decade.

Daniel Jeremiah

Out of all of the options, this one is probably the most unlikely to turn into anything tangible. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has years of experience as a scout for the Ravens, Eagles, but it remains to be seen whether he is a legitimate candidate for general manager jobs.

With that said, Jeremiah is able to be interviewed for any NFL job at any time, so a team that wants to speak with him would likely do so before the season is over and other candidates become available to speak to. ESPN's Adam Schefter did report in 2019 that Jeremiah was in consideration for a front office role with the Jets.

Just months after NFLN Draft Analyst Mike Mayock took the Raiders’ GM job, his replacement Daniel Jeremiah is under serious consideration for a prominent front-office position with the NY Jets, per sources. NFLN Draft Analyst job has become breeding ground for front-office jobs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 15, 2019

Rick Smith

For over a decade, not many people had a bigger impact on the Houston Texans and their front office operations than former general manager Rick Smith. From 2006 to 2017, he served as the Texans' General Manager, and he also became the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations in 2012 (confusing, we know).

Smith has drawn interest from the Falcons and Lions so far in this year's cycle. Considering his experience, especially in the AFC South, it would be a bit surprising if the Jaguars didn't have interest in Smith. He helped the Texans pick up several AFC South titles and brought in players like J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins, so it would be reasonable for the Jaguars to at least take a look at him.

Jerry Reese

Jerry Reese hasn't worked for any NFL team but the New York Giants, but his long tenure with the team earned him a look as their general manager during the team's run of two Super Bowl victories. Originally a scout from 1994-2004, Reese was named director of player personnel in 2004 before becoming general manager in 2007.

His decade as general manager saw him work hand-in-hand with Tom Coughlin as they built two Super Bowl teams, but Reese was fired in 2017 after a 2-10 start to the season. Reese's draft record, like any other general manager's, is filled with both hits and misses, but he has seen what success looks like.

One interesting name to watch as GM searches kick into gear: Former long-time #Giants GM Jerry Reese. After taking a break for a few years, I hear Reese is ready to get back in then NFL and excited about another potential opportunity.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 11, 2020

Trent Baalke

The Giants interviewed interim general manager Kevin Abrams in 2017 when they fired Reese; Could the Jaguars do the same with Trent Baalke in 2020? The former 49ers general manager (2011-2016) was hired by the Jaguars to be their director of player personnel this past offseason, but he now finds himself as the team's interim general manager following the firing of Dave Caldwell.

While Baalke would be a curious hire, the Jaguars interviewing him wouldn't be surprising considering the situation. Baalke has experience and is a relatively fresh pair of eyes since he has only been in Jacksonville for a year, so perhaps the Jaguars could be interested to hear his perspectives on the team.