Reports: ‘Momentum Building’ for Rick Spielman To Find a Role in Jaguars’ Front Office
A few days after news first broke of the Jacksonville Jaguars having interest in former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, reports have the team and Spielman inching closer and closer to agreeing to a deal.
According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, the Jaguars
"Rick Spielman, the general manager who many thought was going to get promoted within the building to some kind of president role. Well, all indications are that might be on the docket soon in Jacksonville," Garafolo said on Thursday, with Garafolo pointing out that nothing is official but "my understanding ... is there is progress being made."
Jones went on to explain that if hired, Spielman would be in a role that reports directly to owner Shad Khan and is above general manager Trent Baalke on the team's food chain.
In this type of arrangement, the Jaguars would be essentially going back to their plan from the 2017 offseason -- hire one trusted voice to be the final decision maker and Khan's eyes and ears, while the general manager stays in place albeit in a less defined role.
It is unlikely that a Spielman hire would lead directly to a Baalke firing since Khan has had over a month to fire Baalke at this point and has yet to do so. Instead, his role would likely be similar to Dave Caldwell's from 2017-2019. He would still be an important voice in the organization in this kind of set up, but there would be more buffers in place for his impact.
If hired, Spielman would give the Jaguars an experienced front office member to either work with or above Baalke. Spielman, 59, started in the NFL as a scout for the Lions from 1990-1996 before becoming the Director of Pro Personnel for the Bears from 1997-1999.
Spielman was vice president of player personnel for the Miami Dolphins from 2000-2001 before being named senior vice president of football operations for the following two seasons and then finally general manager in 2004.
After spending a year out of the NFL in 2005, Spielman was hired by the Vikings as vice president of player personnel in 2006, a role he held until he was promoted to general manager.
During Spielman's 10 seasons as general manager, the Vikings made the playoffs four times and compiled an 87-72-1 record. Spielman was at the forefront of a Vikings' front office that developed Broncos general manager George Paton and drafted Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Anthony Barr, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter, and others.
Spielman is the first executive the Jaguars have interviewed for a front office position and it appears things are trending toward him and the Jaguars becoming a fit.
The question with a potential Spielman hire is how he would fit into the organization's front office structure. Would he coexist with the team's current set up or instead become the new primary voice when it comes to the Jaguars' football operations, similar to Tom Coughlin from 2017-2019?
The Jaguars have been led by Baalke in the front office this offseason, though Baalke's presence has reportedly played a large role in the Jaguars' now month-long search for Urban Meyer's replacement. A Spielman hire may not indicate a Baalke firing, but it could lead to a less emphasized role for the unpopular general manager.
