Reports: Jaguars to Interview Rick Smith, Trent Baalke for General Manager Role

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be interviewing Rick Smith and Trent Baalke for the general manager position.

Add two more names to the list of general manager interviews for the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Louis Riddick was reported as the first name to be connected to Jacksonville's vacant general manager position. Now, former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith and current Jaguars interim general manager Trent Baalke are slated to interview for the role. Eugene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union was the first to report each interview. 

From 2006 to 2017, Smith served as the Texans' General Manager. He also became the team's Executive Vice President of Football Operations in 2012 and oversaw the additions of J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, and Deshaun Watson. 

Smith has drawn interest from the Falcons and Lions so far in this year's cycle, so it isn't a surprise to see him linked to the Jaguars job. 

Baalke, the former 49ers general manager (2011-2016), was hired by the Jaguars to be their director of player personnel this past offseason. He was promoted to the team's interim general manager role following the firing of Dave Caldwell. 

For the Jaguars, interviewing Baalke gives them a chance to talk to an executive who already knows how the organization works, what it needs, and what has gone right in the last year. Smith, meanwhile, is a logical interview since he is not currently employed by an NFL team. The Jaguars can't speak to any candidates who are with an NFL team until the regular season ends.

Former Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell was fired on Nov. 29 after the Jaguars fell to 1-10 following a home loss to the Cleveland Browns. Caldwell served as Jacksonville's general manager since 2013, giving him nearly eight seasons in the role.

In his nearly eight years with the Jaguars, Caldwell compiled a 39-87 record as general manager (counting postseason). The Jaguars lost a double-digit amount of games in every one of these seasons but 2017.

“I’ve met with Dave Caldwell to express my appreciation for his service to the Jacksonville Jaguars as our general manager. Dave was exceptionally committed and determined to bring a winner to Jacksonville, but unfortunately his efforts were not rewarded with the results our fans deserve and our organization expects," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement following Caldwell's firing.

"Our football operation needs new leadership, and we will have it with a new general manager in 2021.”

The 1-13 Jaguars currently hold the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and are guaranteed a top-2 selection. If they lose the next two games, they will have the draft's top selection for the first time in franchise history.