GM Candidate Has Been Robinson's Most Trusted Aide
Update: The Chicago Bears confirmed they interviewed Tennessee Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort on Saturday, and the Minnesota Vikings did the same on Sunday. That means he has not met with all three NFL franchises that will hire a new general manager.
Original story
General manager Jon Robinson has the final say on all Tennessee Titans personnel decisions. That is clear.
Over his six seasons on the job, though, there is no doubt that he has listened to members of his staff before he has made many moves. Reportedly, no one has had his ear more in recent years than director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort.
“Monti is the guy Jon Robinson listens to the most over the last year and a half,” an unnamed league source told the New York Post.
Ossenfort, 43, has remained behind the scenes since the Titans hired him in May 2020, but he could step into the spotlight soon. He will interview with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday as that team searches for a new general manager. He also was one of two Tennessee front office staff members who met with New York Giants officials on Friday for the same purpose.
Robinson and Ossenfort worked together for close to a decade in the New England Patriots’ personnel department. In fact, when Robinson left to become Tampa Bay’s director of player personnel in 2014, Ossenfort replaced him as that team’s scouting director.
So, it makes sense that they have a common perspective on players. Ossenfort almost certainly had a lot to do with this season’s free agent additions and in-season roster moves, which helped make the Titans (12-5) the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
“Monti is a good information-gatherer who has a lot of respect when he walks into a college because they know he is trustworthy,” the source told The Post. “He is a very good manager of people and talent evaluator. He will sit and listen, but he will have the [guts] to make the decision himself and not do it in a disrespectful way to the people who gave him the information.”
The Vikings and Giants also fired their head coaches following the season. Thus, if one chooses Ossenfort as its GM, his first major decision will be to hire a coach.
“He’s going to have a good relationship with a head coach regardless of whether he knows him or not and regardless of what type of personality they are,” the source said. “A GM who blames things on a head coach when players are underperforming — or when one is talking about the other — always fails.”
