Vikings GM Interview Tracker: Eliot Wolf, John Spytek, Catherine Raiche, Ryan Poles, More
As the Vikings take on the process of whittling down a list of several dozen possible general manager candidates and finding the best possible person to replace Rick Spielman, they've begun submitting formal interview requests. Some of the candidates they're bringing in for interviews were on the initial list of 15 I put together earlier this week.
Below is the list of everyone who has been requested for an interview. This will be updated in the coming days as more requests are made and interviews are conducted. The most recent reported names are at the top of the list.
Monti Ossenfort, Titans director of player personnel
Local angle! Ossenfort grew up in Luverne, Minnesota, played quarterback at Minnesota-Morris and broke into the NFL as a Vikings training camp intern in 2001. He eventually spent 15 years with the Patriots, working his way up to becoming New England's director of college scouting. Ossenfort then joined former Patriots colleague Jon Robinson, now the Titans' GM, in Nashville in 2020. He's likely going to become a GM sooner or later.
Catherine Raiche, Eagles VP of football operations
This is a very interesting one. When Raiche was promoted to her current position last year, she became the most senior-ranking team personnel executive in NFL history. Now she's believed to be the first woman to ever receive a GM interview request. Susan Tose Spencer is the only female GM in NFL history, but she was hired by her father — then-Eagles owner Leonard Tose — in the '80s and primarily worked on the contracts side.
Raiche isn't just a groundbreaker, she's a strong candidate for the Vikings' vacancy. The Canada native has been rocketing upwards through the football world since getting her start with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes. Raiche spent five years in the CFL and made a brief stop in the XFL before being hired by the Eagles in 2019. Just a couple years later, she became one of the most important personnel people in the Eagles' front office. Her current position is the same one Andrew Berry held before he took the Browns' GM job in 2019.
Ryan Poles, Chiefs executive director of player personnel
Poles has been with the Chiefs for the last 13 years and is a key part of GM Brett Veach's front office. The former Boston College offensive lineman (he blocked for Matt Ryan for several years in the mid-2000s) came up on the college scouting side but his role has broadened in recent years. He was a finalist for the Panthers job last year and will also interview with the Giants soon.
John Spytek, Buccaneers VP of player personnel
Besides having a cool last name, Spytek is an impressive candidate with a ton of NFL experience. He's been with the Buccaneers for six years and works closely with GM Jason Licht on personnel decisions while overseeing the college and pro scouting departments for the defending Super Bowl champions. Spytek was previously a scout for the Broncos, Browns, and Eagles, so he's worked with a bunch of different front offices. He played linebacker at Michigan from 1999 to 2002.
Brandon Brown, Eagles director of player personnel
A former Fordham defensive back, Brown has been with the Eagles since 2017 after getting his first NFL job as a scout with the Colts. He's another rising young star at just 33 years old. Brown has a law degree and previously worked in compliance and executive roles in college football, giving him a diverse background. He has experience in both college and pro scouting during his NFL career.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns VP of football operations
Adofo-Mensah is a 33-year-old former college basketball player who worked on Wall Street prior to getting his first NFL job with the 49ers in 2013. He's been one of the top voices in the front office for Browns GM Andrew Berry. Adofo-Mensah, who has a background in analytics, interviewed for the Panthers' GM opening last year. He's incredibly smart, with a degree in economics from Princeton and a master's from Stanford, and has an impressive NFL resume already.
Glenn Cook, Browns VP of player personnel
Cook is another fast riser working for Berry in a high-ranking position. The former Colts and Packers scout has been with Cleveland since 2016, first as the assistant director of pro scouting and then in his current role. The former University of Miami linebacker has a strong scouting background and has broadened his experience in recent years as the VP of player personnel.
Eliot Wolf, Patriots front office consultant
Wolf is the son of former Packers general manager Ron Wolf, so he's been around NFL front offices since his childhood. After graduating from college, he spent 14 seasons in Green Bay, gradually working his way up from pro personnel assistant to director of football operations. Wolf was then the Browns' assistant GM under John Dorsey for two seasons. For the past two seasons, he's worked with Bill Belichick in the Patriots' front office as a scouting and player personnel consultant. Wolf seems to have more than enough experience to be ready for a GM job.
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