Lions, Panthers among teams targeting Saints exec Jeff Ireland in GM searches
The NFL’s new hiring cycle has kicked off, and several executive members of the New Orleans Saints front office could be on the move.
Multiple reports linked Saints vice president of college scouting Jeff Ireland to teams searching for new general managers, with the MMQB’s Albert Breer reporting that the Detroit Lions plan to interview Ireland on Friday, Jan. 8, while the Carolina Panthers hope to meet with Ireland on Tuesday, Jan. 5, if the Saints approve their interview request.
Ireland has been an important architect of the Saints’ resurgence, having overhauled their scouting department after joining the front office back in 2015. His influence led to their legendary 2017 draft class in which the Saints hit on two first round picks (Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk) as well as other top-100 selections (Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Trey Hendrickson, and Alex Anzalone).
His efforts in scouring the college ranks have also helped the Saints land undrafted rookies like Deonte Harris, Shy Tuttle, and Marquez Callaway, among other contributors.
And it shouldn’t surprise anyone that his success in New Orleans has prompted interested teams to overlook his ugly Miami Dolphins tenure. Ireland worked as the Dolphins general manager from 2008 to 2014 in an era marred by controversial draft picks and questionable personnel decisions. But the fact that he’s had time to learn from those mistakes has helped heal his reputation.
With that said: he’ll have to impress during the interview process to stand out from a crowded field. Detroit in particular has quite a long list of names on their slate competing for the same position, including Saints vice president of pro personnel Terry Fontenot. The Saints have benefited from having both executives in the building, but it’s looking like either of them could be moving up and out, if not both of them.
But the Carolina connection is worth watching closely. Ireland is a Baylor alum, where Panthers coach Matt Rhule catapulted his way onto the NFL’s radar. The two presumably have a good relationship and might enjoy working together. Having an opportunity to compete against Saints GM Mickey Loomis and his former team twice a year could be appealing.
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