Jaguars hire Caldwell as GM
David Caldwell will get a chance to turn around one of the NFL's weakest teams, as he was hired Tuesday to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' new general manager.
Caldwell, 38, spent the past five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, last year serving as the director of player personnel.
"We got our man," Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a statement released by the team. "I have a lot of faith in David Caldwell and I can assure our fans that the best days for the Jacksonville Jaguars are in front of us."
The GM job opened last week when the team fired Gene Smith after a 2-14 finish.
"There are no bad GM opportunities in the NFL, but to work on behalf of a dynamic owner in a rabid football city like Jacksonville is truly special," Caldwell said, according to the team's website. "This is where I wanted to be and I could not be happier. I can't wait to get to Jacksonville and get started."
According to the Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars also interviewed San Francisco 49ers director of player personnel Tom Gamble, Arizona Cardinals vice president of player personnel Steve Keim and the New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross before settling on Caldwell.
Keim was promoted to general manager by the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Prior to joining the Falcons, Caldwell spent 10 years as a scout with the Indianapolis Colts. He began his NFL career as a scouting assistant in 1996 and 1997 for the Carolina Panthers under Bill Polian, who later became his boss with the Colts.
Caldwell will determine the fate of Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey, who just completed his first year in Jacksonville. Mularkey also was the Buffalo Bills' head coach in 2004 and '05, compiling a 14-18 record.
