Jerry

Reese

Reese didn’t get brought up in last year’s silly season, but interviewed with the Panthers and Jaguars in the 2021 offseason. The Cardinals have now interviewed in-house candidates Quentin Harris and Adrian Wilson as well as Reese, and appear to be focusing on hammering down a general manager candidate before they search for a new head coach in the wake of dismissals for Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim.

Jerry Reese and Doug Whaley were also interviewed by the Steelers. Spielman was fired by Minnesota after spending 16 years with the team. He held the general manager title for 10 seasons but operated as the de facto general manager for another six years. Spielman’s Vikings went 132-123-2 during his entire tenure but never made a name for themselves in the postseason. They made the playoffs six times but failed to make it past the NFC Championship. Spielman is well respected in league circles and has a scouting background on his resume. With Steelers GM Kevin Colbert expected to step down after the 2022 NFL Draft, Spielman could quickly emerge as his successor.

The Panthers announced six interviews to replace Marty Hurney on Tuesday. Joining Reese were Browns exec Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Patriots exec Nick Caserio, Bills exec Joe Schoen, the Titans’ Monti Ossenfort and New Orleans’ Jeff Ireland. Ireland joins Reese in having general manager experience. Fired by the Giants in Dec. 2017, Reese has remained on the interview circuit but has yet to land a second chance. He had some high highs and low lows in New York.

Garofolo added that the Panthers could also be interested in Reese as a replacement for Marty Hurney, who they fired from the GM chair earlier this year. Reese would be replacing David Caldwell as the Jaguars GM if he took the gig. Jacklsvonuile is now in the driver’s seat to win the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes and has a cast of young players on both sides of the ball. They still have plenty of holes to fill but starting off with Lawrence and some talented offensive weapons has to be appealing for any candidate. Reese won two Super Bowls with the Giants but then fizzled out before being fired with a 90-82 record at the end of 2017.

Reese has yet to resurface since the Giants fired him last season and apparently he had no interest in joining forces with Jon Gruden in Oakland. The Raiders are seeking a GM to replace Reggie McKenzie, who was let go earlier this month. Whoever succeeds McKenzie will be answering to Gruden, who has reportedly gained “total control” of the organization. The dysfunctional Raiders aren’t even sure where they’ll be playing next year.

Co-owner Steve Tisch made comments this week suggesting both Reese and Tom Coughlin are on the hot season, but the Post reports only Coughlin is in any real danger of losing his job. Several poor drafts have left the Giants lacking talent on the defensive side, but it looks like Reese will be given at least one more year to right the ship.

At the same time, Mara also criticized Reese’s recent drafts and said the organization will discuss changes to the personnel department. Reese is safe for now, but a couple more poor drafts could cause even the continuity-obsessed Giants to make a change. Reese will assist Mara with New York’s coaching search.

This was previously reported by the New York Post, but Kinkhabwala’s report is re-confirmation after the Giants fired Tom Coughlin this afternoon. Reese’s draft success has tailed off in recent years, but he still has the trust of Tisch and Mara families. Reese may enter a make-or-break 2016, however. He’d be wise to continue forward with Ben McAdoo, possibly as Coughlin’s replacement.

The Giants usually opt for the status quo over new blood, especially in the front office, but this change simply had to be made. After a successful start to his tenure which included two Super Bowls in five years, the Giants have tanked under Reese the last five seasons as he continually failed to address issues on the offensive line and, aside from last year, the defense while struggling in the draft. He appeared to right the ship last season with several hits in free agency and the draft to help shore up the defense, but things fell apart again this year. In all, Reese finishes his 11-year tenure with a 90-82 record and two rings.