Where Does Your NFL GM Rank?
David Steele of Sporting News just released his annual ranking of the 32 general managers in the NFL and there are a few surprises.
For starters, the reigning champion New England Patriots, run by GM/coach Bill Belichick, is slated at sixth on the list. Sure, as a coach Belichick is without a doubt the cream of the crop right now (and in the last decade), but as a GM he has not been as good as some other candidates. In fact, Steele wrote another list ranking the NFL coaches in the league and Belichick is at the very top.
The 49ers Trent Baalke took a stumble from last year's ranking, as he was thought of as sixth-best before their 8-8 season began. Since then, after the horrible season last year, on top of the retired Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Chris Boreland, and Anthony Davis, as well as losing pieces like Jim Harbaugh, Michael Crabtree, Ray McDonald and Frank Gore, Baalke slipped down to 18th.
I think it's a fair assessment - Baalke has done his best to try to get the 49ers back on track without losing draft picks while still keeping a fair balance between veterans and prospects, but he has an uphill climb to get to where he once was.
The Raiders, on the other hand, have an even steeper climb. Reggie McKenzie is ranked dead last in the NFL. This season can easily put him in the middle of the pack if new additions of Amari Cooper, Crabtree and Jack Del Rio among others can put together a .500 season.
Here's the complete list:
- John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks
- Ozzie Newsom, Baltimore Ravens
- Ted Thompson, Green Bay Packers
- Steve Keim, Arizona Cardinals
- John Elway, Denver Broncos
- Bill Belichick, New England
- Kevin Colbert, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Mickey Loomis, New Orleans Saints
- Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
- Ryan Grigson, Indianapolis Colts
- John Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs
- Rick Smith, Houston Texans
- Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles
- Martin Mayhew, Detroit Lions
- Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
- Jerry Reese, New York Giants
- Les Snead, St. Louis Rams
- Trent Baalke, San Francisco 49ers
- Rick Spielman, Minnesota Vikings
- Dave Gettleman, Carolina Panthers
- Tom Telesco, San Diego Chargers
- Doug Whaley, Buffalo Bills
- Mike Tannenbaum, Miami Dolphins
- Thomas Dimitroff, Atlanta Falcons
- Scot McCloughan, Washington Redskins
- Ryan Place, Chicago Bears
- Dave Caldwell, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Mike Maccagnan, New York Jets
- Ray Farmer, Cleveland Browns
- Ruston Webster, Tennessee Titans
- Jason Licht, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Reggie McKenzie, Oakland Raiders