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The New York Jets are beginning to interview candidates for their general manager vacancy, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The team is expected to speak with former Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
“There will be other candidates as well, and the Jets plan to announce or confirm each GM interview after it is completed, but Robinson’s is expected this week, with Riddick’s coming at a later date, according to sources,” Schefter reported.
Schefter noted how Robinson and Riddick both have an early advantage because they aren’t working for an NFL team right now. They can meet with the Jets any time. Other candidates employed across the league have to wait until after the regular season.
The downside is that Robinson and Riddick will interview knowing full well New York is a few weeks away, at a minimum, from making a final decision. The organization will want to make sure the final hire is made after examining all of their possible options, which means waiting around until the season ends.
Robinson was the Titans GM from 2016 through 2022. During his tenure, Tennessee made the playoffs four times and advanced to the AFC title game in 2019.
Robinson started out strong as the Titans selected Derrick Henry, Jack Conklin and Kevin Byard in the 2016 NFL draft. Getting Jeffery Simmons and A.J. Brown in the first and second rounds of the 2019 draft was an excellent haul as well. Ryan Tannehill’s renaissance also occurred with Robinson leading the front office.
Ultimately, Tennessee didn’t draft well on the whole, however. By the time Robinson was fired, ESPN’s Turron Davenport noted only two of the seven first-rounders that Robinson had picked were still on the roster.
The A.J. Brown trade has only aged worse too. He made back-to-back Pro Bowls after joining the Philadelphia Eagles.
Football fans are mostly familiar with Riddick through his work with ESPN. Rising up the ladder, he joined the Monday Night Football booth starting in 2020 before the network poached Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from Fox in 2022.
Prior to his pivot to broadcasting, Riddick worked in the front offices of the Eagles and Washington Commanders. He was Philly’s director of pro personnel from 2010 to 2013.
