We’ve heard all kinds of things about who might become the next Green Bay Packers’ general manager.
Here’s a sampling.
Director of football operations Eliot Wolf has been promoted up the ranks quickly. Not only has former Packers’ president Bob Harlan said he’s going to get the GM job, but his family was ticked off when Ted Thompson and the Packers wouldn’t let him interview for GM jobs elsewhere.
Some people think director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst is the top internal candidate.
As Green Bay Packers reshape their front office, some in that organization believe Brian Gutenkunst will emerge as top in-house GM candidate
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 2, 2018
Gutekunst apparently had the San Francisco 49ers GM job last year, until the Packers threw a bunch of money at him and he withdrew his name from consideration.
So it’s viable to think he’s the top internal candidate.
But according to Tom Silverstein, he isn’t. It’s the scenario we never wanted to consider.
Russ Ball.
Silverstein says Ball is the best bet.
Here’s the thing. Ball and Packers’ president Mark Murphy are close. Do you know why they’re close?
They’re both money guys. Let’s be clear. Murphy doesn’t view the Green Bay Packers as a football team. He views them as a corporation. How can we make more money?
Russ Ball is the VP of player finance. What does he focus on? Money. Contracts.
Russ Ball has no scouting background. He would have to rely on his lieutenants for that sort of thing. Unfortunately, if the Packers hire Ball to be GM, Ball won’t have any of those. Alonzo Highsmith is already gone. If Ball is hired to be GM, Wolf and Gutekunst are going too.
So then what?
Ball relies on Big Ted for all personnel decisions?
The Packers aren’t out of the woods yet. Nothing has been done. And, in fact, we hear former Buffalo Bills GM Doug Doug Whaley will get an interview.
But, I mean, c’mon. That’s just to adhere to the Rooney Rule in a very superficial way.
It was my dream when the Packers finally canned Big Ted. It will be my nightmare if Russ Ball replaces him. It will likely end up being yours too.
But hell, maybe that’s why Ginger Gap Tooth proclaimed that Mike McCarthy would was our coach so adamantly the other day. Because the Packers will hire from in-house, a guy who knows jack shit about football players, but knows a ton about making money!
Prepare yourselves. This could be very, very disappointing.