2018 General Manager Candidates

There is a very strong chance that General Manager Ted Thompson will keep his job through the 2018 NFL Draft. However, after a disappointing season and growing concerns about the ability to surround Aaron Rodgers with the needed talent to win Super Bowls, it is worth looking at potential replacements:

Eliot Wolf – Packers Director of Football Operations

Wolf has been seen as the heir apparent for the Packers for several seasons. Beyond the genetics, we don’t know if Eliot would take a more aggressive approach to Free Agency like his father, or a similar approach to Ted Thompson who has been his boss for 12 seasons.

Brian Gutekunst – Packers Director of Player Personnel

Gutekunst has gotten plenty of attention in other GM searches. He comes from a more traditional scouting background. Whether the Packers choose Wolf or Gutekunst, they would likely lose the other one to another franchise.

Nick Caserio – Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel

Caserio takes on a lot of responsibility in New England, as Bill Belichick obviously has other responsibilities to worry about during the season. Caserio may be playing the waiting game (along with the two Coordinators) for Belichick to retire, but Green Bay would certainly be seen as an elite job. He also could possibly lure Josh McDaniels or Matt Patricia as a package deal.

Eric DeCosta – Ravens assistant General Manager

It may be difficult to convince DeCosta to leave Baltimore. It is assumed that DeCosta is Ozzie Newsome’s heir apparent, but some of his luster has been lost in the recent years as the Ravens have struggled to take a significant step forward. However, he has a long track record of success to support his candidacy.

George Paton – Vikings assistant General Manager

The Vikings have been the best drafting team in the NFL over the past few seasons. They’ve seemingly made all the right moves, and Paton has been GM Rick Spielman’s right-hand man. He’s certainly proved an ability to identify defensive talent.

While the Ted Thompson era has been a very good one, I believe it’s time to look towards other options. There are plenty of good candidates, but choosing the next General Manager will be the most important decision facing the Packers for the last portion of Aaron Rodgers’ career.