Ed

Dodds

According to Reed, the Raiders held second interviews with interim GM Champ Kelly, former Chargers GM Tom Telesco, and Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds. Reed also adds that owner Mark Davis “expressed hesitation” about hiring a rookie GM and head coach, which could tilt the job in Telesco’s favor. Telesco last served as the Chargers’ GM from 2013 through 2023 and was fired last December when the team also opted to cut ties with coach Brandon Staley.

Dodds has been with the Colts since 2018 and has a busy schedule of general manager interviews for this hiring cycle. Schefter reports that Dodds has interviewed with the Raiders and plans to meet with the Panthers and Chargers as well. The three teams are looking to fill their general manager vacancies with different appeals to all three jobs. Dodds is in demand as a potential new general manager this offseason.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news on Peters, who has also been targeted by the Commanders as a potential GM candidate. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero broke the news on Dodds, who has been with the Colts since 2018. The Colts have appeared in the playoffs only twice since Dodds was hired, but he makes for a tough evaluation given owner Jim Irsay’s involvement in roster decisions and Irsay’s relationship with GM Chris Ballard. The Raiders have several decisions to make in the coming days, as they’ll also be deciding whether to promote interim head coach Antonio Pierce to head coach or hire another candidate from outside. Dodds and Peters are only two candidates in a GM search that is expected to include a few more candidates before a decision is made.

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert will retire after the 2022 NFL Draft, though reportedly may stay on in some role after the season as support. This is the first we’ve heard of real candidates to replace him. Dodds was a hot name in each of the last two offseasons and withdrew his name from consideration for the Bears job in January.

Dodds is also in the mix for the Raiders’ GM gig, so perhaps he’s more interested in that one or likes where he is with the Colts. He’s already passed up multiple jobs in the last couple years to stay with Indianapolis. Other executives known to interview for the Bears’ GM job are Glenn Cook, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Jeff Ireland, Monti Ossenfort, Joe Schoen, and Eliot Wolf.

The Raiders currently have Mike Mayock as their GM but this points to the end of his tenure in Las Vegas. After a tumultuous season off the field, the Raiders may be cleaning house this offseason. Head coach Jon Gruden resigned earlier this year. Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia led Vegas to the playoffs and the team is conducting head coaching interviews anyway. Mayock might be the next to go. Ziegler was a candidate to land the GM gig in Denver last year but chose to stay in New England instead. He took over as director of player personnel for Nick Caserio after the latter left for Houston. The Raiders also put in a request in interview Colts executive Ed Dodds.

The Bears are also interested in Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for their head coaching vacancy. Dodd was a favorite to land the Browns’ general manager position in 2020, but stayed with the Colts because he had “unfinished business.” He’ll have a strong chance to being the Bears’ next GM if he wants the gig.

Dodds was a candidate for the Browns’ opening last January but opted to remain in Indianapolis, citing “unfinished business.” That business remains unfinished, but No. 2s can only resist bites at that No. 1 apple for so long. Very well regarded as a scout and evaluator, Dobbs spent 10 years in Seattle before arriving in Indy in 2017.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Dodds feels he still has “unfinished business” in Indianapolis. It seems Dodds, whose preferred choice for head coach was 49ers DC Robert Saleh, lost interest as soon as Cleveland tapped Kevin Stefanski to replace Freddie Kitchens. With Dodds out of the running, Eagles VP of football operations Andrew Berry has emerged as the clear frontrunner to succeed John Dorsey as the Browns’ next GM. He’d be a strong get for the Browns, who squandered their best roster in years en route to a disappointing 6-10 finish in 2019.

It’s an interesting development, as Dodds has ties to 49ers DC Robert Saleh, who is among the finalists for Cleveland’s head coach job. The Browns plan to wait until at least after the Divisional Round to name their next coach, suggesting it may be a coordinator that’s still in the playoffs. Dodds has served under Chris Ballard in Indy the last few seasons and is well regarded for his scouting. He would be a high-upside replacement on John Dorsey.