Monti

Ossenfort

Speaking on Wednesday, Ossenfort said of the Cardinals’ willingness to wheel and deal, “There will be a big neon sign that says ‘open’ and I don’t like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we’re always going to be listening.” The Cardinals are in a unique position with the No. 4 overall pick, as they’re the only team picking in the top four that doesn’t need a quarterback in a class that features four QBs that could go in the top five. Quarterback-needy teams who are picking behind the Cardinals could be willing to send away multiple high-value picks to move up and select a quarterback, meaning the Cardinals could have several offers worth listening to. We’ll see if anything materializes in the coming days, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team like the Giants or Vikings make a push for the No. 4 pick.

They don’t have quite the same leverage as the Bears do, but it’s certainly possible that the Cardinals look to trade down. A team could leapfrog the QB-hungry Colts (if the Colts don’t trade up themselves) and select someone in the event that the Bears keep the pick or that the top of the draft is into many of the top quarterbacks rather than just Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. The Cardinals could potentially wind up with Jalen Carter or Will Anderson at No. 3 overall if they stay put.

The Cardinals have not requested an interview with any of the coaches participating in the Super Bowl, but this report leaves the door open for them to do so after the final game of the season concludes. Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Eagles OC Shane Steichen, and Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon have all had requests for head coaching interviews during the post-season. Steichen has been invited to and completed multiple interviews already and is the most likely target of the Cardinals if they are eying a Super Bowl coach. Giants OC Mike Kafka and Bengals DC Lou Anarumo are reportedly still in the running for the gig as well.

Ossenfort won four Super Bowls during his 14-year stint with the Patriots before leaving for Tennessee to serve as the director of player personnel. Ossenfort has 21 years of NFL experience, beginning back in 2001 when he was hired by the Vikings as an intern. During his time in Tennessee, the Titans made the playoffs in two of Ossenfort’s three seasons (2020 and 2021), and were division champs in each of those seasons. The hiring of Ossenfort brings the Cardinals one step closer to hiring a coach, which is a decision that will come down to multiple people, including quarterback Kyler Murray.

Ossenfort is also on the long list of candidates the Titans are hoping to interview for their general manager vacancy, as they could consider keeping him in-house heading into 2023. Nevertheless, the Cardinals have work to do at both head coach and general manager with Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim now gone. Ossenfort has spent the last three seasons with the Titans and spent six seasons as the Patriots’ director of college scouting (2014-2019). With an NFL resumé that dates back to a 2001 internship with the Vikings, it’s safe to say Ossenfort has more than enough NFL experience to garner serious consideration for a general manager role.

Ossenfort is one of two in-house candidates, with vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden being the other. Per Rapsheet, 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon, Browns assistant GM Glenn Cook, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters and Bills senior director of pro personnel Mailk Boyd are the initial outside candidates. Whoever replaces Robinson is probably going to end up something of a No. 2 to powerful head coach Mike Vrabel.

The Bears also completed interviews with Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett for head coach and Titans exec Monti Ossenfort for general manager. A candidate for the Texans’ opening last year, Caldwell has now met with Chicago and Jacksonville this cycle. Amongst the retread options, he is one of the better ones, but it would not be a franchise-changing hire. Caldwell’s job would be one more of stabilization.

With the Titans on a bye, Ossenfort is the first candidate to interview. Ossenfort, a longtime Patriots executive, played quarterback at the University of Minnesota and worked as a Vikings training camp intern in 2001. The Vikings have also requested interviews with Eagles director of player personnel Brandon Brown and VP of football operations Catherine Raiche, Browns VP of player personnel Glenn Cook and VP of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Chiefs director player personnel Ryan Poles, Buccaneers VP of player personnel John Spytek, and Patriots personnel consultant Eliot Wolf.

They also requested an interview with the Titans VP of player personnel, Ryan Cowden. Ossenfort was a longtime executive in New England before joining the Titans ahead of the 2020 season. After his first year, he interviewed for the GM vacancy in Carolina but was selected for the job. The Titans earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, boosting the value of all of the members of their front office, Ossenfort included. Expect more teams to consider poaching some of Tennessee’s staff this offseason.

The same is true for Seahawks VP of football operations Scott Fitterer. A longtime Patriots exec, Ossenfort just wrapped up his first season in Tennessee. He still has some of that Bill Belichick sheen that every non-Patriots team craves. Peters has been with the Niners for four years after eight in Denver and six in New England.