Who could be the Raiders’ next GM? 11 candidates to know

The Raiders have already begun requesting interviews with candidates for their opening coaching position after firing Antonio Pierce on Tuesday.

Now, the team will be looking for a general manager as well. The Raiders fired Tom Telesco on Thursday after his first season in charge.

It’s tricky to compile a list of potential general manager candidates given front offices do most of their work behind the scenes. The Raiders will also likely be looking for someone that feels comfortable working with their next coach, and vice versa.

Still, here are 11 names to keep an eye on, in no particular order:

John Spytek

Spytek has been the Buccaneers’ assistant general manager the last two seasons and has been in the team’s front office for nine.

He’s helped Tampa Bay win four straight NFC South titles, the last two coming after quarterback Tom Brady’s retirement.

Spytek is believed to have formed a strong relationship with Brady, now a Raiders minority owner, during their time together with the Buccaneers. Brady is expected to play a major role in the search process with owner Mark Davis.

Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Liam Coen is also expected to be on the Raiders’ list of coaching candidates, though the team has yet to request an interview with him.

Ray Agnew

The first two coaches the Raiders asked to speak with during their coaching search were Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

It would make sense, then, to pair the two with a general manager they have experience with. That could make Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew a person of interest to the Raiders. Detroit has won the last two NFC North titles and was tied for the NFL’s best record this season at 15-2.

Agnew played in the league for 11 years as a defensive tackle before becoming an executive. He was with the Rams front office from 2017-20 and joined Detroit in 2021.

Terrance Gray

Gray, the Bills director of player personnel, has been in Buffalo since 2017. He’s also spent time with the Vikings and Chiefs during a career that’s spanned more than two decades.

Gray was considered a finalist for the Chargers’ general manager job a year ago and should get his shot at some point. Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady is expected to draw interest from teams as a coaching candidate.

Mike Borgonzi

Borgonzi is an Ivy League alum (Brown) who has been with the Chiefs since 2009. He worked his way through the front office until being named the team’s assistant general manager in 2021.

He’s definitely someone the Raiders could look at as they try to catch up to the pack in the AFC West. The team has already requested to talk to Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for its coaching vacancy.

Thomas Dimitroff

Dimitroff was the general manager of the Falcons from 2008-20 and has worked as the CEO of the football analytics company SumerSports since 2022.

He was also a scout with the Patriots early in Brady’s career and spent five seasons as New England’s director of college scouting.

Jon Robinson

Robinson, like Dimitroff, came up through the Patriots’ scouting department during Brady’s time in New England. He then was the Titans general manager from 2016-22.

Robinson is unlikely to be the choice if the Raiders want to hire former Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel, however. The two appeared to have a falling out toward the end of Robinson’s time with the team.

Ian Cunningham

The Bears assistant general manager is a young executive on the rise.

Cunningham joined the Ravens front office after being cut by the Chiefs as a rookie in 2008. He then moved to the Eagles, where he spent five years. That means he’s cut his teeth in Baltimore and Philadelphia, two of the NFL’s best organizations.

Catherine Hickman

The Browns assistant general manager has been climbing the ranks since leaving the Canadian Football League to join the Eagles in 2019.

Hickman became the first woman to interview for an NFL general manager job when she spoke to the Vikings in 2022. She’s talked to several teams since.

Ed Dodds

Dodds, the Colts assistant general manager, has interviewed with the Raiders twice in the past and come up short both times.

Perhaps the third time could be the charm.

Dodds began his career as a Raiders intern from 2003-06. He also worked as a scout and a personnel executive with the Seahawks during coach Pete Carroll’s tenure there.

Carroll, who left Seattle after the 2023 season, could be a candidate the Raiders look at.

Ray Farmer

Farmer was the Browns general manager in 2014-15 and has spent the last five years working for the Rams.

He helped Los Angeles construct the team that won Super Bowl 56 in 2022.

Jim Nagy

Nagy would be an outside-the-box hire, but he is well connected.

He spent almost two decades working as a scout for Green Bay, Washington, New England, Kansas City and Seattle. He was part of four Super Bowl-winning teams in that time, including Super Bowls 38 and 39 with Brady and the Patriots. He also won Super Bowl 31 with the Packers and Super Bowl 48 with Carroll and the Seahawks.

Nagy has been the executive director of the Senior Bowl, an annual college all-star game that serves as a showcase for draft prospects, since 2018.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.