New Orleans Saints Ireland and Fontenot take center stage as General Manager Candidates

The New Orleans Saints have two executives who will be heavily courted by NFL organizations before Black Monday on January 2, 2021. Expect Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot to have interviews and possible choices to make; but will it be a wise move to allow both to leave the Saints?

The New Orleans Saints have two executives who will be heavily courted by NFL organizations before Black Monday on January 2, 2021.  Expect Assistant GMs Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot to have interviews and possible choices to make; but will it be a wise move to allow both to leave the Saints?

Credit: New Orleans Saints

Mickey Loomis has taught them well - well enough for NFL clubs with current and soon to be General Manager vacancies to interview stars within the Saints executive ranks.  The two key players are Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot.   

Terry Fontenot is the Vice President/Assistant General Manager of Pro Personnel and Scouting. Jeff Ireland is the Vice President/Assistant General Manager of College Personnel and Scouting. Both have excelled in New Orleans under the leadership of Executive Vice President and General Manager Mickey Loomis.   

Last season, teams inquired of Fontenot's services. He hesitated because his father and family were not ready for him to depart New Orleans when he interviewed with the New York Jets' GM position in 2019.  This season things have changed. 

Jeff Ireland was a former executive with the Dallas Cowboys (2001-2007) and General Manager for the Miami Dolphins (2008-2013) before joining the Saints organization in 2015. His days in Miami were not as successful as they currently are for New Orleans. Over the past few years, his name has leaked as a potential candidate for GM roles. The Saints roster had drastically improved when Mickey Loomis handed him the keys to rebuilding its college scouting department and drafting process. Names like running back Alvin Kamara, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, and All-Pro/OPOY/NFL Record Holder Michael Thomas are a few Saints draft picks led by Ireland. But also Terry Fontenot.

NFL organizations need a GM who is an excellent talent evaluator like Fontenot. He has roots in the Saints organization over the last 17 years. The Tulane University graduate started as a Scout in 2003 with New Orleans. After ten seasons, he was promoted to Director of Scouting in 2013 and elevated to the franchise' executive level in 2020 by Mickey Loomis. Fontenot is an African-American candidate. Currently, the NFL has only two African-American general managers, Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns) and Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins).

Reports have New Orleans' NFC South foes, the Atlanta Falcons, interested in interviewing Terry Fontenot for its general manager role. In November, Jim Trotter and Steve Wyche of Huddle and Flow podcast quizzed Falcons owner Arthur Blank for his club's lack of diversity in its executive ranks. It appears Blank is making an effort to include diverse candidates in the interviews.   

The NFL has long recognized this problem and instituted an incentivized hiring program for teams who hire minority executives and coaches. I interviewed Jim Trotter this November on the program's merits. Some influential minorities in professional football are skeptical of the entire process. But, the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans franchises are leading the way in this area.

Before Terry Fontenot became VP/Assistant GM of Pro Personnel, Loomis has VP of Football Administration Khai Harley handling the financial terms of contract negotiations and salary cap matters for the Saints. Former Saints player Fred McAfee is Director of Player Engagement. 

Behind the scenes, New Orleans hired Shaneika Dabney-Henderson as Vice President of Production. Pelicans owner Gayle Benson influenced the organization's hirings of Swin Cash as Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development and General Manager Trajan Langdon in 2019.

Success in the NFL will have other teams coveting talent in either the coaching ranks and executive levels. It is always a positive sign to have talented leaders like Fontenot and Ireland considered for top-level positions. Many a Who Dat would prefer that Fontenot did not leave the Saints for the Falcons. For me, if he does land the job, I expect a "Fontenot-led" organization in Atlanta would be more formidable for the Saints in the years to come.

Jeff Ireland has a well-respected name within the established NFL circles. Teams like the Houston Texans should pay close attention to his success in New Orleans. His scouting team has done exceedingly well in identifying players who fit the New Orleans Saints culture and team philosophy for Coach Payton. You must wonder if it would be in New Orleans' best interest to retain Ireland, especially if Fontenot leaves in the offseason. I guess this will depend on Mickey Loomis vacating the GM spot and allowing Ireland to begin running the show.

Until the day arrives, we shall see.