Since the passing of Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders have been considering a variety of candidates for their general manager position. Al Davis had his circle of people but he acted in a bit of a de facto GM role. His death has put the Raiders in a position to reconsider their power structure.
Hue Jackson has filled the power vacuum to some extent, particularly in light of the Carson Palmer trade, but the team is considering a variety of options for their personnel roles. One such option could be 49ers Director of Player Personnel Tom Gamble.
Gamble has been with the 49ers for seven years and has been working in the NFL for 24 years. Gamble was promoted to his current role in January after working as Director of Pro Personnel. His current role covers both college and NFL players in close combination with general manager Trent Baalke. Previously he focused on scouting upcoming NFL free agents and generally monitoring every NFL roster. In 2010 he was given more college responsibilities, which set him up well for his current job. He has "the genes" for personnel so to speak as his own father was President of the Philadelphia Eagles at one point.
The 49ers player personnel department has had a strong 2011 campaign. The draft has provided four strong contributors and free agency has turned out to be a significant success thus far. You could argue Trent Baalke is one of the front-runners for Sporting News' Executive of the Year Award. Of course, it is not possible without his supporting cast, and Gamble is one such part. It remains to be soon seen who deserves "the most credit" for the job done thus far, but it has been a strong performance across the board.