The San Francisco 49ers GM process seemed to be simplifying last week as they narrowed down finalists, but the Indianapolis Colts recently started process is providing some awkward moments.
We learned this morning that Kansas City Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is interviewing with the Colts after the Chiefs rejected the 49ers request. Now, Green Bay Packers executive Eliot Wolf is expected to interview with the Colts, according to Mike Garafolo, after pulling out of the 49ers process.
Wolf did interview with the 49ers initially, before pulling his name out of the potential group of finalists that would meet with Kyle Shanahan. He reportedly got a new contract with the Packers, but clearly that new deal did not preclude another interview. As mentioned in discussing Ballard, the Colts offer Andrew Luck as a key building block. Even with head coach Chuck Pagano in place, he is on the hot seat, which could provide the GM a chance to hire a new coach very soon.
What the Wolf news could tell us is he views the Colts as a chance for a real GM job, and not a “sorta GM” effectively working for Shanahan. The 49ers process has evolved into a situation where Shanahan is effectively picking his GM, and it is safe to say Shanahan will probably end up with final say on the team’s 53-man roster. The GM will still have a critical day-to-day role, but for high ranking personnel executives looking to run their own shop, the Colts likely offer more significant control than the 49ers.