Green Bay Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf was finally allowed to interview for a general manager position, this one with the San Francisco 49ers. Finally, because last year when the Detroit Lions made a request to interview, he was promptly blocked by the Packers organization due to a loophole. He still would have been able to interview, but not until the Packers were out of the playoffs.
Well, an article in the Journal Sentinel, a Wisconsin publication, says he was at the very least “disappointed” about it. The report suggests that the 49ers being a non-divisional opponent likely played a factor.
Ted Thompson is the current general manager of the Green Bay Packers and it’s widely speculated, even assumed by those in the organization that Wolf will be the one to succeed the long-time general manager. In the article it’s indicated that not just Wolf, but his father, retired Packers Exec Ron Wolf was not happy with Green Bay’s decision last year as well.
I bring all this up because the 49ers are the only general manager position open this season. If Wolf is irritated that the Packers wouldn’t let him interview for a GM position last year it may go into the 49ers favor if they were to offer him the job. It also explains the promotion and pay raise last year, sort of a “let’s make it better” act.
Blocks happen for a number of reasons. Mostly it’s either because the organization plans on promoting an individual, the candidate doesn’t want any part of the requesting party and the organization instead blocks to save face, or this: a division rival wants a coveted front office executive and the Packers had to find a way to stop it.
If the 49ers leak their interest on Wolf (and that may happen) it will be interesting if Green Bay scrambles to get Ted Thompson out, have Wolf be the successor people have speculated he’d be, and jam the 49ers. On the same token, the article suggests that Packers Vice President of Football Administration/Player Finance Russ Ball could wind up being the man to take the reigns of Green Bay. Either way, it sounds like the Packers are getting a mess on their hands and if the 49ers make a job offer, it may get worse.
Or maybe their loss and blunder has some resentment in Wolf and it’s all for the 49ers gain. Do you think any of this is going to help the 49ers land Wolf if they offer the job?