According to The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz, the Falcons are considering ESPN analyst Louis Riddick for their open GM vacancy.
ESPN commentator and former Washington and Philadelphia pro personnel director Louis Riddick is among a list of candidates for Falcons' GM job, according to sources. Riddick, who played for the Falcons in 1992 and '96, has interviewed for other GM jobs in past. @TheAthleticNFL
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) December 7, 2020
In late October, our Alex Lord made a case for the former Falcon to return to Atlanta as the general manager, replacing Thomas Dimitroff. If you haven’t read that yet, check it out here. Here’s an excerpt from Alex’s piece:
Louis Riddick spent time in Washington and Philadelphia as a member of each club’s pro scouting department. From 2001-2004, he was a scout until promoted in 2005 to the director of pro personnel, where he served until 2007. He climbed ranks similarly in Philadelphia, starting as a pro scout in 2008. Then, after two promotions, he found himself again labeled as the director of pro personnel but this time for the Eagles. His responsibilities included but were not limited to evaluating current NFL players and other professional football leagues (CFL, AFL, etc). His expertise in assessing professional players could be beneficial for a team like the Falcons who have the foundation pieces in place but need role players. This does not imply Riddick did not scout at the collegiate level because he absolutely did, contrary to what his job title would suggest.
Obviously, Riddick has recently made a name for himself as a member of ESPN, where he has quickly shot up the ranks and is currently a member of their Monday Night Football broadcast. The hiring of TV personalities to front-office positions has been looked down upon in the past. However, the successful hiring of Mike Mayock in Las Vegas should change that moving forward, and Riddick looks to be the next guy who could make the jump.
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