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10 potential general manager candidates for the Washington Football Team

By Jacob Camenker

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle Smith of the Washington Football Team speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Kyle Smith
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 25: Vice President of Player Personnel Kyle Smith of the Washington Football Team speaks to the media at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) *** Local Capture *** Kyle Smith /
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DETROIT MI – OCTOBER 11: Detroit Lions Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Martin Mayhew watches the action during the game against the Arizona Cardinals on October 11, 2015 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Cardinals defeated the Lion 42-17. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT MI – OCTOBER 11: Detroit Lions Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Martin Mayhew watches the action during the game against the Arizona Cardinals on October 11, 2015 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Cardinals defeated the Lion 42-17. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

42. . Vice President of Player Personnel. San Francisco 49ers. Martin Mayhew. 5. player

Martin Mayhew would be a calculated risk to take on as a GM. On the one hand, he has experience in numerous high-octane roles across football. He has been a player, helped run the upstart XFL in the early 2000s, and was once the general manager of the Detroit Lions.

On the other hand, Mayhew’s success as a GM was decidedly mixed, and asking him to take on such a role again would be banking on him having improved significantly during his four-year stint with the 49ers.

Mayhew’s struggles with the Lions are well-documented but as I noted in a recent article confirming the team’s interest in him, his work with the 49ers has been decidedly better and transformed them into a Super Bowl contender.

"In the draft, Mayhew hit on some solid early-round talents like Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, Darius Slay, and Cliff Avril, but he whiffed on many early-round selections as well. That included Titus Young, Ryan Broyles, Eric Ebron, and Brandon Pettigrew, among others. He also didn’t have many notable mid-round picks. However, Mayhew has improved during his time with the 49ers. He helped shape the team into a Super Bowl contender by putting together great draft classes headlined by the likes of Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Mike McGlinchey, Deebo Samuel, Fred Warner, Javon Kinlaw, and Brandon Aiyuk. The team’s success finding receivers should particularly appeal to Washington. The 49ers have also taken calculated risks in free agency like signing injured cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Jason Verrett while being active on the trade market and making a move for Jimmy Garoppolo. This work hasn’t all been Mayhew, but he has clearly done well as a key cog in the 49ers’ front office under John Lynch."

The work the 49ers have done has been very good, and their organizational rebuild is similar to the one that Washington is executing. They had all the pieces needed to be a great defense, kept adding to that side, and found Jimmy Garoppolo via trade. Mayhew could be asked to do the same in Washington, and his ties to Matthew Stafford, his No. 1 overall pick in 2009, would certainly intrigue some fans.

Mayhew has his warts, but if Rivera and Co. believe he’s a fit, he could work out. His recent resume suggests he’s a strong candidate, but his past with the Lions should add just a little hint of doubt to any decision to potentially target him.

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