Joe Douglas’ time as the New York Jets’ general manager came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, as owner Woody Johnson made the decision to fire him during the team’s bye week.
Douglas’ dismissal marks the end of a turbulent six-season tenure. Douglas finished with a 30-64 record, never managing more than seven wins in a single season.
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As the Jets look ahead to 2025, here are eight executives the team should consider for the general manager role.
Ray Agnew, Detroit Lions Assistant GM
A product of NC State, Ray Agnew brings extensive playing experience to the front office. The 10th overall pick of the 1990 draft, Agnew racked up 451 tackles and 22.5 sacks in 11 seasons as an NFL defensive tackle.
Agnew has translated his playing success to a budding front-office career. He joined the Los Angeles Rams as their director of pro personnel, a role that he served from 2017-20. Los Angeles made three playoff trips during his tenure, including a 2018 run to the Super Bowl.
While the Rams got over the top and won it all in the season following Agnew’s departure, Agnew helped acquire many of the veteran players who contributed to the Rams’ 2021 championship, including Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, A’Shawn Robinson, Darious Williams, and Andrew Whitworth.
It’s also worth noting that Agnew’s son, Ray Agnew III, is in his eighth season with the New York Jets front office, where he currently serves as a pro scout.
Ed Dodds, Indianapolis Colts Assistant GM
Ed Dodds joined the Indianapolis Colts as their vice president of player personnel in 2017. He was promoted to their assistant GM role in 2018, where he has served over the past seven years.
Prior to joining the Colts, Dodds worked his way up through the NFL ranks across 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks. He began as a scout in 2007 before eventually becoming Seattle’s senior personnel executive from 2015-16.
Ian Cunningham, Chicago Bears Assistant GM
Ian Cunningham has one of the most unique backstories among the candidates on this list. It is pretty wild how much front-office experience he offers at his age.
Despite being only 38 years old, Cunningham is in his 17th season working in NFL front offices. A college offensive lineman at Virginia Tech, he signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008, but failed make the roster. Immediately after he was released, he joined the Baltimore Ravens as a personnel assistant – he was only 22 years old at the time.
Cunningham spent nine seasons as a personnel assistant (2008-12) and area scout (2013-16) for Baltimore before heading up I-95 to Philly in 2017. He was the Eagles’ director of college scouting from 2017-18, their assistant director of player personnel from 2019-20, and their director of player personnel in 2021. Keen-eyed Jets fans probably noticed that Cunningham was a part of two Super Bowl teams, bringing home rings in 2012 with Baltimore and 2017 with the Birds.
Since 2022, Cunningham has been the assistant general manager in Chicago.
Mike Borgonzi, Kansas City Chiefs Assistant GM
Mike Borgonzi has been working his way up in the Chiefs’ front office since 2009, holding seven different titles during his tenure. His roles in Kansas City include:
- Administrator of college scouting (2009)
- Manager of football operations (2010)
- Pro scout (2011-12)
- Assistant director of pro scouting (2013-14)
- Director of player personnel (2015-17)
- Director of football operations (2018-20)
- Assistant general manager (2021-present)
John Dorsey, Detroit Lions Senior Personnel Executive
The most experienced candidate on this list, John Dorsey has already served two stints as an NFL general manager.
Dorsey spearheaded the Chiefs’ front office from 2013-17. While he was not around for their three eventual championships, Dorsey acquired many of the team’s core pieces for those title victories, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, and Chris Jones.
From 2017-19, Dorsey was the Browns’ GM. Since then, he has served as a consultant for the Eagles (2020) and a senior personnel executive for the Lions (2021-present), playing a role in Detroit’s rapid turnaround.
Most of the candidates on this list are up-and-comers, but if the Jets are looking for someone who has done the job before, Dorsey could be their best bet.
Andy Weidl, Pittsburgh Steelers Assistant General Manager
Jets fans might roll their eyes reading this section, noticing strong parallels to Joe Douglas’ resume, but Douglas’ failures shouldn’t rule out candidates with a similar background. Douglas had an excellent resume even if his tenure ultimately did not work out.
Like Douglas, Weidl has risen through the ranks with the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles, two of the NFL’s model franchises regarding talent acquisition. Weidl was a scout for Baltimore from 2005-16, working alongside Douglas in the Ravens’ scouting department throughout a portion of that time. He’s been with the Eagles since 2016, serving as their assistant director of player personnel (2016-17), director of player personnel (2018), and vice president of player personnel (2019-present).
Perhaps the second time could be the charm for New York when it comes to GMs with ties to the Ravens and Eagles.
