Washington interviews Titans’ Ryan Cowden for GM job, plans to meet with other candidates

It has been nearly four years since someone had the title of GM in Washington, but the role this time could look much different from the job Scot McCloughan last held in 2017.

When Ron Rivera was hired as head coach last year, he also became the team’s lead voice in its self-described “coach-centric” model. Rivera has final say over the team’s personnel decisions, as well as its on-field operations, but he has emphasized a collaborative approach with his staff.

“No matter who it is, no matter who’s working with us, it has to be a collaboration,” he said last January. “This is not a one-man show. I don’t have all the answers. I’m going to rely on people around me.”

The structure is similar to what Washington had in the past, with Mike Shanahan and Joe Gibbs. But Rivera and owner Daniel Snyder have cited Seattle, with Coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider, and Kansas City, with Coach Andy Reid and GM Brett Veach, as current successful examples.

Rivera, however, has offered few details on what he envisions for the GM position.

“There’s more to this position than meets the eye,” he said in a recent interview with 106.7 the Fan. “… There’s so much operational stuff that’s involved as well. There’s a lot to it. This is not just picking players and making decisions on contracts or hiring coaches or what have you. It is a big task.”

Rivera hired more than a dozen coaches and staffers who worked alongside him in Carolina, citing familiarity and an already established trust, as well as experience.

In hiring a GM, Rivera could seek the same things.

Cowden, 42, spent 16 years in scouting for Carolina, and five of those overlapped with Rivera’s tenure as head coach. He joined the Titans in 2016 and oversees all aspects of their college and pro scouting.

Mayhew, 55, is a former Washington defensive back who transitioned to the front office soon after his playing days ended. He received a law degree from Georgetown, then joined the Lions in 2001, eventually working his way up to general manager by 2008. Mayhew spent 15 years with the Lions and another with the New York Giants as their lead salary cap and contracts executive (2016), and he just completed his fourth season with the 49ers.

Both Cowden and Mayhew are represented by Frank Bauer, who is also the agent for Rivera.

Wooden, 51, a former Syracuse linebacker, has nearly 24 years of experience in NFL scouting, starting as a pro personnel assistant with the New York Jets. Wooden spent 16 seasons with New York, lastly as its assistant director of player personnel, and now oversees the Chargers’ pro and college scouting departments.

Polk’s background is more on the administrative side. A former college coach, Polk spent four years as the director of football operations for NFL Europe. He has been with the Falcons for the past 18 seasons, working closely with the GM on the salary cap and contract negotiations, as well as labor-related issues.

Washington currently has two executives who oversee different elements of the team’s front office. Rob Rogers, the team’s vice president of football administration, was hired last year and manages the salary cap and handles contract negotiations.

Kyle Smith, 36, was promoted to vice president of player personnel last year and has been the highest-ranking personnel executive during Rivera’s tenure in Washington. Smith overseas the team’s pro and college scouting departments. As of Thursday, it was unclear whether he would be interviewing for the GM role.