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Jacksonville Jaguars fire GM Trent Baalke: Here are 3 candidates to replace him
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- Jacksonville Jaguars fire GM Trent Baalke: Here are 3 candidates to replace him
The Jacksonville Jaguars are moving on from general manager Trent Baalke after the team finished the season with a 4-13 record, missing the playoffs for a second straight year. Though the move is coming more than a week after the team let go of head coach Doug Pederson.
Baalke served as Jacksonville's GM from 2021-24 , hired after serving as the team's interim GM late during the 2020 season. Baalke was retained when Jaguars owner Shad Khan hired head coach Doug Pederson, who was also let go by the team's owner on Wednesday in the midst of a head coaching search.
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Baalke finished in Jacksonville with an executive record of 25-42. He served as GM of the San Francisco 49ers from 2010-16, going 57-54-1. His overall record is 82-96-1.
FILLING IN: Ethan Waugh takes over as interim GM after Trent Baalke's firing
The Jacksonville GM picked first overall two times during his tenure, including selecting former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence . He followed up by drafting defensive lineman Travon Walker first overall in 2022.
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke is shown during Friday afternoon's press conference at TIAA Bank Field.
Still, the team couldn't accomplish its goals even after winning the AFC South in 2022 and coming one game short of the title in 2023, earning back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in Khan's tenure as owner.
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Had the Jaguars fired Baalke right after the regular season ended, this list would have included Tampa Bay assistant general manager John Spytek and Washington assistant GM Lance Newmark. But Spytek has reportedly been hired to run the Las Vegas front office and Newmark reportedly just had his second interview with the New York Jets . Still, we broke down a few names to potentially keep in mind as the days and weeks move forward.
Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager, Chicago Bears
One of the hottest GM candidates on the market, Cunningham has been with the Bears since 2022, joining forces with GM Ryan Poles in Chicago .
He began his executive career with the Baltimore Ravens as a personnel assistant from 2008-16 before being promoted to area scout (2013-16). Cunningham left Baltimore to be the Philadelphia Eagles ' director of college scouting (2017-18) and assistant director of player personnel (2019-2020) before finally becoming the team's director of player personnel in 2021.
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Cunningham has interviewed with the Los Angeles Chargers , was a finalist for the Washington Commander's post, was a candidate with the Titans and turned down an opportunity to become the Arizona Cardinals ' GM to stay with Chicago.
Chad Alexander, assistant general manager, Los Angeles Chargers
Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander spent 20 years with the Baltimore Ravens, beginning his career as a player personnel assistant (1999-03) before transitioning to area scout (2003-09) and finally the team's assistant director of pro personnel (09-19) for a decade.
Alexander moved on to become the director of players personnel with the New York Jets , spending nearly six years with the club from (2019-24) before joining the Chargers in February.
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Brandon Brown, assistant general manager, New York Giants
New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown talks to reporters after the first day of mandatory minicamp at the Giants training center in East Rutherford on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
A finalist for the GM job with the Chargers and Carolina Panthers in 2023, Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown could find himself looking for a new job if co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch opt to move on from coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen following a disappointing season.
Brown has plenty of experience, beginning his career as a pro personnel intern with the New York Jets in 2012, jumping to the collegiate ranks with Boston College as a recruiting specialist (2013) and assistant director of player personnel (2014) before returning to the NFL in 2015 with the Indianapolis Colts as a scouting assistant (2015) and an advance scout (2016).
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Brown's career blossomed with the Philadelphia Eagles as the team's assistant director of pro scouting (2017-18), director of pro scouting (2019-20) and director of player personnel (2021).
He joined the Giants as the team's assistant GM in 2022.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars fire Trent Baalke: GM candidates to consider
