Saturday February 26 The Pittsburgh Steelers announced that they have interviewed three more candidates for their upcoming general manager vacancy, which will officially open when the current G.M. Kevin Colbert steps aside after the 2022 NFL Draft.
We interviewed the following candidates for our General Manager position this week:
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) February 26, 2022
• Joe Hortiz (Baltimore Ravens)
• Ran Carthon (San Francisco 49ers)
• Andy Weidl (Philadelphia Eagles)
As Heavy Steelers GM Interview tracker, this brings the total number of candidates to 13, if you include ESPN commentator Louis Riddick, who was reported to have scheduled an interview with the Steelers, yet the team hasn't confirmed. that the interview took place.
Regardless, the trio of candidates announced on February 26 is a particularly interesting group.
Joe Hortiz (Ravens)
Joe Hortiz, 46, is notable because he is a Philadelphia native who has been part of the Baltimore Ravens organization for nearly a quarter century, working his way up from being a scout to director of player personnel status to the player he has today. . Hortiz recently interviewed for the job of general manager of the New York Giants, but it went to Joe Shoen, assistant general manager of the Buffalo Bills.
Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta recently had this to say about the Hortiz:
"...Joe is smart, he's a great evaluator, he's got a strong voice. He's always been there, like my sidekick…. I think Joe has a great career [beyond him]. He's a Will be the GM. Someday. A smart team is going to hire him. He has a great skill set, he's a great colleague, he's got a great eye for talent...
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Rain Carthan (49ers)
Equally attractive is Ran Carthon, 41, director of player personnel for the San Francisco 49ers and the youngest of the latest group of candidates. Carthon is the son of former New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts fullback Maurice Carthon, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants between 1985–91 and ended his career with the Colts in 1992.
Ran Carthon had a short NFL playing career in his own right, appearing in nine games for the Colts between 2005–06 after running back at the University of Florida. He finished his career with 16 carries for 22 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a reception for 10 yards. He also returned seven kickoffs for 113 yards, averaging 16.1 yards per return.
According to NFL writer Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, Carthon has been interested in scouting and personnel since his days with the Gators.
“While in Florida, when NFL coaches would arrive for Pro Days, Carthon had the opportunity to sit down with him and see how he broke down the film of possibilities,” Stapleton offered, noting that Colts executive Bill Polian signed Carton as an unapologetic free agent. , the stories surfaced "How the two would look at the tapes of possibility when Polian realized Carthon's interests in that part of the game."
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Andy Weidle (Eagles)
Last but not least, is Andy Weidl, a Pittsburgh native and Villanova graduate who began his NFL career with the Steelers in 1998–99 as a player personnel assistant. This gave him the opportunity to learn from former Steelers Director of Football Operations Tom Donahoe, as well as Pro Football Hall of Fame scout Bill Nunn, aka 'The Dynasty Builder'.
Weddle worked as a scout for the New Orleans Saints, before being hired by the Ravens and spending 11 years in Baltimore, where "he learned how to develop relationships down the road and details on college's prospects." Have to dig for," wrote Jeff MacLean in April 2020 in the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He learned about the importance of culture and finding those who matched those characteristics. And he learned how to passionately advocate for players he thought the Ravens of the future might be.
"It's not so much about getting talent. It's building a team," Weidl told MacLaine. "You can't just bring anyone into the locker room. It's a certain kind of nod to that culture." Be fit is what your team is about."
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