Raiders ask to interview 4 candidates for GM position

The Raiders are wasting no time in starting their general manager search.

Meanwhile, other teams have looked to Las Vegas to potentially fill head coach and general manager openings of their own.

On a busy day on both fronts, the Raiders contacted teams seeking permission to interview potential candidates Monday, one day after they ended their season with a 27-14 win against the Broncos. Among those the Raiders requested was Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who has a connection to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

The others the team is looking to speak with are 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown and Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have sought permission from the Raiders to interview interim general manager Champ Kelly for their GM position. And the Chargers have asked for permission to talk with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham about their head coach opening.

Dodds interviewed with the Raiders two years ago after they fired Mike Mayock. He made a strong impression, despite the team hiring Dave Ziegler instead. Dodds has remained a favorite of owner Mark Davis.

Dodds began his front-office career as a Raiders scout in 2003. Harbaugh was the team’s quarterbacks coach at the time.

Dodds has been with the Colts for seven years and their assistant general manager since 2018. He previously worked in the Seahawks’ personnel department and helped build the team that won the 2014 Super Bowl.

Peters has worked in the NFL for 21 years. He’s been the 49ers’ assistant general manager the past three.

Peters also worked for the Broncos from 2009 to 2016. He was a regional and national scout before being promoted to director of college scouting. Before that, he was a Patriots scouting assistant from 2003 to 2008.

Brown, like Dodds, interviewed for the Raiders’ general manager job in 2022. He has worked in the scouting departments for the Patriots, Eagles and Bengals. He has been a senior personnel executive in Cincinnati the past two seasons.

Gray has been with the Bills since 2017 and served as their assistant director of player personnel from 2020 to 2022. He previously spent 11 seasons as a college scout with the Vikings. He also worked for the Chiefs from 2003 to 2005 in the player development and personnel offices.

The Raiders’ coaching and general manager roles are vacant after they fired Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels on Oct. 31. They are expected to consider Kelly and interim coach Antonio Pierce to fill those jobs.

The Panthers’ interest in Kelly, expected to draw interest from multiple teams, for their general manager position was said to be “real,” according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Graham, who transformed the Raiders’ defense into a top-10 unit this season, is expected to draw interest from multiple teams with head coach openings. The Chargers, whose defense surrendered the 24th most points in the NFL, could be a fit.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.