The best general managers in the NFL

Top 10 in 2014: The best general managers in the NFL today

By cover32 Staff
July 09, 2014

http://cover32.com/2014/07/09/top-10-in-2014-the-best-general-managers-in-the-nfl-today/5/

1. Ozzie Newsome

Newsome has done it twice in Baltimore

He’s built two different championship teams, as the Ravens’ titles were more than a decade apart. And he’s done it by sticking to his guns. He lets players leave when they are past their prime or not worth their inflated contracts. He retains guys who are a good fit for John Harbaugh’s system. And he consistently finds talent that fill needs to keep the Ravens roster stockpiled. He’s the best in the business in 2014.

2. John Schneider

A mini-dynasty is on deck in Seattle

Building a Super Bowl winning team is always a great résumé building. Doing it with a roster of young talent, many of who were late-round draft picks, is even more impressive. Yes, free agency will eventually start to take its toll on Seattle’s roster, just like it did the Cowboys in the early 1990s. But for now, Schneider has assembled a team that can be a mini-dynasty for a few years in the Pacific Northwest.

3. Les Snead

Snead has built a team ready to break through

He’s built what is arguably the best defense in the NFL, even if most people haven’t had a chance to watch them play, and it’s been done with young talent brought to St. Louis via the draft. That’s because Snead is a) great at stockpiling picks (thanks in part to the Redskins) and b) amazing at evaluating talent (he doesn’t miss with his top choices). Now, he just needs to find a quarterback who can guide the Rams to the playoffs.

4. Jerry Reese

Reese’s two rings show how good he is

Has he hit on every draft pick or free agent? Absolutely not, and the misses are constantly brought up on New York sports talk shows. But the reality of the situation is that Reese has assembled two Super Bowl winning rosters with the Giants; that ain’t bad. And perhaps even more importantly, he’s shown the fortitude to stick with his head coach, as Tom Coughlin has been in the media crosshairs more than anyone else.

5. John Elway

Elway is the NFL’s top recruiter

When it comes to the draft, Elway has been somewhat of a mixed bag. But in free agency, he hits one home run after another. It started when he signed the biggest free agent in the history of the game, landing Peyton Manning and transforming the Broncos overnight. But it’s continued with Wes Welker in 2013, and now Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and DeMarcus Ware in 2014. The guy is one heckuva recruiter, that’s for sure.

6. Ted Thompson

Thompson will make the tough decisions

To some extent, Thompson is going to have a place on this list for a long time simply because he had the foresight, and stones, to make the move away from Brett Favre and to Aaron Rodgers; that took tremendous courage and conviction in Green Bay. But he’s also proven to be a very good talent evaluator, taking guys like Randall Cobb and Eddie Lacy when other teams passed on them for one reason or another.

7. Steve Keim

Keim had a banner first year in Arizona

During his first year as general manager in Arizona, Keim was named Executive of the Year by several publications and web sites. And for good reason. He hired Bruce Arians, which was a slightly controversial decision given that he was giving the long-time assistant his first head coaching gig. And he signed Carson Palmer, another oft-criticized move given the QB’s age. But it paid off, as the Cardinals became a 10-win team and are on the rise.

8. Kevin Colbert

Colbert doesn’t build a winner by throwing cash around

Colbert doesn’t have the luxury of being the Brian Cashman of the NFL, as the Steelers aren’t going to spend their way out of mistakes like the Yankees do in baseball. Instead, the 57-year-old GM is responsible for executing a very conservative plan, something that has been the norm in Pittsburgh since free agency began. If players get too expensive, he’s willing to let them leave because he always has another way of talent waiting in the wings.

9. Rick Smith

Smith has assembled a talent-laden roster

Given the lack of playoff success in Houston, it may surprise some people that the guy who has been running the show on the personnel side since 2006 is on this list. But the Texans haven’t fallen short of the ultimate goal because of a lack of talent, except for perhaps at quarterback. Look at the roster Smith has built; it’s loaded with greatness on both sides of the ball, something new head coach Bill O’Brien can work with in year one.

10. Bill Belichick

It’s hard to argue with success

Plenty of people are critical of the way Belichick runs the personnel side of the Patriots, especially in recent seasons, but it’s difficult to ignore the results. Does he trade down too much in the draft? Perhaps. Does he leave glaring holes in certain positions, such as wide receiver in 2013? Maybe. But at the end of the day, he builds a roster that almost always wins at least 11 games and is atop the AFC East. That’s ultimately the measuring stick.