There's been a lot of speculation surrounding Raheem Morris' future with the Atlanta Falcons, but not as much about Terry Fontenot's. The Falcons finished with losing records in all five seasons Fontenot has called the shots and the only time they came close to making the playoffs was last season.
The 44-year-old general manager certainly hasn't done a bad job constructing this roster, but his track record in the draft has left a lot to be desired. The James Pearce Jr. trade was a stroke of genius, but several of his early-round draft picks never panned out the way fans were expecting.
With the 5-9 Falcons slowly gearing towards a massive coaching shakeup, it's not unreasonable to suggest Arthur Blank's choice to clean house could extend into upper management. And if he does pull the plug on Fontenot, here's three executives who should be considered to replace him.
3 GM candidates Falcons should consider if they move on from Terry Fontenot
Philadelphia Eagles Assistant GM Alec Halaby
The Philadelphia Eagles' organization is an interesting one to poach executive candidates from, but Alec Halaby is intriguing. Yes, the major catalyst behind Philadelphia's continued success is Howie Roseman's wizardry, but Halaby has been one of Roseman's right-hand men for years now.
He's spent the last 16 seasons with the Eagles, and was promoted to assistant GM back in 2022. Halaby is also a Harvard graduate with a background in analytics, which is something that Roseman utilized in both player evaluation and roster management, which helped modernize their front office.
He interviewed for GM jobs in each of the last two cycles, so it feels like only a matter of time before he gets his shot as a full-time general manager, and he'd inherit a good situation in Atlanta.
Detroit Lions Assistant GM Ray Agnew
Agnew won a Super Bowl as a player back in 2000, but has blossomed into one of the brightest executives in the NFL. He got his start as the director of player personnel with the Rams back in 2017, but followed Brad Holmes to Detroit to become his assistant general manager back in 2021.
Since Holmes and Agnew were hired, the Lions have won the NFC South in back-to-back seasons and have transformed from one of the worst organizations in football to one of the best. And that all starts with the sheer vision and roster management Agnew and Holmes have brought to Motown.
This means that Agnew has a track record in helping two different organizations become among the best in football, and that wealth of experience and winning pedigree is invaluable. But for some reason, the league-wide interest has yet to follow.
Green Bay Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan
Like Halaby, Sullivan managed to work his way up through the Packers' organization after spending over two decades in Green Bay. Most of that experience comes on the scouting side, but he was promoted from co-director to vice president of player personnel in 2022.
The 49-year-old has an incredibly strong relationship with longtime Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, and that has resulted in numerous draft success stories in Green Bay. They have also made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and are in line to extend that streak into a third consecutive season in 2025.
He received three GM interviews last cycle, so for a Falcons' front office that could improve from a talent perspective standpoint, Sullivan has to be an intriguing candidate.