Giants outfoxed by Browns in general manager search

The Giants' general manager search is off to an inauspicious start.

Less than a week after co-owner John Mara said the Giants had a "tactical advantage" by firing general manager Jerry Reese during the season, one of their candidates was swiped away by the lowly Cleveland Browns.

Former Chiefs general manager John Dorsey was an obvious candidate for the Giants' opening and the team planned to interview him this Tuesday, according to ESPN. But Dorsey never made it to East Rutherford, as the Browns hired Dorsey last Thursday, hours after firing executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown.

With Dorsey off the board, Dave Gettleman has emerged as the favorite for the Giants' general manager opening, according to multiple reports. It's no surprise that Gettleman, who served as the Giants' pro personnel director from 1999-2011, is at the top of Mara's list.

Mara said multiple times that "wholesale changes" were needed when he announced the firing of Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo last Monday. But Mara reversed course when asked if he could envision a full front office overhaul.

"Back in '07 when Jerry was hired, we kept most of the people," Mara said. "I'm not anticipating there being wholesale changes, but again, that's largely going to be up to the new general manager."

Mara is known to value stability, as Reese was the first general manager in franchise history to get fired. Gettleman is a known commodity who would likely keep the front office intact.

Giants' GM job is attractive

Gettleman also has a close relationship with former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who is serving as a consultant in the search. Accorsi hired Gettleman as a scout in 1998 and they worked together for 10 years before Accorsi retired in 2007.

Gettleman left the Giants to become the Panthers' general manager in 2013 and the team went 40-23-1 in his four seasons at the helm, with three playoff appearances and an NFC Championship in 2015. He was fired abruptly in July amid reports that his gruff management style had worn thin.

If Gettleman is hired, he would likely retain Kevin Abrams, who was promoted to interim general manager last week. Abrams, who specializes in managing the salary cap and negotiating contracts, is highly regarded within the Giants' organization. He could be groomed as an eventual successor to the 66-year-old Gettleman.

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.

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