Ballard Passed On Bucs
January 9th, 2014
It’s seems Lovie didn’t get his man
The chatter swirling about Chiefs director of pro personnel Chris Ballard being targeted by Lovie Smith as the next Buccaneers general manager has died.
ProFootballTalk.com guru Mike Florio delivered the simple reason this afternoon. Ballard didn’t want the gig.
The team explained that, while Ballard has great affection and respect for new Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith, Ballard has a young family, he has moved multiple times in recent years, and he is happy working with coach Andy Reid, G.M. John Dorsey, and owner Clark Hunt.
And so the Chiefs denied the request to interview Ballard, at Ballard’s request.
The quest continues for the Bucs to find the 1b to Lovie’s 1a.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:54 pm
Yup, he denied it himself.
A move to GM is considered a promotion, regardless of final say.
If he desired the move they could not have blocked him.
I read that yesterday.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:56 pm
This truly stinks, I was excited about him.
I’m not impressed bu any of these other GM names coming out.
With ballard i was able to see all the guys he brought to Chicago
I have yet to see any of the names these other candidates are responsible for bringing into the NFL.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Yes, no interest to have one of 32 jobs in the world. Maybe the Bucs have a bad reputation in the NFL
January 9th, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Joe, any word on Vital?
January 9th, 2014 at 2:59 pm
Translate this into “I don’t want to work for owners that have already hired a coaching staff and have given half of my responsibilities away”
January 9th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
“Party on Garth”
January 9th, 2014 at 3:03 pm
Considering it would have been doing the exact same thing he’s doing now in KC plus way more money that’s bush league lol
January 9th, 2014 at 3:13 pm
If Ballard and his family are happy where they are at then I totally understand. But certainly there is the question many of you are raising…lol. I’ve had to move around a lot in my life and when you are happy with those you work for and content with the city and family life there is no need for change.
January 9th, 2014 at 3:17 pm
PRBuc has it right. Ballard had to turn down the right to interview for a promotion. And that’s OK, the process works.
All of these guys have personnel backgrounds. I read all of their resumes and I didn’t see anything about cap management and that’s because well…..they haven’t been a GM before. So on that front they’re equal.
From a personnel perspective, I like what Marc Ross brought to the Giants like JPP and others. Ballard’s hole card was that he’s had a previous good working relationship with Lovie. Note to anyone listening, everybody gets along with Lovie!
I like Ross, but whoever they pick I’ll be good with. Success will depend on the collective organization, not one individual!
January 9th, 2014 at 3:20 pm
You can add Lake Dawson from the Titans to the interviewee list
January 9th, 2014 at 3:40 pm
How do you know he would make more money in Tampa. Some clubs pay very well to keep or attract a client. Kc did hire him away from Chicago last year
January 9th, 2014 at 3:43 pm
A General manager position is a promotion, therefore more money. 😉
He was hired away doing the same job
January 9th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
So why not Derrick Brooks (though he has already said he didn’t think he was ready) or Shelton Quarles?
January 9th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
@prBucfan
That is wrong, Just like there were DC and OC that were coordinators that made more than our Head Coach Raheem.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
Alonzo Highsmith from the Packers is also rumored. Wasn’t he our running back back in the day?
January 9th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
What he can’t man up and refuse the job himself? He has to ask the team to do it for him lol.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
“You never know what’s under a horse’s tail until you lift it up”
Perhaps Ballard took a closer look at the job & decided it didn’t look so good.
I wonder if Buc Realist is interested?
January 9th, 2014 at 4:05 pm
Bullspit Realist
A GM will not make less than a director of personnel.
and regardless he didn’t even get interviewed so this discussion about how much he was offered is pointless.
There are base salaries that denote a “promotion” in business.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:15 pm
Prbucfan you are wrong and I can’t believe I’m typing this the buc realist is correct. Each club is run differently. Some clubs may pay more than others.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:15 pm
I don’t give a damn what you think lol
January 9th, 2014 at 4:21 pm
And again he was never interviewed so this discussion about how much he was offered is completely pointless.
On top of the the Glazers could have easily offered him more than what he was making.
Unless we are to think they are in capable of that?
Regardless, unnecessary discussion. I’m done lol
January 9th, 2014 at 4:31 pm
U-G-L-Y
I don’t buy the family angle. GM is the top of the rung. You don’t stop at the last step before you reach the apex. Maybe he’s waiting for a GM job that actually entails the full gamut of GM power. Like personnel…
This is what happens when you hire your coaches first, and give your HC full power over personnel.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:39 pm
I think we should flip a coin and make either BucRealist or Thomas2.2 general manager, since they are both always right about everything.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Pewter Report thinks Lake Dawson will be the choice because of his relationship with Ruston Webster in Tennesee. However, Max Luckan is reporting that the Bucs are ready to hire Lionel Vital unless somebody just blows the Glazers away.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:40 pm
All this negative crap coming from people who have no idea why this man turned the job down, He said he didn’t want to move his family again due to the youth of his children and he liked working for Andy Reid. All the rest of that “nobody likes us, everybody hates us” crap is just that, crap. Damn, what a bunch of negative whiners.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Had nothing to do with money, had everything to do with stability for his family.
We all knew finding a GM would be hard in this case, and the fact that ownership fired Schiano after only 2 years shows that they are not reliable either…in the eyes of people coming here.
Maybe 2 coaches out of 32 can turn a team around in 1-2 years. Schiano should have had another year. Mind you, I’m not complaining, just stating my theory of why people do not wish to come.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:49 pm
I don’t know or care about the “nobody likes us” reason.
More like, he wants to be judged on his own work. Let’s say that Lovie totally blows it at personnel (it could happen). Even if he didn’t like those decisions, inevitably, he will be judged by them. I wouldn’t want a job where someone else could make me look bad, and I can’t do anything about it.
Personnel is pretty inherent in the GM title. Maybe his idea of being a GM includes personnel? I don’t blame him.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:56 pm
He gave a reason
Everything else is irrelevant and guess work
January 9th, 2014 at 4:56 pm
He doesn’t want to uproot his family and he likes his current job. Good for him. Bucs will find a top GM. And no, it won’t be Mr. Derrick Brooks. Even 55 knows that’s way beyond his current abilities.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
All this unfounded speculation. The man just didn’t want to move his family again and that is all there is to it. Everyone wanted a coaching change, well, you got it. Now all I am seeing is pure garbage and speculation and the “I know more than they do” crowd already taking a leak all over Coach Smith. How many coaching changes so far? I agree with taking Coach Smith and him getting a staff together. Why wait for the rest of those teams hiring a new coaching staff to pick all the good ones. Geez folks, can’t find anything positive in all this?
January 9th, 2014 at 5:07 pm
Do you guys really believe every press release verbatim?
Honestly, what if he didn’t want a job that didn’t include personnel? Do you truly expect him to give that as a reason?
It could be family, but, I doubt it. And, I’ve heard enough coach speak and press releases to know that they often are fluff pieces.
Also, Nick Saban is NOT going to coach at Alabama.
January 9th, 2014 at 5:15 pm
Well, lets see, I heard today that one of the reasons that Ballard didn’t want to move was that he was looking over all the local Buccaneer web sites and listening to the sport’s radio shows. He just didn’t want to put his young family through all the negative BS going on around here.
January 9th, 2014 at 5:20 pm
You people are going yo say that for every GM prospect that passes is for that same reason so it’s whatevs lol.
On top of all that he knows Lovie very very well.
He knows that the decisions would be made between the both of them and that Lovie would listen to his reason. His name was the first thrown out there because Lovie has great trust in him.