Cardinals GM tracker: Interviews scheduled for Ravens’ Hortiz, Titans’ Ossenfort

The Arizona Cardinals’ search for a new general manager is already underway.

After Steve Keim stepped away from his duties to create the vacancy on Monday, the reports began filing in on interview requests submitted by the Cardinals.

The interim replacements for Keim during his health-related absence, vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson, are also expected to factor into the process. Owner Michael Bidwill confirmed on Monday both have been interviewed.

Here is a look at the external candidates to emerge:

Joe Hortiz

Arizona on Thursday, Jan. 12, requested permission to interview Baltimore Ravens director of personnel Joe Hortiz for their general manager vacancy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Hortiz reportedly scheduled an interview with Arizona on Friday, Jan. 13, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Hortiz was a GM candidate last season, interviewing with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

He joined the Ravens in 1998 as an area scout. He held that position for eight years before moving to a national scout from 2006-08.

From there, Hortiz was promoted to director of college scouting in 2009, a position he held until 2018. The following year he was named co-director of player personnel along with George Kokinis.

Hortiz was in his role when the Ravens drafted now-Cardinals wide receiver Hollywood Brown.

Ian Cunningham

Arizona requested to interview the Chicago Bears’ Ian Cunningham on the Monday Keim and Kingsbury were let go, according to CBS’ Jonathan Jones.

He reportedly was set to interview with the Cardinals three days later, on Thursday, Jan. 12.

Cunningham spent his first year with the Bears this season in the role of assistant general manager. His start in the NFL goes back to 2008, when he was a player personnel assistant for the Baltimore Ravens until 2012. He changed roles to an area scout from 2013-16 and then moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he rose the ranks from director of college scouting (2017-18), to assistant director of player personnel (2019-20) to director of player personnel (2021).

The Eagles, of course, have had a similar rise, like Cunningham. The team he played a part in building just finished with the best record in the NFC, at 14-3.

Cunningham was expected to be a popular name in the GM interview process this offseason, and the Cardinals weren’t alone in requesting an interview on Monday. So too, did the Tennessee Titans, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Jerry Reese

Bidwill reportedly interviewed Jerry Reese on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Reese spent more than two decades with the New York Giants, reports Jim Trotter of NFL media.

Reese served as New York’s GM from 2007-17, overseeing their Super Bowl titles in 2007 and 2011. The Giants only made the playoffs two other times during his tenure, however.

As top exec, he notably drafted Pro Bowlers Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph (2010), Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and Landon Collins (2015).

He also selected Cardinals offensive lineman Justin Pugh with the 19th pick in 2013.

Prior to being GM, Reese was the Giants’ college scout (1994-97), pro scout (1997-2004) and director of player personnel (2004-07).

Monti Ossenfort

The Cardinals on the Monday that Keim stepped away requested to interview Tennessee Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

He reportedly scheduled an interview with Arizona on Friday, Jan. 13, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Ossenfort has 21 years of experience in the NFL and is coming off his third season with the Titans as director of player personnel. Prior to joining Tennessee, Ossenfort spent 15 seasons with the New England Patriots, serving as the director of college scouting from 2014-19, assistant director of college scouting from 2011-13, a national scout from 2008-10, area scout from 2006-07 and personnel assistant in 2003 en route to four Super Bowl titles.

He also spent three seasons with the Houston Texans as a college scout (2005), pro and college scouting assistant (2004) and pro personnel intern (2002).

Ran Carthon

Speaking of promising teams in the NFC with stacked rosters, the Cardinals requested to interview the San Francisco 49ers’ Ran Carthon and Adam Peters, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Carthon is two years into his role as director of player personnel. The ex-NFL running back had spent the previous five seasons as director of pro personnel for the 49ers, a position he had previously held for the same amount of time with the Los Angeles Rams. He got his executive start in 2008 with the Atlanta Falcons as a scout.

Adam Peters

Though Arizona requested an interview with Peters, he ultimately declined to speak with the Cardinals or the Titans.

Peters is also in the second season of his latest role for the 49ers, his current one being assistant general manager. He is 20 years into his time in the NFL. His four years prior to his time as assistant GM were being the 49ers’ vice president director of player personnel.

Peters came into the 49ers’ program after a run from 2009-16 with the Denver Broncos, serving as a regional scout (2009-10), national scout (2011-13) and assistant director of college scouting (2014-15).

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