The New England Patriots are trying to maintain continuity in their front office, and it appears they’ll get their wish.
The Green Bay Packers completed their general manager search Sunday with an internal hire, promoting director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst to GM on a five-year contract, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported.
Why does this news concern the Patriots? Because Gutekunst reportedly was one of four candidates the Houston Texans were pursuing for their vacant GM role, along with Buffalo Bills vice president of player personnel Brian Gaine and two New England executives: director of player personnel Nick Caserio and director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort.
After Green Bay took Gutekunst off the market, it appears there’s a leader in the clubhouse for the Texans job — and it’s not a Patriots staffer.
Gaine served as Houston’s director of player personnel under head coach Bill O’Brien before joining the Bills in 2017, so he’s a logical candidate to return in a GM role. The Patriots also reportedly rejected the Texans’ request to interview Caserio and Ossenfort, which essentially leaves Gaine as the last man standing, anyway.
Caserio has been a key cog in New England’s winning machine, serving as head coach Bill Belichick’s right-hand man in personnel decisions as the team’s director of player personnel since 2008. Ossenfort is in his fourth season as the Patriots’ director college scouting and has been with the team since 2003.
