Pro Football Rumors
The first name to come up as a Jaguars GM candidate, Mike Greenberg is out of that mix. Tampa Bay will retain its assistant GM, as Greenberg has informed Jacksonville he is out of the running, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports.
Greenberg has been with the Bucs for 15 years, becoming a crucial cog — particularly with regards to the club’s cap management — for a team that has lost two key staffers this offseason. In addition to Liam Coen‘s exit to become the Jaguars’ HC, fellow Bucs assistant GM John Spytek is now the Raiders’ GM. Despite a Jags interview request to potentially follow Coen north, Greenberg will help the Bucs ensure some staff continuity.
It was interesting that Coen wanted to keep working with Greenberg, as the two only overlapped for one season in Tampa. Greenberg also was part of Coen’s messy exit. When Coen was secretly negotiating with the Jags, after having informed the Bucs he intended to stay and sign a lucrative coordinator extension, Greenberg was among the high-ranking staffers who attempted to contact him. Greenberg wanted to reach Coen regarding an offensive staffer, but his call went unreturned. Still, Coen subsequently wanted to see about working with the longtime Tampa Bay front office mainstay.
A report out of Jacksonville late last month indicated Coen was “pushing hard” to bring Greenberg with him. Greenberg’s decision to pass centers around his loyalty to the Bucs rather than any hard feelings toward Coen, Stroud adds, as the Tampa Bay AGM was honored to be considered. He will continue working with Jason Licht, as the Bucs attempt to construct a fifth straight NFC South champion.
More to come.
