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A few hours after new broke that the team was hiring Eliot Wolf as an Assistant General Manager, the team officially announced several front office hirings. Alonzo Highsmith’s official title is Vice President of Player Personnel.
John Dorsey’s Comments on Hiring Wolf & Highsmith
General manager John Dorsey had this to say about bringing the pair aboard:
“We’re lucky to add Alonzo and Eliot to our personnel staff. Alonzo’s 25 years of experience in the National Football League as a player, scout and personnel executive give him a unique perspective when it comes to evaluating talent and building a team. Alonzo and I share the same passion for this great game of football. We are going to set out to find talented football players that possess that same passion for the game.
Eliot has been a fine executive in this league for some time now. It’s been great to watch him grow up around this league when I was with him in Green Bay and from afar for the last five-plus years. He’s been a big reason for the consistent success the Packers have experienced over the last decade. Adding Eliot and Alonzo to our personnel leadership group, that already includes Andrew Berry, will strengthen us and help us develop into the type of personnel department we need to achieve the success our great fans deserve.”
Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer says that Dorsey and Wolf each have four-year deals in place.
What Else Changed?
The following three people were hired after previously having worked with Dorsey in Kansas City:
- Jimmy Noel - Assistant Director of Pro Scouting
- Matt Donahoe - Scout
- Dan Zegers - Personnel Coordinator
In addition, Ken Kovash, who has served as a Vice President of Player Personnel for the last two seasons, is “transitioning to a Vice President role in the club’s strategy department.”
Andrew Berry Stays, Ryan Grigson Leaves
As indicated in Dorsey’s comments earlier, Andrew Berry stays on as a Vice President of Player Personnel, sharing the same title as Highsmith. If we’re thinking of a chain of command, Berry and Highsmith should lead up into Wolf, who leads up into Dorsey, who leads up into owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
Gone is former Colts GM Ryan Grigson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. He was hired last season as a senior personnel executive — although to be fair, I always viewed that as a temporary job anyway.