New Orleans Saints vice president/assistant general manager of pro personnel Terry Fontenot is one of “two or three finalists” for the Atlanta Falcons GM job, league sources tell ESPN.
If New Orleans loses Fontenot to division rival Atlanta, it could turn out to be the first test case of the NFL’s new plan to incentivize minority representation among head coaches and GMs.
NFL owners voted this past November to compensate teams that groom minority head coaches and GMs. Any team that loses a minority candidate that goes on to land a head coach or GM job will receive two compensatory third-round draft picks in consecutive years.
If the Falcons hire Fontenot as their GM, New Orleans’ loss also will turn into a win, with two added third-round picks in back-to-back years.
While Atlanta is a potential destination for Fontenot, it is not the only one. The Denver Broncos interviewed Fontenot for their vacant GM position Saturday and also came away impressed, a source told ESPN.
Fontenot is in his 16th season with the Saints. He has also worked as a pro scout and spent six seasons as New Orleans’ director of pro scouting.