Report: 49ers to interview Colts executive Jimmy Raye for GM opening

There’s a report about a member of the Colts’ front office today, though it’s not the one Colts fans are hoping for. According to The Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, the San Francisco 49ers will interview Colts VP of football operations Jimmy Raye III for their current general manager opening.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen other teams have interest in Raye, as last year the Tennessee Titans expressed interest in connection to their GM opening. He stays behind the scenes quite a bit, but he’s the right-hand man to GM Ryan Grigson and is involved in a ton of things for the Colts. He helps Grigson with things such as roster construction and free agency, but he’s also very involved in the draft process, scouting, and undrafted free agent signings. Grigson has spoken before about the value of having Raye, as he’s someone that isn’t afraid to tell Grigson the truth and be honest instead of just being a “yes man.” Raye is a pretty well-respected front office executive, and it’s unclear how much responsibility he should bear for some of the Colts’ current roster problems. Some of the players Raye has said he’s most proud of during his time with the Colts are Zach Kerr, Jon Harrison, and Denzelle Good, as Kerr and Harrison were undrafted free agents and Good was a seventh round pick out of Mars Hill.

“He is unique in that he has a great blend of football pedigree along with a deep scouting acumen, but his unwavering honesty and integrity is what I feel sets him apart,” Grigson told Colts.com about Raye.

He’s been in the league for quite a while, as before he joined the Colts he spent 17 years with the Chargers. He started off as a scout, then was the director of college scouting, and then was the director of player personnel.