Colts owner Jim Irsay's GM list grows, includes CFL executive - Indianapolis Star

Jim Irsay is making quick work of his search for a new general manager.

"The Indianapolis Colts search for GM is going very well. 7 potential candidates will have been interviewed by Monday,days end," the Colts owner announced via Twitter early Saturday morning.

Irsay said Monday evening, when he announced the firing of Colts vice chairman Bill Polian and vice president/general manager Chris Polian, that the search would begin immediately.

In the interim, he is believed to have interviewed or arranged interviews with Colts director of player personnel Tom Telesco; Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead and Falcons director of college scouting David Caldwell; Dallas Cowboys director of scouting Tom Ciskowski; New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross; Philadelphia Eagles director of player personnel Ryan Grigson and Jim Popp, general manager of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

Irsay revealed Popp after offering $200 and an NFL football to whomever could guess "a dark horse candidate for u fantasy GMers. . . Jim _____(Who)?? Out in Canada" on Friday night.

Popp is in his 16th season as Alouettes general manager, a stretch that included five consecutive seasons of 12 or more victories (1996-2000) and three Grey Cup championships since 2000. (The CFL plays 18 regular-season games.)

His teams have qualified for the playoffs each of the past 19 seasons: two with Saskatchewan, two with Baltimore and 16 with Montreal.

He is the Alouettes' vice president, general manager, director of football operations and director of player personnel.

The Chicago Tribune reported the Colts also sought permission to interview New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht, but that could not be confirmed.

Regardless, Irsay is pleased with his choices.

"The pool of candidates is deep n talented. It is impressive how a new wave of gifted executives has developed n the NFL . . . much 2 choose from," he tweeted.

Irsay might opt for any number of second interviews, or even expand his pool of candidates, before reaching a decision.

He could reach an agreement and immediately announce it with Telesco, Ciskowski, Grigson or Popp but not necessarily with Snead, Caldwell and Ross or Licht.

The NFL's anti-tampering policy has specific language regarding the hiring of a general manager candidate whose employer club is involved in postseason play.

Snead and Caldwell work for the Falcons, Ross for the Giants. Those teams meet this afternoon in an NFC wild-card playoff game in New York.

Licht's Patriots are the AFC's No. 1 seed. As such, they have a bye this week and will meet the lowest remaining seed in a divisional game next weekend in Foxborough.

Etc.

The Colts signed 6-0, 215-pound WR Jarred Fayson to a reserve/future contract. Fayson, who played collegiately at both Florida and Illinois, had been on the Colts' practice squad since Nov. 21.

Call Star reporter Phil Richards at (317) 444-6408.