NFL Hot Seat: Rick Smith Headlines Troubled GMs

Sep 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Head coaches always get the attention when it comes to being on the NFL hot seat regarding their shaky job security, but general managers are just as susceptible to their teams’ misfortunes as well. Already there are a few names floating out there who are starting to sweat a little bit. Which of them should worry the most about their future?

Hot: Rick Smith (Houston Texans)

It’s never a good sign when a divide has begun to form between a GM and his head coach. That became clear when Rick Smith, for reasons still unknown, vetoed the desire of Bill O’Brien to cut quarterback Ryan Mallett. Then, in an even more unusual twist, the Texans reversed course and did just that. Mallett had become a bad influence on the locker; missing meetings, pouting on the sideline and not making the team plane to the Miami game.

Smith has held his position since 2006 and deserves credit for drafting or signing some prominent players including J.J. Watt, Duane Brown, Brian Cushing, Connor Barwin, Glover Quin, Arian Foster and DeAndre Hopkins. However, his recent drafts have not been scoring as many big hits, and it would explain why this team continues to struggle so much despite playing in a weak division.

The most glaring position of all is quarterback. His greatest success at that position was trading for Matt Schaub. To date he has drafted three quarterbacks, none of which have amounted to anything. If the Texans keep losing, his job is very much in danger.

Hot: Ruston Webster (Tennessee Titans)

Another AFC South GM who has to be feeling the heat. His team already finished 2-14 last season and they’ve only won a single game so far in 2015. Ruston Webster hasn’t been terrible at finding good players over the years, but if one looks back at the entire history of his tenure, the Titans have yet to draft one player to make the Pro Bowl. Not a single one in three entire drafts.

It’s little wonder this team hasn’t been good for a long time. Webster is pinning his hopes now on a rookie quarterback in Marcus Mariota to turn things around quickly, along with a series of quality free agents. So far the results are not what he wanted. While most of the games have been close, Tennessee can’t seem to finish. If they aren’t careful, it may end up “finishing” Webster as GM.

Warm: Doug Whaley (Buffalo Bills)

Two words could end up dooming Doug Whaley as GM for the Buffalo Bills: E.J. Manuel. Selecting the former Florida State prospect in the first round back in 2013 is looking like one of the biggest blunders of his time in charge, right up there with hiring Doug Marrone as head coach.

To add insult to injury, other highly-touted picks like Sammy Watkins and Stephon Gilmore, while good, have not elevated to superstar levels. Along with the reality that none of his picks have reached a Pro Bowl and it’s no wonder Buffalo still hasn’t made the playoffs. Whaley is a holdover following the recent coaching change to Rex Ryan. If he can’t at least match the 9-7 record a year ago, it could be curtains.

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