Packers Promote From Within Personnel Department

With the departure of former Director of Football Operations Reggie McKenzie, who took the open General Manager job with the Oakland Raiders, the Green Bay Packers' personnel department was in a bit of flux. McKenzie's predecessor, John Schneider, left the same position two years earlier for the Seattle Seahawks' GM position. Losing two high-ranking personnel directors in of two years hurts (McKenzie also served as Director of Player Personnel before Schneider left), but Ted Thompson followed a similar tactic to the way he approaches the team's active roster: he elevated people currently in the organization to fill the vacant roles.

Yesterday, the Packers announced that John Dorsey was promoted to Director of Football Operations from his prior position as director of college scouting. Dorsey has been in the Packers' organization almost continuously since 1991, only spending one year away from Green Bay when he worked for Mike Holmgren in Seattle in 1999. As noted in the press release, Dorsey turned down an opportunity earlier this year to interview for the Indianapolis Colts' open General Manager job formerly occupied by Bill Polian. Brian Gutekunst was promoted to director of college scouting to take Dorsey's old position.

Also announced yesterday was Eliot Wolf's promotion to Director of Pro Personnel. The son of former Packers' GM Ron Wolf, Eliot moves up from his position as Assistant Director of Player Personnel and has spent the past nine years in the organization in various roles.

Several other promotions were made in the scouting areas of the personnel department, and three new scouts were also hired. All in all, this maintains continuity in the team's front office and ensures that all the members of the personnel department are on the same page and buying in to Ted Thompson's vision for the team. As far as I'm concerned, if you keep having your officials poached by other teams, that means you're doing something right. I just hope Ted and Mark Murphy can keep Dorsey and Wolf around for a while longer.