The San Francisco 49ers interviewed Jimmy Raye III on Sunday for the team's opening at general manager. Raye currently serves as the vice president of football operations for the Indianapolis Colts, a position he's held for the past four years.
The 2016 season marked Raye's 22nd year in the NFL, 17 of which were spent with the San Diego Chargers. Raye was the Chargers director of college scouting before being elevated to the director of player personnel.
Raye works side-by-side with Colts general manager Ryan Grigson on all personnel matters. The talented exec has a niche for finding hidden gems. Over the past two years, Raye has helped identify eight undrafted free agents that all ended up playing in at least one regular season game.
While in San Diego, Raye played a significant role in six AFC West championships as well as the most successful regular season in franchise history, a 14-2 record in 2006.
His father, Jimmy Raye II, was a longtime NFL coach and worked as the 49ers offensive coordinator from 2009-10.
Raye played receiver in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams before becoming a quality control coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. From there, he jumped over to the personnel side and became a scout for the Chargers in 1996.
The 49ers have now interviewed four candidates for general manager: Raye, George Paton from the Minnesota Vikings, plus Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst from the Green Bay Packers.
