The Buffalo Bills have built an excellent front office under general manager Brandon Beane. On Thursday, we found out that another member of the personnel department was being interviewed for a general manager job. According to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle, director of pro personnel Malik Boyd is interviewing for the Houston Texans’ general manager job.
Boyd is a Houston native and former NFL defensive back who has worked his way up the scouting ranks. He started as a scouting assistant with the Indianapolis Colts in 2003 before joining the Arizona Cardinals in 2005. He spent nine years as a scout for the Cardinals before a promotion to assistant director of pro scouting in 2014. He joined the Bills in 2017 as the director of pro personnel.
Each team divides the workload a bit differently, but the typical roles of the director of pro personnel include overseeing several departments involving players already in the league. That includes scouting potential free agents, working out potential signings, recruiting free agents, supporting players on the team, and negotiating contracts with free agents and current players.
The Bills list Boyd as their third-in-command behind general manager Brandon Beane and assistant general manager Joe Schoen. He’s ahead of Dan Morgan (director of player personnel) and Brian Gaine (senior advisor) on the team’s website.
Gaine, of course, is the last man to hold the title of general manger for the Houston Texans. He was fired in 2019 and head coach Bill O’Brien took over control of the roster.
Louis Riddick of ESPN and current Texans director of player personnel Matt Bazirgan have interviewed for the job already and there are reports than former Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey has had informal conversations about the position.
Texans CEO Cal McNair has told season ticket holders that he will be advised on his GM search by a litany of former players and coaches. Tony Dungy, Boyd’s defensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings in 1994, is on the list of advisors. Rod Graves is also on the list and he was the Cardinals’ general manager from 1997 to 2012, spending seven years as Boyd’s supervisor.