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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' search for a general manager is still ongoing, although we've seen plenty of rumors on various candidates. While Lovie Smith is reported to have final say over the 53-man roster, it seems he won't be deciding who the Bucs' next general manager will be.
"We don't have a general manager in place yet," Lovie Smith said on Monday. "Once our owners decide who, exactly, will be in that role, I look forward to getting with them and making decisions together that are going to lead us to a championship."
He told Pro Football Talk the same thing on Tuesday, according to Gil Arcia.
The Glazers, of course, always make the executive decisions with the Bucs. It's never entirely clear how far their decision-making extends, and that may differ from coach to coach -- but any major hire has to be approved by them. The fact that they'll take point on a general manager is a minor surprise with Lovie being hired first, however. This may also allow them to give the general manager a measure of control over personnel, or a way to override Lovie Smith, if he so desires.
Regardless, whoever is to be the general manager will have to be able to work with Lovie Smith. A head coach and general manager have to have a good working relationship for a team to function efficiently. Otherwise, draft picks go to waste and free agents fall to the wayside. Rich McKay and Jon Gruden couldn't, which is why Bruce Allen was brought in 2003.
Whoever the Glazers hire, they'll probably do so with Lovie Smith's approval. They had better get that hire and the relationship right, however.
