Lions Interviewing Vikings Assistant GM George Paton Wednesday, Saints’ Jeff Ireland Friday

According to Ian Rapoport, the Lions have an interview scheduled with Vikings assistant GM George Paton for their general manager vacancy. 

Albert Breer reports the Lions will interview Paton on Wednesday and that Detroit also has an interview scheduled with Saints assistant GM Jeff Ireland on Friday. 

Paton got his start in the NFL as a scout with the Bears in the late 1990s before moving up to assistant director of pro personnel in 2000. Paton worked with the Dolphins for six years as their director of pro personnel before joining the Vikings in 2007, where he’s been ever since. 

Paton has been a popular name in GM searches over the past several years, but has declined to interview for a number of jobs to remain with the Vikings.

Ireland began his NFL career as a scout back in 1994. He later took a scouting position with the Chiefs before moving on and joining the Cowboys’scouting department in 2001.

Ireland was eventually promoted VP of college and pro scouting before he took the Dolphins general manager position. After a year as a draft consultant for the Seahawks, the Saints hired him as their assistant GM and college scouting director in 2015. They signed him to an extension in 2017. 

We’ll have more on the Lions GM search as the news is available.