Titans apparently zeroing in on Seattle's Reinfeldt as GM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans promised they would take their time searching for a new general manager, and they have done just that. Now a month after Floyd Reese resigned, owner Bud Adams may have his man.

Adams' top candidate is Mike Reinfeldt, Seattle's vice president of football administration who played eight of his nine NFL seasons at safety for the then-Houston Oilers. An announcement could come by Tuesday if Reinfeldt decides to leave a team he has worked with for seven of the past eight years.

"If the Tennessee Titans offer him the job they've got a jewel, no question about it," said Ron Wolf, the former Packers general manager who worked with Reinfeldt in Green Bay.

The Titans had no events scheduled Monday and team officials have declined to comment during the search.

Adams had hoped to already have his general manager in place by now and had targeted having someone hired days ago. But his chief operating officer Steve Underwood and coach Jeff Fisher didn't finish interviewing the last of seven candidates until Jan. 29, and Adams didn't meet the three finalists until Friday and Saturday.

He interviewed Reinfeldt and fellow Seattle executive Ruston Webster in Houston on Friday and met with Charles Bailey, Jacksonville's director of pro personnel, on Saturday.

This is the first time Adams has had to hire a general manager since 1994, when he promoted Reese from assistant general manager. But Adams has not hired a general manager who hadn't worked for his franchise previously since 1973 when he hired Sid Gillman.

Reinfeldt was part of the "Luv Ya Blue!" Oilers who lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1978 and 1979 AFC championship games. As a safety he led the NFL with 12 interceptions in 1979 and led the team in interceptions three different seasons.After he retired, he became the Los Angeles Raiders' chief financial officer between 1985 and 1987.

Reinfeldt joined Green Bay in 1991 where he helped bring Wolf to the Packers the same year. He was chief financial officer from 1991 to 1993 and was vice president of administration between 1994 and 1998.

Seattle hired Reinfeldt in 1999 as senior vice president and he has spent seven of the past eight seasons with the Seahawks.