The Cincinnati Bengals have become one of the better-run organizations in recent years. Having a stable quarterback situation certainly helps, but the combination of head coach Zac Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin help as well. That trickles down and could help create future candidates for a general manager position.
One such candidate was mentioned in a recent survey from The Athletic, which looked at organizational structure and the top general managers as voted on by executives and agents. Among the questions asked was who is a future general manager to watch? Of the 31 responses, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown received two votes. He was tied with a few others for third place. Only Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham (4) and Commanders senior vice president of football operations Brandon Sosna (3) received more votes than Brown.
“Trey (Brown) is already receiving GM interviews,” said one of the agents, anonymously. “His time is coming. I learn something whenever I listen to him discuss the talent evaluation exercise.”
Brown has had three GM interviews to date: May 2017 with the Buffalo Bills, December 2018 with the then-Oakland Raiders and January 2022 with the now-Las Vegas Raiders. The New England Patriots requested an interview with Brown earlier this year but he declined the interview. Brown has also served as the director of scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles and also worked in the XFL and the old AAF (Alliance of American Football).