Titans vs Seahawks: 6 Questions with 12th Man Rising Co-Editor Mitch Quesada
Joshua: Speaking of Webster, from 2006-09, he was the Seahawks Vice President of Player Personnel. He spent two seasons in that same role with the Titans (2010-11) before he was promoted to general manager (2012-present).
According to the Titans’ official website:
"Prior to his arrival in Tennessee in 2010, Webster gained 22 years of personnel experience split between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his four years in Seattle, Webster was the vice president of player personnel and oversaw the day-to-day management of the pro personnel and college scouting departments. Upon the departure of Tim Ruskell in December 2009, Webster was named interim general manager until John Schneider was hired to fill that role in January 2010."
Any reason the Seahawks didn’t stay with Webster? What did Seahawks fans think of the work that Webster did with them during his time there? Were the Seahawks successful with drafting or free agency?
Feb 23, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee Titans general manager Ruston Webster speaks at a press conference during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mitch: From what I understand, the Seahawks would have loved to stay with Webster, but he accepted the same position with the Titans for personal reasons. Webster was a finalist for the General Manager position with the Titans in 2007, but Mike Reinfeldt was hired instead. The Seahawks were fortunate to have Webster mastermind the 2010 NFL draft for Seattle. They managed to pick up Russell Okung (Pro Bowl last year), Earl Thomas (leads team in tackles in 2013), Golden Tate, and Walter Thurmond with their first four picks of the draft. It would be hard to say that was a bad draft year — on the contrary, it may have been one of the most prominent drafts for the Seahawks in the last decade.