In a rare doubleheader likely unmatched in NFL history, Tampa Bay personnel director Tim Ruskell interviewed for the general manager position with two different teams Friday, as the Bucs and Miami Dolphins accelerated their quests to fill a key front office job.
A 17-year veteran of the Tampa Bay personnel department, Ruskell huddled with Bucs vice presidents Joel and Bryan Glazer in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday morning before he headed to Miami to meet with Dolphins officials.
He is the first outside candidate to interview for the newly-created general manager job in Miami. Current executive vice president of personnel Rick Spielman, whose future with the club is uncertain now that management has mandated a reconfiguration of the football organization, met with owner Wayne Huizenga and team president Eddie Jones last week
Former Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf, who topped the Dolphins wish list, opted to withdraw his name from consideration earlier this week.
The Dolphins will interview former New Orleans general manager Randy Mueller, who this season served as an analyst for ESPN.com, on Monday. The team also is interested in Buffalo Bills general manager Tom Modrak but has been unable to arrange an interview time convenient to his schedule.
The Dolphins announced last week they would hire a general manager to oversee the football operation. Coach Dave Wannstedt relinquished his personnel duties and signed a two-year contract extension.
Ruskell might have a better shot at the Miami job than the one in Tampa Bay, where it is believed coach Jon Gruden is pushing for an organization shakeup.
Bucs officials confirmed Friday that they interviewed Oakland Raiders senior assistant Bruce Allen on Tuesday evening. Allen is one of the top administrators in the league, was named NFL executive of the year in 2002, and worked with Gruden when he coached the Raiders. League sources said Allen is anxious to leave the Raiders after nearly nine years with the team.
Tampa Bay has been without a general manager since Rich McKay accepted a similar job with the Atlanta Falcons three weeks ago.
Bucs ownership also will interview New York Jets assistant general manager Mike Tannenbaum and New York Giants director of personnel Jerry Reese. The two candidates have distinctly different backgrounds, with Reese a personnel expert and Tannenbaum noted as one of the league's top salary cap managers.
Tannenbaum interviewed with the Bucs in 2002 for the general manager post when it appeared that Bill Parcells, with whom he has a strong relationship, would become the club's head coach. Parcells backed out of that deal, of course, and Tannenbaum simply remained with the Jets.
It is believed the Bucs favor a general manager with experience in cap responsibilities, and then would have a separate personnel director.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.