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The 49ers will in fact be losing a member of their front office in this cycle, it just won’t be the one many people expected. San Francisco has two vice presidents of player personnel in Adam Peters and Martin Mayhew, with many speculating that Peters could get a general manager job in this cycle (he interviewed for the Carolina Panthers job).
Instead, it’s Mayhew who’s departing, but not for a general manager position. Washington reportedly hired Marty Hurney as their general manager on Tuesday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Mayhew’s title is still being worked out, but he’ll take on a role as a “high-ranking” executive.
#49ers VP of Player Personnel Martin Mayhew is headed to the Washington Football Team as a high-ranking executive with a title to be determined, source said. He’ll work with coach Ron Rivera and Marty Hurney as WFT restructures its organization.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 20, 2021
What this means, from a practical sense, is that the 49ers will likely not be receiving a compensatory third-round pick in 2023 as part of the NFL’s amendment to the Rooney Rule this past offseason. If Mayhew were hired as the general manager, that would provide that third third-rounder, in addition to the 2021 and 2022 compensatory third-round picks the team will receive from Saleh.
For the 49ers to receive a pick, Mayhew would have to be hired as the “Primary Football Executive.” Because no title has been announced and because Hurney was hired as general manager, at best, it’s a grey area from the 49ers’ perspective, as they lose one of their top organizational minds.
Mayhew was an NFL cornerback from 1988 to 1996 and spent three years in Washington after being drafted by the Bills.