At Inside the League, we try to partner with the scouts, executives and administrators who do the evaluation of NFL players, both on their way up and while they’re in the league. Part of that is keeping a close eye on what’s going on in NFL front offices, especially when it comes to the GM seat.

We’ve previously polled our sources on NFL staffs about previous GM hires (here’s our report on Arizona’s Monti Ossenfort and Tennessee’s Ran Carthon, here’s our report on former Raiders GM Dave Ziegler, and here’s our post on the three GMs hired prior to the 2022 season), and with a new face in Tennessee, we asked around about new Titans GM Mike Borgonzi. The response was overwhelming and immediate, and he comes back as a little reserved but even-tempered, progressive when he needs to be, and hard-working. Here’s what people who’ve worked with him told us. 

• “Mike Borgonzi has a high academic and football IQ, as you might expect from a Brown University graduate. (He’s) relatively calm and reserved, but has a feel for reading a scout’s view and separating facts from opinions. Has a scout’s eye when identifying a players traits but utilizes analytics to compliment, support, or confirm.”
• “Nice guy. Pro (scouting) history, has never done college. Collaboration guy from the (former Packers GM) Ron Wolf system. Middle-of-the-road type dude. Speaks when spoken to type, with a small circle.”
• “A grinder from the bottom up. Really worked and matured each step he made up the later. Respected and listened to inside the building. More (aligned with) traditional scouting. He’s a trust-his-gut (guy), but not afraid to be collaborative. I’d classify him as more introverted, but he will open up.” 
• “Borgo as a person is very soft-spoken. In (almost two decades) working with him, I don’t think I ever heard him raise his voice to anyone. Really good person. (Also,) a great family man. Somewhat of an introvert with a close and small circle of friends. Old-school in his eval process, but does listen to analytics to a point. Really listens and trust his scouting/personnel department and will collaborate with them.”
• “Mike is a highly detailed evaluator. Sees the big picture from a team-building standpoint, and has a clear vision on what plays at high levels in the NFL for each position. Has an old school, come-to-work mindset, but has a great grasp and feel for integrating the new trends in analytics/player tracking, etc. Is collaborative in getting a full grasp of what other scouts see and listens, but has his view as an evaluator. He is probably a blend of both old and new age scouting, and is a great communicator throughout the entire building. Will be a great partner for the head coach and assistant coaches.” 

• “I would acknowledge how impressed I have been with him and his growth as a professional over the last decade. I’ve known him to be someone that is curious and approachable, as well a leader that recognizes that this is a people business first. He and I have had many conversations over the years around optimizing process and procedure and placing a premium on context when it comes to informed decision-making. I appreciate the tactical application to a well-vetted strategy has been a consistent element of our discussions.”

• “Mike is a great person. He is smart and hard-working. He will be a great leader because he will set the standard, allow his people to work, and value their input. He ascended the right way, was authentic, and was not a self-promoter, just a good worker that took the right steps.”

• “Mike is a high-level evaluator. On top of that, he is a relationship-builder. Guys will want to show up and work for him. I imagine he will implement a similar collaborative model like he had in KC. Mike has a lot of experience and knows what plays on a 53-man roster. I expect him to have success in Tennessee.”