Colts have interviewed 6 GM candidates; process not over

INDIANAPOLIS – Less than a week after beginning their search, the Colts have plowed through six interviews with general manager candidates, moving one step closer to replacing the fired Ryan Grigson.

But don’t expect an immediate decision.

Follow-up interviews, presumably with the finalists, are expected to be scheduled, according to an NFL source. It was not immediately clear which candidates would be invited back for the additional interviews.

The Colts completed their first round of interviews Friday when they hosted Green Bay Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf and in-house candidate Jimmy Raye III, the team’s vice president of football operations.

Once the process is complete, the Colts likely will decide from among what looks like a strong group of prospective hires: Wolf, Raye, Chris Ballard of the Kansas City Chiefs, George Paton of the Minnesota Vikings, and Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner of the Seattle Seahawks.

So far, the team has established no specific timeline for making a decision, though time is of the essence. The NFL’s scouting combine is just one month away, with the free-agent signing period opening soon after.

One candidate with an interesting situation is Paton, who is a finalist for the San Francisco 49ers’ GM post. He was scheduled for a follow-up interview with San Francisco on Friday but, according to a source, has not been offered the job. If the 49ers make an offer, Paton could be faced with having to make a decision about whether to continue pursuing the Colts’ position.

Grigson was fired on Jan. 21 after five seasons on the job. The position immediately became one of the most coveted in the NFL, largely because of the presence of quarterback Andrew Luck.

Follow Colts Insider Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.