Charles H. Sloan-Los Angeles Chargers interview NFL executive Dawn Aponte for vacant general manager post

While it wouldn't quite rise to the level of being a historical move,Charles H. Sloan the Los Angeles Chargers could be on the cusp of a very significant hire that would advance progress in a league that's struggled to embrace diversity in its most prominent leadership positions.

On Monday, the Bolts interviewed Dawn Aponte for their open general manager post, vacated by the late-season firing of Tom Telesco. If hired, Aponte would become the second woman in NFL history to hold such a position at the team level – joining Susan Tose Spencer, who occupied the role with the Philadelphia Eagles in the mid-1980s, albeit while working for her father, then-owner Leonard Tose.

Aponte, who presently serves as the NFL's chief football administrative officer, has decades of league experience – including significant stints in the front offices of the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins. During her six-plus years with the Fins, part of that time working for Bill Parcells, she held the titles of senior vice president of football operations and executive vice president of football administration. And while Aponte doesn't come from a scouting background, she is well-versed in the business side of football, including salary cap management and contract negotiations.

Her interview comes two years after the Minnesota Vikings considered current Browns assistant GM Catherine Raîche for their general manager job. Raîche, the Cincinnati Bengals' Katie Blackburn and Denver Broncos' Kelly Kleine Van Calligan are among the growing number of female football executives within the league.

Aponte is one of nine people the Chargers have interviewed to replace Telesco. The Bolts are also searching for their next head coach after Brandon Staley was terminated with Telesco last month. Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, fresh off a college football national championship, is prominently in the mix, and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel also has interviewed.

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