Rams GM Search: George Paton Out Of The Running As He Becomes Vikings Assistant GM

Read More: Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams had reportedly narrowed their search for a new general manager down to two final candidates. The early news on Saturday was that Minnesota Vikings director of player personnel George Paton had emerged as the favorite to get the job.

Later on Saturday, the Vikings officially announced that Paton had been promoted to be Minnesota's assistant general manager.

"George has been an integral part of our personnel department since he arrived in 2007," Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman said on Saturday. "His work ethic, leadership , professionalism and keen eye for identifying talented football players will continue to be a major asset for our organization as we take on the challenges of competing in the NFC North and winning the Super Bowl."

Now that Paton is out of the running, it may be an inevitability that the other finalist for the Rams job, Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead, will be offered the GM position.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. For updates and perspective on the Minnesota Vikings, head on over to The Daily Norseman or SB Nation Minnesota. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.