"If the ability to find players is the No.?1 criteria for serving as the general manager of a National Football League team, Ron Wolf says Reggie McKenzie is every bit as capable as his boss with the Green Bay Packers.

With McKenzie, the Packers' director of football operations, rumored as a front-office candidate for the Oakland Raiders, Wolf was asked at mid-week to compare his evaluation skills to those of Packers general manager Ted Thompson.

Wolf brought both men into the personnel business, hiring Thompson as a pro scout in January 1992 and McKenzie as a pro scout in May 1994.

"You're talking about the ability to evaluate, right?" Wolf said. "Pure evaluation. Yeah, I would think so. He's just as good as Ted is.

"Reggie's a tremendous evaluator. He can tell you who can play and who can't play. That's what it's all about. Some can write reports but can't tell you who can play.

"Whatever that is, he has that. He has a feel."

Last month, Wolf had several conversations with Mark Davis at the funeral of his father, Al. He said he isn't helping Davis in an official capacity but would assist him if asked.

"I don't think he's quite sure how he wants the job structured," said Wolf. "So he's open to ideas. I know he has consulted John Madden. He's got some pretty good advisors that will help him with that.""