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The List Gets Even Longer
The Bears' collection of GM candidates is starting to look more like a pamphlet than a list.
If it gets much longer they might want to consider a hardback cover and chapters.
On Monday it was reported by ESPN's Field Yates that the team requested permission to talk to Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles. He works with assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, an executive often linked through rumor to the Bears during the Matt Nagy years. Poles is the 15th name on their list.
Poles, who is 36 years old, had two job interviews with the Panthers last year during their search for a new GM and was considered a job finalist.
It's curious the Bears would turn to a Chiefs executive after Nagy was just fired but they are looking for the best candidate regardless of their background.
With the Chiefs, Poles was director of college scouting when they drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017 and has received promotions to assistant director of player personnel and executive director of player personnel.
He also has been given plenty of credit for helping Kansas City's offensive line do a turnaround in one season by selecting Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith and Lucas Niang.
In all, Poles has been with the Chiefs almost 13 years, going from scouting assistant in 2009 to college scouting coordinator, to director of college scouting in 2016 and then assistant director of player personnel before his current role as executive director of player personnel.
The Vikings are also reportedly considering Poles.
The Bears on Monday interviewed possibly the hottest candidate of this year's GM searches in Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds. At least NFL Network's Tom Pelissero referred to Dodds as someone who might be the "No. 1 GM candidate in this cycle."
One reason he might be considered among favorites for the Bears GM job is he interviewed with them in 2015 when they decided on Ryan Pace. Also, he has been working closely with Colts GM Chris Ballard, who worked for the Bears from 2001-2011 under Jerry Angelo and one year under Phil Emery.
It's understandable why Dodds wouldn't get a GM job at age 34 in Chicago then. The experience is all there now after a 19-year career in the NFL which included a key role in helping build Seattle's Super Bowl winner in 2012.
The Monday interview sessions were all-Colts, as defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus interviewed for the head coaching job.
Eberflus had been considered for the 2019 Browns head coaching job after only a year as a defensive coordinator with the Colts. Prior to that he had been linebackers coach with the Dallas Cowboys and a defensive passing game coordinator.
Perhaps the crowning achievement of Eberflus' defenses with the Colts is they have ranked in the top 10 in takeaways every single season, finishing second this seaosn, fifth in 2020 and 10th in 2018 and 2019. He had two top-10 defenses in scoring two top 10 in yards allowed and in 2020 had the second-best run defense. They were 10th against the run this year and eighth in 2018.
The Colts do not run a 3-4. Eberflus use a base 4-3 and the Bears have been in a 3-4 scheme since Ryan Pace became general manager in 2015. His 4-3, featuring linebacker Darius Leonard, isn't a lot different than the Lovie Smith 4-3, although he's not in cover-2 as often as those Bears defenses.
The Bears also have rescheduled their coaching interview with 1985 Super Bowl player Leslie Frazier for Friday. He was to have talked with them on Sunday but they interviewed Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for coach and Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen.
In another bit of news that could impact the Bears' hunt for a GM and possibly head coach if they have any interest in pursuing Jim Harbaugh, the Las Vegas Raiders have begun lining up coach and GM interviews. They did this even though coach Rich Bisaccia and GM Mike Mayock were still working for them. Mayock was fired later in the day.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Raiders have also put in a request to talk to Dodds.
They did the same with New England Patriots director of player personnel Dave Ziegler, and want to talk to Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo for head coach.
Bears GM Candidates
General Manager
- Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles (per ESPN)
- Miami Dolphins senior personnel director Reggie McKenzie (SI.com)*
- L.A. Chargers director of player personnel JoJo Wooden (NFL Network)
- Titans director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort (Chicago Bears)*
- Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly (ESPN)*
- Buffalo Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen (SI.com)*
- New England Patriots director of college scouting Eliot Wolf (ESPN)
- Pittsburgh Steelers VP of football and business administration Omar Khan (ESPN)
- Former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith (Chicago Tribune)
- San Francisco 49ers director of player personnel Ran Carthon (SI.com)
- New Orleans Saints assistant GM and college scouting director Jeff Ireland (ESPN)*
- Indianapolis Colts vice-president of player personnel Ed Dodds (ESPN)*
- Indianapolis Colts director of college scouting Morocco Brown (NBC Sports)
- Cleveland Browns vice-president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (SI.com)*
- Cleveland Browns vice-president of player personnel Glenn Cook (SI.com)*
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
