Withdrawal Nothing New for Ed Dodds
The Bears interview process hit a pot hole Wednesday when GM candidate Ed Dodds from the Indianapolis Colts withdrew.
The Bears spoke with Dodds on Monday when they also talked to Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
They liked Eberlus enough to invite him back for a second interview sometime next week, according to NFL Network. However, Dodds pulled out of the process after his first interview, Tom Pelisero reported.
There is no doubt Dodds was one of the more experienced and successful personnel people interviewed by the Bears. He had worked for Seattle during their run to a Super Bowl win.
When a candidate withdraws it can lead to all sorts of speculation.
Here are popular theories:
1. Dodds didn't like the front office structure with the GM now answering to board chairman George McCaskey. It was McCaskey who labeled himself a fan.
2. The Bears already named a second interview for a head coaching candidate and Dodds as GM wants to be the one calling the shots and hiring the coach.
3. Dodds has something better lined up. He interviewed in Jacksonville already, as well.
4. Bill Polian's questioning included something Dodds didn't like, or McCaskey's. On AM-670's Mully & Haugh Show Wednesday NFL analyst and former front office man Michael Lombardi offered up the thought that the Bears committee doing the hiring has been asking the wrong type of questions for these interviews. Lombardi cited contact he's had with those who are being interviewed without naming names. With Polian involved, this would be surprising at least for the head coach job. Polian has had plenty of experience and success hiring coaches. For the GM spot it's a different issue because Polian didn't hire GMs. He did have his son Chris working under him as GM at the end in Indianapolis and then both were fired.
5. He didn't like the money, although this doesn't seem likely as he was doing a preliminary interview without cash a serious talking point usually at this stage.
6. He doesn't like Justin Fields as a quarterback and didn't like being told he had to try to build around Fields. It might shock some Bears fans but there are GMs who didn't like Fields because they thought he held the ball too long before throwing.
It could be those, a combination of some or maybe something else.
Regardless, it was the third time in three interview processes that Dodds withdrew. He withdrew last year from Carolina's GM search and in 2020 from Cleveland's process.
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