Chicago Bears GM Search: Who Are the Leading Candidates?
Published by Bob Warja on January 7, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
As soon as the Bears fired Jerry Angelo as GM, the rumor mill started churning, though several of those early rumors have been proven false. So who is the leading candidate?
Well, while Bill Polian, Eric DeCosta and Reggie McKenzie are off the list, the one name that is at the forefront of the candidate list is Les Snead.
Who is Les Snead? I am glad you asked.
Snead is the Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel and a well-respected talent evaluator. But while Chicago may be the most attractive of the job openings, Snead may have other offers.
He is scheduled to interview with St. Louis and Indianapolis. Keep in mind that since Indy has the No. 1 pick in the draft, that may be his top destination.
Meanwhile, though Snead is said to be the Bears’ top target, don’t forget that Lovie Smith is involved in the hiring process. That said, it would help any candidate if he had a relationship with the Bears head coach.
One of the other candidates the Bears have their eye on actually does have a connection to Smith. That would be Washington Redskins director of pro personnel Morrocco Brown.
Brown worked in Chicago as the assistant director of player personnel from 2001 to May of 2008.
According to sources, DeCosta was the Bears’ original choice, but he will be staying with the Ravens.
McKenzie, the highly sought-after former director of football operations for the Green Bay Packers, signed with the Oakland Raiders as their new GM on Thursday.
Bears team president Ted Phillips cited chemistry with Smith and the ability to evaluate talent as the top attributes the Bears desire from their next GM.
Snead has demonstrated an ability to work with a variety of coaches, as he has served under four head coaches in Atlanta.
Of course, there is also the “Rooney Rule” for the Bears to consider. This league mandate requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for these types of jobs.
According to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, the top minority candidates, as identified by John Wooten, the chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, are the following:
“Jimmy Raye Jr., San Diego Chargers director of player personnel; Marc Ross, New York Giants director of college scouting; Ray Farmer, Kansas City Chiefs director of pro personnel; Lake Dawson, Tennessee Titans vice president of football operations; Will Lewis, Seattle Seahawks vice president of pro personnel; Louis Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles director of pro personnel; and Sheldon White, Detroit Lions vice president of pro personnel.”
If you read my piece on this topic recently, you know how I feel. I would rather that the best candidate be identified even if it means that he does not share the same philosophy with Smith.
But apparently the new GM will not only have to share Smith’s philosophy, but the Bears head coach will have a hand in selecting the next candidate.
Recognizing that, my money is on Brown.
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