One thing that has become clear with the Chicago Bears in their GM search is they aren’t ignoring any of the big names. Literally none. With eight names already accounted for, they just tipped off a ninth. This time with Buffalo Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen. This shouldn’t be a big surprise. Brandon Beane is considered one of the best GMs in the NFL and Schoen is his right-hand man. Most around the NFL believed it was a matter of when, not if he’d be running his own team.
This also plays even further into the fact that the Bears will be interviewing both Bills coordinators for their head coaching position. It would be quite logical to pair Schoen with either Leslie Frazier or Brian Daboll. He already knows them personally and has worked with them for years. He understands the sort of players they would prefer. As always it will come down to how he sells his vision to George McCaskey in that interview.
Bears requested an interview with the Buffalo Bills’ assistant general manager Joe Schoen for their GM job, per source.
Bears now interested in Schoen, Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2022
Schoen has a strong track record going back years.
He worked under Jeff Ireland in Miami from 2008 to 2013 as a national scout before being promoted to director of player personnel in 2014. During that time, the Dolphins secured 12 eventual Pro Bowlers. By 2017 he was lured to Buffalo by his friend Beane and together they set about building the Bills in an AFC powerhouse. The highlight of which was securing star quarterback Josh Allen. Perhaps no quote sums up Joe Schoen better than this one from Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic via Beane.
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“Instead of just rushing to the seat and then trying to figure it out, Joe’s that guy that he wants to have all the answers to the test before he goes and sits down. Very few people are like that. There’s so many people in this business that are just trying to get into that head coach seat, that GM seat, and maybe they’re not ready for it. I have no doubt he’s going to be ready for it. He’s a great communicator. He understands people. You’re not going to outwork him.”
Reports about him tend to say the same things. Approachable. Intelligent. Very detailed. Never impulsive. The results he’s been able to produce over the past decade reinforced this. The Bears are absolutely right to get a meeting with him.
