People keep talking about Matt Eberflus and the staff he has to put together as head coach. They often forget that new Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles must do the same thing. A good front office is just as important as a good coaching staff. Having a strong array of talent evaluators can often mean the difference between a contender and just another mediocre football team. A problem the Bears have suffered through during the tenures of Phil Emery and Ryan Pace.
It seems Poles is getting ready to start making changes to the infrastructure. A name has surfaced that appears to be somebody he hopes to bring in as a top lieutenant. According to Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan of Inside The Birds, the Bears are hoping to lure Philadelphia Eagles director of player personnel Ian Cunningham to Chicago. Somebody that Poles shares a strong relationship with.
NFL SOURCES tell @caplannfl and @GeoffMosherNFL: New #Bears GM Ryan Poles expected to target #Eagles dir. of player personnel Ian Cunningham for high-ranking front office job in Chicago.
Cunningham, who’s been with Eagles for five years, and Poles are said to be close.
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherNFL) January 27, 2022
This is a fascinating move if it comes to pass.
Cunningham is not what anybody would call a “hot” name in NFL circles but don’t be fooled. The man comes from a terrific pedigree. Hired by the Baltimore Ravens he 2008, he spent eight years in their scouting department, learning from the great Ozzie Newsome. By 2013, he’d become their all-important Southeast area scout. A title he would hold until the Eagles poached him in 2017 to become their director of college scouting. The same year they won the Super Bowl. He earned his director of player personnel title this past season.
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When looking at some of the players he’s had a hand in drafting, it’s not a big surprise that Poles made it his first priority to bring Cunningham in.
- Brandon Williams
- C.J. Mosley
- Za’Darius Smith
- Darren Waller
- Dallas Goedert
- Rasul Douglas
- Josh Sweat
- Jordan Mailata
- Miles Sanders
- Jalen Hurts
- Devonta Smith
- Landon Dickerson
Ryan Poles is making his identity clear already
Everything is going to start up front for the Bears. He wants his football team to be strong in the trenches. That shouldn’t be a surprise. The young GM played offensive line in college. In fact, so did Cunningham. He did it for four years at Virginia before shifting to scouting just one year before Poles did. This helps to explain why the two seemed to connect so well. Their backgrounds are nearly identical.
The offensive line has remained a persistent issue for the Bears going back several years. Multiple high draft choices that ended up disappointing. Fans still have nightmares about guys like Marc Columbo, Chris Williams, and Gabe Carimi. Even guys like Cody Whitehair and James Daniels have been decent but nowhere near good enough to handle the tougher teams in the league.
That is something this new regime aims to change.
One person that should be happy about it is Justin Fields. This reflects well on ownership’s decision to hire Poles. They knew exactly what must be done. Find a leader for the organization but also somebody that can build around their young quarterback. If Fields gets the sort of protection guys like Hurts and Patrick Mahomes enjoy, then this is going to be a fun next few years.
