The Bears’ long list of GM candidates continues to grow. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter), the organization requested permission to interview Chiefs Executive Director of Player Personnel Ryan Poles.
Poles was mentioned as a candidate for the Panthers GM job last offseason. The executive has spent much of his career with the Chiefs, working his way up from director of college scouting to executive director of player personnel, where he works alongside GM Brett Veach and assistant GM Mike Borgonzi.
The 36-year-old has been a popular name once again in the GM circuit. Poles has already been connected to the open gigs with the Vikings and Giants.
Among the (now) four GM openings, the Bears easily have the longest list of candidates. Poles will join a group of potential interviewees that includes:
- Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, vice president of football operations (Browns): Interviewed 1/13
- Morocco Brown, director of college scouting (Colts): Interview requested
- Ran Carthon, director of player personnel (49ers): Interview requested
- Glenn Cook, vice president of player personnel (Browns): Interviewed 1/12
- Ed Dodds, vice president of player personnel (Colts): Interview requested
- Jeff Ireland, assistant general manager (Saints): Interviewed 1/14
- Champ Kelly, assistant director of player personnel (Bears): Interviewed 1/13
- Omar Khan, vice president of football and business administration (Steelers): Interview requested
- Reggie McKenzie, senior personnel executive (Dolphins): Interview requested
- Monti Ossenfort, director of player personnel (Titans): Interviewed 1/15
- Joe Schoen, assistant general manager (Giants): Interviewed 1/16
- Rick Smith, former general manager (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Eliot Wolf, senior consultant (Patriots): Interview requested
- JoJo Wooden, director of player personnel (Chargers): Interview requested
Sounds like another Ryan Pace, except instead of being from the Saints this version is from the Chiefs.
Hard pass.
Yeah, who would want an executive from a winning organization to come in and risk upsetting the consistent loser mentality the bears and their fans have come to appreciate. Hard pass, for sure.
The Bears could interview Ozzie Newsome and their fans would still find something to complain about
Pace came from a winning organization, went 48-66 over 7 seasons and they never won a playoff game. Not saying Poles is Pace 2.0, but I am saying McCaskey wouldn’t know the difference if it bit him in the rear.
Throw in Trump, The Pope and Gal Gadot and that should just about cover everyone. My money is on Wonder Woman.
If the bears are enamored with chiefs background, get Dorsey in there as GM. Give him all the keys and send all the McCaskeys to Miami forever
While the list shows theyre doing their due diligence, in typical Bears fashion it’ll be the exec (or two) they didnt select for the GM job who goes on to build a long term championship caliber team with another organization