The Falcons announced the completion of general manager interviews for four candidates today as the team seeks a total reload of team leadership this offseason. They hired former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to fill the same position in Atlanta last weekend, and now, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham is considered the frontrunner to be named general manager.
Cunningham was one of the four to interview for the GM job today, but it wasn’t his first interview with the Falcons. Earlier in their offseason, there were reports that Atlanta was expected to hire former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan to a front office job. Presumably reasoning that the position they intended to hire him into would require Rooney Rule compliance, they quickly scheduled interviews with four other candidates, of which Cunningham was one.
Kendall asserted today that, ever since Cunningham interviewed for the president of football job that went to Ryan, he’s been considered the favorite to land the general manager job. Cunningham wasn’t the only president of football candidate to be brought back for GM interviews, though. San Francisco’s director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams has also been a candidate for both positions. Williams also interviewed today, and his experience working with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan — Ryan’s old offensive coordinator in Atlanta — should provide him some confidence in his ability to work with Ryan.
The other two GM candidates to interview today were Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Bradway and Eagles senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager Joe Douglas. Bradway has been tied to the Chiefs for five years and the Eagles for the 10 years before that. The son of former Jets general manager Terry Bradway, he just recently started to garner interest that could lead to him following in his father’s footsteps to become an NFL general manager. Douglas is a year removed from serving as the Jets general manager himself. Of the six candidates who have interviewed, he’s the only one with actual GM experience, serving six years in the role in New York.
The other two candidates, Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl and Texans assistant general manager James Liipfert, interviewed for the job yesterday. With all six named candidates having interviewed, it seems the Falcons may be well on their way to announcing their decision. If Kendall’s views of the race are accurate, Cunningham, who’s long been viewed as an up-and-coming name around front offices in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago, could finally land a role as a general manager.
Assuming the team is through interviewing new candidates, here’s one more look at the list of potential GMs:
- Mike Bradway, assistant general manager (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/23
- Ian Cunningham, assistant general manager (Bears): Interviewed 1/23
- Joe Douglas, senior personnel director (Eagles): Interviewed 1/23
- James Liipfert, assistant general manager (Texans): Interviewed 1/22
- Andy Weidl, assistant general manager (Steelers): Interviewed 1/22
- Josh Williams, director of scouting and football operations (49ers): Interviewed 1/23
Posted this in the chat comments but it fits here too:
My Cunningham thinking goes something like this. Johnson is here now and he and Allen will probably have more input into player drafting and signings than Cunningham which will probably make him want to go. Even a lame GM job is a step up from a lame asst GM job so I bet he takes it if they offer it to him. I don’t think Ryan is going to have much to do with scouting and such especially if he’s dreaming about keeping his TV gigs too. He won’t last long at this job IMO.
He announced weeks ago that he wasn’t keeping his TV gig.
This is basically showing exactly what’s wrong with the Falcons. It’s Arthur Blank. He has no idea what he’s doing so why should anyone else? From the Cousins-Penix fiasco to hiring Kevin Stefanski it screams ineptitude. What exactly screams I know what I’m doing about Stefanski? His awesome Browns experience? At best he’s the poster child for knowing what NOT to do at least. And this is again Bears failure 101 for hiring the coach, Then the President( Who knows nothing) And THEN the GM? Even the Bears usually weren’t that dumb. This is a whole new model of Huh?
Something makes me think there is more to GM jobs (lame, or otherwise) than just “player drafting and signings”
I actually think Ritchie Cunningham has a better chance of bringing “Happy Days” to Atlanta 🙂
This is what happens when you have an owner who just gives a job to a guy who was his favorite player just for giggles. Ryan is so out of his element here I can’t believe he will be in that position very long. To hold that job you basically have to be organized, Basically a CPA to deal with the Cap and Should have some scouting experience. This is seeing the Raiders hire Tom Brady( Which will probably also fail) And thinking THAT was a good idea. The difference being Brady has a piece of the team and has just as much chance of success IMO. Blank is just looking for somebody to come to the owners box and watch the games with him. He’ll be back on TV soon enough. And he hasn’t even been talked about for the gig for “Weeks” To even say whether he will or won’t at least be on TV. This is hey I can be just like Tom and doomed to fail. Somebody will have to pick up the pieces. This job actually requires FO knowledge and he doesn’t have one iota of it.
If not Ian, it’ll be CHUCK Cunningham !!
Sometimes the best move you make is the one you don’t. In this case, Ian Cunningham would be better off sticking with the Bears than joining Atlanta. The Atlanta organization seems dysfunctional. Similar to the Bears but they seem to be on the right track-Moving in the right direction after years of being a joke. Why risk your career taking a chance with Atanta? Unless Cunningham is unhappy. I do hear he is highly respected in the Bears organization. President Warren is a strong ally. Hang in there with Chicago. See what happens next year. And besides, the Bears won’t receive any compensation for 3rd picks in 26 and 27 as the NFL views the Atlanta job as a lateral move as far a decision making responsibility.
This whole things stinks . We lose Cunningham and get nothing, just like the Justin fields deal with Pittsburgh FIRE Poles and give Cunningham the job . Poles wanted to trade up to get Odunze and Cunningham talk him into not doing it and they get him anyways . With the exception of the offense line Poles has the Bears strap with cap space because he paid some of these guys who are worthless big time money . Haven’t we see enough of his stupidity starting with Eberflus ? And what really bad was Indianapolis was going to fire him . Fire Poles and give Cunningham the GM job ! But we all KNOW that not going to happen . 2 more third round picks this and next year down the drain .