Ian Cunningham - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Request GM Interviews With Ian Cunningham, Ran Carthon, Adam Peters, Monti Ossenfort

January 9th, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

It was announced not long after the Kliff Kingsbury firing that the Cardinals would also be in need of a new general manager. Steve Keim has permanently stepped away from the team due to health-related reasons, meaning Arizona joins Tennessee as the only NFL clubs currently in need of a new leader in their front office.

Keim took an indefinite leave of absence in December, and it was reported days later that he and the team were expected to part ways. With that move now having been made official, the franchise is currently operating with vice president of player personnel Quentin Harris and vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson filing in on an interim basis.

Each of them has already been interviewed for the full-time position, though, owner Michael Bidwill said on Monday. He added that his preference would be to have a new GM in place prior to the team’s next head coaching hire, but that the opposite order would also not be an issue (Twitter link via team reporter Darren Urban). External candidates have begun to emerge alongside Harris and Wilson.

One of those is Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, who has had received a formal interview request from the Cardinals, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (on Twitter). He has also drawn the attention of the Titans in the early goings of their GM search, a testament to his continued rise through the ranks of various NFL front office positions during his career.

Cunningham began with the Ravens in 2013 as a scout, translating his time there into a move to Philadelphia in 2017. Over the course of his time with the Eagles, he worked his way up to the title of player personnel director. Most recently, he was hired by the Bears last January in another promotion, this time to assistant general manager.

In addition to Cunningham, the Cardinals wish to meet with Ran Carthon and Adam Peters, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Those two hold the titles of director of pro personnel and AGM, respectively, with the 49ers. Like Cunningham, they too have caught the eye of the Titans for their general manager vacancy. Carthon, 41, has served in his current role since 2017 after spending time in the front office with the Falcons and Rams.

Monti Ossenfort is also on the Cardinals’ radar, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Ossenfort, a longtime Patriots exec who has been with the Titans since 2020, saw the team elevate Ryan Cowden to its interim GM post in the wake of Jon Robinson‘s firing. Interviewing for GM roles in the past, Ossenfort serves as Tennessee’s director of player personnel. Given the Cowden development and the Titans’ changing of the guard, it will be interesting to see if Ossenfort remains on staff ahead of the 2023 season.

Peters, meanwhile, has been an NFL executive for two decades, beginning with the Patriots and later, the Broncos. He joined the 49ers in 2017, working his way up from VP of player personnel to the assistant GM title last year. He was a finalist for the Giants’ GM job last winter, which ultimately went to Joe Schoen.

Seeking their first GM in a decade, the Cardinals will have plenty of options to consider before making a hire. On the head coach side of the situation, quarterback Kyler Murray will be involved in the search for Kingsbury’s successor (Twitter link via Johnny Venerable of the PHNX Cardinals Podcast). That could add a interesting element to Arizona’s offseason, one which will be busy in light of today’s events.

More On Bears, Robert Quinn Trade

October 26th, 2022 at 9:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Eagles made a splash earlier today when they acquired defensive end Robert Quinn from the Bears, and it sounds like Chicago is picking up most of the player’s tab. According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB (on Twitter), the Bears are picking up $7.1MM of Quinn’s remaining 2022 salary. This means Philly will only be responsible for around $700K, which is the veteran’s minimum.

It was speculated that the Bears were able to garner a fourth-round pick because they would be covering much of Quinn’s 2022 salary. The lineman is in the middle of a five-year, $70MM deal, but he has non-guaranteed base salaries of $14MM in 2023 and $13MM in 2024.

Quinn was rumored to be on the block for the rebuilding Bears, but considering the player’s salary, it presumably took a bit to find a trade partner. When the team was ultimately offered a fourth-round pick from the Eagles, GM Ryan Poles said he jumped at the opportunity.

“It just made too much sense in what we are trying to do here in building a championship team,” Poles said of his trade haul (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I know the Eagles are really fortunate to have him. Part of the tough part about this job is having to make tough decisions. You also know that you are tweaking the fibers of your locker room.

“That’s really where you have to compartmentalize those two different areas,” Poles added (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin on Twitter). “You know, for the future I think it’s going to give us the ability to continue to grow and build our foundation that we’re trying to build. That is the exciting part.”

Poles provided more insight into trade negotiations, noting that assistant GM Ian Cunningham, who previously worked in the Eagles front office, “was instrumental” in getting the trade done, per Cronin. The general manager also wouldn’t commit to any more trades taking place, adding that “it’s hard to tell” if trades will materialize and “there’s not a ton going on right now.”

Bears To Hire Eagles’ Ian Cunningham As Assistant GM

January 29th, 2022 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after being hired as the next Bears general manager, Ryan Poles reached an agreement to bring in a right-hand man. Eagles exec Ian Cunningham is joining Poles’ staff as assistant GM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Cunningham has been a key Howie Roseman lieutenant in Philadelphia for years, having risen to the position of player personnel director. Cunningham interviewed for the Bears job Friday.

A Ravens staffer for nine years, Cunningham joined Philly’s staff in 2017 and climbed the ranks since. The Jets attempted to hire Cunningham in multiple offseasons, but he ended up staying with the Eagles. The young exec, however, will make the move this offseason and work with a first-time GM in the 36-year-old Poles.

Despite not working together previously, Poles and Cunningham are close. Each was an ACC offensive lineman, with the latter playing at Virginia in the 2000s. Both were UDFAs in 2008, and Cunningham briefly landed with the Chiefs. The 30-somethings will be the point men leading a Bears rebuild effort.

Bears Targeting Eagles’ Ian Cunningham For Front Office Role, Kevin Patullo For OC

January 27th, 2022 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Bears tabbing a Chiefs executive for their general manager role and a Colts assistant to be their head coach, multiple Eagles staffers have emerged for top lieutenant roles.

Eagles passing-game coordinator Kevin Patullo has surfaced as a key target in the Bears’ offensive coordinator search, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While other candidates will come up, Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan notes Patullo is indeed on the Bears’ radar (Twitter link).

Patullo has worked with Eberflus previously, being part of Frank Reich‘s staff from 2018-20. Patullo, 40, left to join Nick Sirianni‘s Eagles staff last year. He has yet to be a coordinator at any level but has been in the NFL since 2007, excepting a one-season stay at Texas A&M. The Bears going with a defensive-minded coach obviously elevates the profile for their next OC hire, with that person being positioned to call plays for a Justin Fields-led offense next season.

The Bears are also targeting Eagles director of player personnel Ian Cunningham to join Ryan Poles‘ front office in a high-ranking role, per Caplan and InsidetheBirds.com’s Geoff Mosher (on Twitter). A Ravens staffer for nine years, Cunningham joined Philly’s staff in 2017 and has climbed the ranks to become a top Howie Roseman lieutenant. Poles and Cunningham are close, according to Mosher. The Jets attempted to hire Cunningham in multiple offseasons, but he ended up staying with the Eagles. It will be interesting to see if Poles can lure him to Chicago.

Eberflus is also likely to bring Colts linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi to Chicago with him, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). A former Cowboys and Buccaneers assistant, Borgonzi has coached the Colts’ linebackers since 2018.

AFC East Rumors: Jets, Cunningham, McCourty, Dolphins

January 16th, 2022 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets wasted no time in 2019 when wide receiver Braxton Berrios was waived by the Patriots just prior to the 2019 NFL season. The fourth-year player from the University of Miami was tabbed early in his Jets’ tenure as Jamison Crowder‘s back up in the slot, but Rich Cimini, of ESPN, details how Berrios’s effectiveness running and returning the ball could net him a bigger contract than his fellow slot receivers.

The first-team All Pro return man hits free agency this offseason and it’ll be interesting to see how those talks play out.

Here are a few more notes on the AFC East, starting with another item out of the Tri-State area:

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has recognized the Eagles’ director of player personnel, Ian Cunningham, as a potential future general manager. The Jets, specifically, have tried twice to bring him on, as he and Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas are both products of the Ozzie Newsome tree from their time with the Ravens.
As the Patriots’ season came to an end with last night’s blow out loss to the Bills, ESPN’s Mike Reiss brings forth the question of Devin McCourty‘s future. The New England mainstay has been a lynchpin of the Patriots’ defense for 12 years. But, at age 34 with an expiring contract, what does the future hold for the Boston-based twin.
Cornerback Xavien Howard put enough pressure on the Dolphins in August that they restructured his contract with a few rewarding incentives. Howard made sure to cash out. Howard added to his salary $1MM for making the Pro Bowl and another $1MM for playing at least 90% of Miami’s defensive snaps. Barry Jackson, of the Miami Herald, details the situation in his Sports Buzz column.

Front Office Notes: Panthers, Kuechly, Texans

May 3rd, 2021 at 10:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Scott Fitterer is looking to add to his staff. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Panthers have requested permission to interview Bills director of player personnel Dan Morgan for their assistant GM job. The organization has also reached out to the Eagles about interviewing director of player personnel Ian Cunningham for the assistant GM gig, via Rapoport on Twitter.

Morgan, of course, was a first-round pick by the Panthers back in 2001. The linebacker spent the first seven seasons of his career with Carolina, including a 2004 campaign where he made his lone Pro Bowl appearance. Following his playing career, Morgan joined the Seahawks front office, and he’s been in his current role with Buffalo since 2018.

Cunningham’s front office career started in Baltimore, and he joined the Eagles organization as director of college scouting in 2017. The executive was promoted to his current gig in 2019. As Eagles reporter Geoff Mosher points out (on Twitter), Panthers director of player personnel Patrick Stewart previously served as Philly’s national scout, so the front office has a connection to the Eagles.

Let’s check out some more front office notes from around the NFL…

While the Panthers are looking to add to their front office, the team has also lost a valuable (and very popular scout). Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that Panthers legend Luke Kuechly resigned from his role as pro scout. The former Defensive Player of the Year took on the role after retiring as a player last offseason. Panthers reporter Joe Person tweets that Kuechly wants to spend more time with his family before deciding the next steps of his career.
The Texans and director of pro personnel Rob Kisiel have mutually decided to part ways, according to Albert Breet of TheMMQB (via Twitter). Kisiel had been with the organization since the beginning, first serving as a scout before eventually making his way up to director of pro personnel.
Speaking of the Texans, the front office hired former Patriots pro scout Ronnie McGill prior to the draft, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Houston GM Nick Caserio has had a habit of stealing talent from New England, and it makes sense that he’d have his eyes on McGill. The former college running back had been with the Patriots organization since 2010.

NFC Notes: Floyd, Cousins, 49ers, Eagles

June 16th, 2017 at 5:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd is fighting back against a report that he violated his house arrest rules by testing positive for alcohol, telling Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Totally false. The whole thing is false. You can’t believe everything TMZ says.” Floyd, who had completed 91 days of his 96-day house arrest sentence as of Monday, is due in court June 26.

His agent, also named Brian Murphy, released a statement Friday, part of which says (full statement here via ESPN’s Adam Schefter):

“On June 10, 2017, Michael watched movies at his place of residence until 3:00 a.m. During that time, he drank several bottles of kombucha tea drinks, unaware that the drinks contain alcohol.

On June 11, 2017 at 5:30 a.m., Michael was tested and his blood alcohol content was .055. Michael was tested again at 5:54 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was down to .045. Michael was tested again at 6:23 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was .044. He then went back to sleep and missed a test at 6:33 a.m.”