WrigleyField 22

Yea either guy from the Browns would certainly be an interesting signal. I feel like the Emery hire had shades of McCaskey wanting to embrace analytics, but was like when the Cubs hired that Kaplan guy, just a super rudimentary and basic understanding of what analytics even was. There was that thing about Emery conducting a study of QB draft picks for instance. Like probably one guy with a subscription to pro football references pro database and excel. Then they never really revisited it with Pace where they've had an analytics department of 1. The Browns are just going at it to an extreme degree. I think I read they're the first team to try and do the same thing PFF does, grade every player from every team for every play. Which is kind of crazy. It would be super interesting if McCaskey were to go with Mensah. There would definitely be a big fan push back. And it would signal Polian's role in this whole thing was really more organizational/administrative in nature rather than pushing a org agenda/identity. Yeah, I put Adofo-Mensah more on the younger ones they have consulting (Campbell, Wade). I think Polian is good to have around as a guy who's run a team. He's likely going to boost up the Colts guys and any older/experienced candidates he may have worked with. But Campbell and Wade are likely the ones that have insight to the hot analytic driven candidates like the Browns guys. Yep the little bit I've read about Campbell is interesting. I could totally see him being of an analytical mind, but it's not bearing out in a "spreadsheet spits out a WAR" type, but more of a social sciences, "what untapped areas are we ignoring that will enhance the physical development". But then you go hire the ivy league savant who understand the mathematical and modeling component of what you're aiming to accomplish. Maybe Wade is that, though it's not as immediately obvious how it ties into football. But like the idea of somewhere there cutting through inherent biases.

Yea either guy from the Browns would certainly be an interesting signal. I feel like the Emery hire had shades of McCaskey wanting to embrace analytics, but was like when the Cubs hired that Kaplan guy, just a super rudimentary and basic understanding of what analytics even was. There was that thing about Emery conducting a study of QB draft picks for instance. Like probably one guy with a subscription to pro football references pro database and excel. Then they never really revisited it with Pace where they've had an analytics department of 1. The Browns are just going at it to an extreme degree. I think I read they're the first team to try and do the same thing PFF does, grade every player from every team for every play. Which is kind of crazy. It would be super interesting if McCaskey were to go with Mensah. There would definitely be a big fan push back. And it would signal Polian's role in this whole thing was really more organizational/administrative in nature rather than pushing a org agenda/identity.

Familiar with the athletic article. I'm not saying Dodds isn't a interesting or even exciting candidate it just seems like he's a consensus pick to such a high degree that I can't figure out. Like nearly everywhere in the Bears blogosphere seems to have him top 2, most top spot. It's kind of a startling amount of fan consensus that still doesn't make sense. Just drives my skepticism I guess. We're not immune to being pushed media narratives because it's frankly so hard to know what individual FO guys actually do.

DBB claims no one was blown away by Pederson.

You're ignoring his time in Seattle. I also have Aaron Glenn as my 4th choice for HC. I'm aware of his time in Seattle. I'm actually not convinced all the casuals are.

I see so much Dodds love, but I'll be honest, part of me feels like it's a lot of Ballard regret being projected. Like I certainly see things to like but there's been so much fan consensus around him. Or is it just that he's already made a lot of finalist lists the past few years so there's decent built in name recognition?

I definitely find myself more intrigued with the GM list, but I think that's part of the nature. It's so much easier to see coach warts from the fan perspective. Big thing for me right now is I don't think any of these coaches are "coach above GM" hires. That said I don't mind them doing initial screens. For any playoff coach, the bye week or week after WC round could be the only opportunity until SB bye week, and obviously you don't know who that will be. GM can still do a full search and have some data if someone for their short list ends up on a long playoff run.

Well they're a stronger option now, but luckily doesn't look like theirs and Bears candidates are overlapping much.

Smith is separating from the pack for me as I revisit some things about him. https://theathletic.com/1596742/2020/02/12/my-heart-is-open-now-former-texans-gm-rick-smiths-grief-has-reshaped-his-life?source=user-shared-article Edit- him and Soup are bound to hit it off, right?

I'm also really talking myself into the model of not putting a scout type as GM. While you could probably flip my argument and say exact order doesn't matter, I will try to explain my thinking. The NFL recently added assistant GM as a protected job level. So you can poach another teams staff for a "bona fide" assistant GM role and they can't block (unless they themselves are one of the top 2 spots already). But I don't think anyone really knows what a bona fide GM is. It's basically up to Goodell. So look at Brown in Indy. He's really the number 3 scout/personnel guy behind Ballard/Dodds. So he presumably can't be blocked for a number 2 role as long as Goodell agrees. Making your assistant GM role the top scout role seems like as good approach as any to state its a bona-fide assistant GM role. That Brown happens to be a former Bear alum and might have motivation to come back and be the top talent evaluator and perhaps know a few faces and transition seemlessly. Very convenient. So you end up with something like: GM - Kwesi (he's the only one who fits the type so far) Asst GM Brown reports up to Kwesi and oversees All scouting departments directly including VP of Player Personnel (retain Champ?) and College Scouting (retain Sadowski?) Outside of scouting side (and coaching) your GM is busy building out and overseeing analytics/research, admin/contracts/cap, player development and engagement, sports sciences, facilities. All those big picture org things. But would still carry that final football authority, which I think is important. But the key is it is a delegator role. Maybe admin/contracts falls under asst GM as well, with some soft report lines from analytics up to GM. I think that does effectively create the structure some are after when some fans say they want a "President" role.

This article does not give me good vibes for Flores. Sounds like he wants to be Belichick (surprise surprise). But if you're gonna try and be Bill, ya best deliver. Not sure he can. https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/barry-jackson/article256841207.html

I honestly don't know if the GM thing matters. The reason you can't interview playoff coaches because they are involved in game-planning, practice, and so forth to get ready for the playoff game. GMs don't have anything to do with that stuff, so I think you can interview a GM candidate from a playoff team whenever you want...but I could be wrong. It would make intuitive sense but I could have sworn they had same limitation. I mean there is still some end of season roster management (or scouting if they're a college guy), but you'd think owners would prefer to end it rather than do the wink wink agreement and just pass off whatever duties those guys were working on.

Dodds and Flores would be a slam dunk depending on the OC. Dodds' ties could come in huge with the OC hire. Maybe Flores can lure O'Connell from the Rams with the promise of a chance to completely run the offensive side of the ball. Flores was on the Pats staff when O'Connell was a backup QB there in 2008. Go from laughing stock to potentially one of the best FO/coaching staffs in the game. This is a guy who I like a lot and he has some interesting thoughts on Flores. Sounds like the OC thing is maybe a legit concern for him.

Very interesting the balance in the reports now. A handful of GM candidates from non playoff teams so they are hire able right away. Mostly playoff head coach candidates, I believe they do have a limited window to move fast or not be able to interview the rest of that teams post season. Part of me wonders if they're focused on non playoff GMs so they don't have to wait until after a possible SB run. How not, but interesting it's working out that way early. Really wish NFL would allow FO candidates to finalize a deal and then finish their playoff run. Coaches I can more understand requiring to finish their year.

Also Kwesi was my nerd-hire recommendation from the week 18 thread. You love to see it (even though it actually would make me nervous how green he is). Although if my entire plan were fulfilled and he kept Champ (and much of staff) and hired an experienced HC I'm game. He could focus on bigger picture instead of rebuilding scouting systems/Staff in year 1. And that sweet sweet analytics build out would follow him.

of course it is a promotion Why of course? It sounds like VP of FO would be a title given to the GMs boss The NFL has almost exclusively coalesced around GM as the top role, I suspect largely due to the anti-tampering and Rooney rules. Some variance in coach/GM power balance, but we haven't seen the title inflation like other leagues. Part of the reason I almost always roll my eyes at the demands for a Football Pres. Also now the league will be creating Assistant GM as a "protected role" subject to similar rules so you'll probably see a lot of coalescing around that title within the next decade.

Ryan Pace, the gift that will never cease to give. I think it needs to be noted a lot of teams dealt with dead cap games this year due to the cap contracting. Big picture their flexibility is at least average situation, but the difference between like 5th and 15th is fairly marginal and in the top 5 cap groups diminishing returns kick in quickly IMO.

My thoughts.

Someone asked about the $15/job offer and he basically said take anything Olin says with a grain of salt and Olin didn't tell the whole story. And basically doubled down on the answer (but joked he hopes Olin tells that story while he's inducted into HOF).

Its gonna be a super team of consultants this time. Accorsi, Polian, Dungy, Parcells.

I think he was first this AM to make claim that Ted won't be in reporting line for next GM and that George would confirm. Saw Jahns I think allude to it after then. If that bears out that will be a pretty big feather in his legitimacy cap too. Also for anyone who saw him do that one podcast earlier this week the legitimacy cap is a horrific Old Style cap.

And the scary thing is Pace dramatically increased the size of football ops.

I think, at least early on, George didn't have much of an opinion, or at least conviction in his opinion. He clearly relied heavily on Phillips after coming out of the ticket sales department. He basically said Ted makes the decisions back when he became chairman and his job was to help Ted make those decisions. Maybe he feels more confident in himself making the decisions now. Yeah. That's what I'm taking from this. It's actually feasible. He's consulted with guys that know football. I'm sure he's spoken with plenty of other owners and gotten advice. Not saying he's an expert at this point, but he isn't any less qualified than Phillips to make decisions. Qualified to make decisions on a HC/GM hire, no probably not. Though I might give a slight edge to someone who worked their way to the spot rather than more or less inherit it. That's not a absolute guarantee of capability, but it prob means something. None of which is meant as a direct defense of Phillips. But resignation that there isn't really a choice for owner (though there's like 10 other kids they haven't tried out as chairman, not sure that matters lol) and either George alone or George and Ted is just basically rolling dice until you find the right person to lead football ops and neither is gonna directly cultivate that. Prove me wrong George. Don't only hire the right guy, actively support him in building out the best football org in football. Spearhead something and directly support the GM doing something useful in operations!

I think, at least early on, George didn't have much of an opinion, or at least conviction in his opinion. He clearly relied heavily on Phillips after coming out of the ticket sales department. He basically said Ted makes the decisions back when he became chairman and his job was to help Ted make those decisions. Maybe he feels more confident in himself making the decisions now. Hm maybe. He as pretty confident to not go the consultant role with the Emery hire after the org had used a search firm for Angelo. Then he reverted back to consultant. Maybe a cycle of overconfidence early, humbling of his status and now settling into a more normal owner function.

What does it really matter, either way? Does McCaskey making the hire on his own make you feel any better than Phillips? We just have to hope they manage to get it right, even if it's accidentally. Yes, because it means the next GM probably reports directly to George and not to Ted. I think that opens up more possibilities of people being interested, or at least not being scared away by the reporting structure. I'd be shocked to learn that the report structure ever scared away a good candidate. It's much adieu about very little.