Bears Blitz

Chicago Bears GM Search: Latest Rumors, Speculation Surrounding Vacant Position

Published by Tim Daniels on December 30, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

After moving on from Phil Emery, the Chicago Bears are looking for a new general manager with Vince Newsome, Marc Ross, Lake Dawson and other among the candidates.

Continue for updates.

Ballard, Dawson, Others Will Be at Bears Headquarters

Monday, Jan. 5

Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times provided new details on two notable candidates for the Bears’ GM vacancy:

Ballard, who is the direct of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs, reportedly turned down the New York Jets‘ interview request for their GM position earlier on Monday, per NFL Network’s Albert Breer.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that Chicago received permission to interview Ballard:

Bears Request Permission for Multiple Interviews

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Adam Schefter of ESPN passed along candidates the Bears have targeted for their general manager position:

Newsome, Ross, Dawson Among Bears GM Targets

Tuesday, Dec. 30

The Chicago Bears signaled their decision to move in a new direction by letting go of general manager Phil Emery on Monday. A group of candidates to fill the void is already starting to emerge.

Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports Fritz Pollard Alliance chairman John Wooton recommended Vince Newsome, Marc Ross and Lake Dawson to Ernie Accorsi, who’s working with the Bears to find the right person to get the team back on track.

“All of those guys have outstanding evaluation skills,” Wooten said.

Chris Ballard, who is the player personnel director for the Kansas City Chiefs, is another target for the position, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Newsome is the director of pro personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. As the report notes, however, he’s not related to the team’s general manager, Ozzie Newsome. He’s filled numerous roles within the franchise since 1993.

Ross currently serves as the New York Giants‘ vice president of player evaluation. He previously spent six years as the team’s director of college scouting. He also worked with the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles as part of those organizations’ scouting departments.

Dawson serves as the vice president of player personnel for the Tennessee Titans. A former wide receiver, he also spent time with the Seattle Seahawks in a player personnel role. All told, he’s spent two decades in the league.

It’s unclear exactly how long the Bears plan to take before making a decision or how many candidates will be considered.

After a season that began with so much optimism spiraled out of control, it would be hard to blame the team for taking some extra time making a choice. The new general manager will need to make some key decisions to get things moving back in a positive direction.