Chicago Bears May Be Picking Right Time To Switch GMs

The last time the Chicago Bears blew up their front office from top to bottom was 2012.  Jerry Angelo was fired and Phil Emery, a former team scout who became director of scouting in Kansas City was brought back to replace him.  At the time four other teams were on the lookout for general managers as well including the Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, and Houston Texans.  That is a lot of competition for finding quality talent evaluators because, like quarterbacks and good head coaches, they’re hard to find.

If the Bears do follow through on the rising belief they will part ways with Emery following the worst season of his tenure in Chicago, then the opportunity to get it right may be much better this time around.

According to the latest reports and rumors only one other team is considered almost a given to replace their general manager, and that is the New York Jets.  John Idzik failed spectacularly in his short time with the team.

As for other names on the hot seat:

• Reggie McKenzie seems safe with the Oakland Raiders, largely due to the success of his most recent draft class including Khalil Mack and Derek Carr.  However, ownership is reigning in his leash in regards to finding the next head coach after he whiffed badly on Dennis Allen.
• Despite a rough season, Jason Licht of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers doesn’t seem to be in any danger, nor is his head coach Lovie Smith.  They have a plan in place and seem to have the confidence of ownership towards executing it.
• The recent upswing of the New York Giants isn’t only saving Tom Coughlin from losing his job, it also is likely to grant a reprieve for GM Jerry Reese who was under some heat for the slip the team has suffered in talent recently, most noticeably on the defensive side of the ball.
• Thomas Dimitroff still has the confidence of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, though the same can’t be said of head coach Mike Smith.  Dimitroff is in the best of standings but his track record is enough to prevent any rash decisions.  With the Falcons having a chance to win the division in Week 17 despite a losing record, that should keep him around.

Thus the situation is one of supply and demand in which it favors a buyer’s market.  In other words, the market is expected to be rich with capable GM candidates and the Chicago Bears will be one of just two teams looking for one, thus increasing their chances of getting an upgrade over Emery.