The Chicago Bears front office appears to have a greater degree of luck than the coaching staff. For the longest time, it’s felt like the Bears have always lost quality assistants when things were getting good. Buddy Ryan left to become a head coach in 1986. Ron Rivera left in 2007 after getting to a Super Bowl. Adam Gase left after getting a good year from Jay Cutler. Then Vic Fangio leaves after directing the #1 defense last season.
When will this team finally be able to dodge the greedy clutches of others? It would seem 2019 is that year. For a solid month, it appeared like the Bears were on the cusp of losing one of the best minds in their entire front office. Assistant Director of Player Personnel Champ Kelly was a heavy favorite to possibly claim the general manager position with the New York Jets.
Then when that job went to Joe Douglas, there was a heavy buzz that he might end up going anyway as an Assistant GM. Tense days passed until finally, word broke that the Jets had secured their list of new additions to their staff under Douglas. None of them included Kelly. Just like that, the Bears had navigated out of treacherous waters. At least for another year.
Chicago Bears front office is better with Champ Kelly
Kelly has fast become one of the rising stars on the NFL executive circuit. He became of the Director of Pro Scouting in Chicago in 2015. Over the next two years, he was a vital key to them securing key free agents such as Akiem Hicks and Danny Trevathan. Not to mention Pernell McPhee and Jerrell Freeman. This work earned him a promotion to his current position in 2017.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
This gained him greater access to the Bears’ draft work. Since then the team has arguably had some of the biggest success on that front in several years. Among the list of players he helped evaluate and select are Mitch Trubisky, Eddie Jackson, Tarik Cohen, Roquan Smith, James Daniels, Anthony Miller, and Bilal Nichols. It’s little wonder the man is creating a buzz among other teams.
The fact that the Bears now could likely have him for at least one more offseason in 2020 is huge. Especially since their resources will be scarce. They need all the additional help they can get.
