Although they may be slow playing the widely expected organizational changes, the Chicago Bears aren’t the only NFL team dragging along at their own pace this season. This week’s opponent, the New York Giants, are in a similar spot, and that line extends beyond their similarly disappointing records entering Week 17.
The two franchises both have general managers seemingly on the outs. And both employ head coaches who simply aren’t “it” for the respective teams they lead. And, as I hinted there in the intro, both teams are dragging their feet when it comes to potential changes in those roles. However, that isn’t keeping The Athletic’s Dan Duggan from digging into potential general manager candidates for the team he covers in New York.
Duggan reports that New York is “surely set to move on” from Dave Gettleman. And why not? His Giants are 19-44 in his four years with the team (Normally, this is where I’d write something like “most GMs don’t get another year with records like that” as a follow up, but Bears GM Ryan Pace has overseen a team that is 47-64 in his seven years running the show, so…). Just one winning season in seven years isn’t gonna cut it. And with his contract set to expire at year’s end, perhaps we should be following Duggan’s lead in peering into the future.
At minimum, we should be keeping tabs on the executives other teams in the market are eying — especially when signs are pointing to the Bears entering it, too.
So while Duggan’s list of Giants candidates is based on discussions with sources regarding the possible NY gig, there is some potential crossover for the Bears. Among them ….
Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant General Manager
If Borgonzi’s name feels familiar, it might be because a report in January 2021 was hinting at the Bears potentially targeting him as a Ryan Pace replacement last offseason. As we know by now, the Bears kept on with the status quo for 2021. A year later, Borgonzi is a candidate teams will want to chat with this this offseason.
Borgonzi’s résumé is one that fills me with great interest because he has worn a variety of hats. Currently K.C.’s Assistant GM, Borgonzi previously held the following titles: College Scouting Administrator (2009), Manager of Football Operations (2010), Pro Personnel Scout (2011-12), Assistant Director of Pro Scouting (2013-14), Co-Director of Player Personnel (2015-16), Director of Player Personnel (2017), Director of Football Operations (2018-20).
Eliot Wolf, Patriots Front Office Consultant
Bears fans of a certain age are familiar with Eliot’s father Ron Wolf, the architect of those 90’s Packers teams who were the bane of our existence from 1991-2000. Now, Eliot, 39, is in a position to make a name for himself. The younger Wolf has ample experience in Green Bay’s organization working in a variety of roles from 2004-2017. On top of that, Wolf has been a Patriots front office consultant for the last two seasons. Tack on experience as the Browns Assistant GM in 2018-19, and now we’re looking at a candidate whose credentials should be intriguing for any team in the hunt for a new front office leader.
Joe Hortiz, Ravens Director of Player Personnel
I imagine Hortiz will be a top candidate for any number of jobs. Because when you have the Director of Player Personnel title for a team that competes despite waves of injuries and illnesses that lead to the likes of Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson quarterbacking in a stellar fashion in place of Lamar Jackson, then your organization is doing something right. Hortiz has been in the Ravens organization for 19 seasons, including seven as the team’s director of college scouting. In theory, having an extensive background in that area would be a wonderful addition to a franchise like the Bears that could use fortified efforts on draft weekend.
Those three names are a sampling of candidates who will likely be on radars for teams needing front office help. The sooner the Bears do the right thing, the sooner we can take deeper dives into these (and other) candidates.