Former Exec Says All Chicago Bears’ OC Candidates Are “A-List” Names

The Chicago Bears have met with six offensive coordinator candidates thus far. A few things have become apparent about their search. Every candidate has held the job before with different organizations, and all have some variation of playcalling experience. Also, outside of one name on the list, all of them have spent time coaching the Shanahan/McVay wide-zone offense that remains an effective staple across the NFL. It is clear GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus would prefer to maintain system continuity if possible.

That is all fine. Yet it doesn’t answer the question Bears fans are dying to know. Are any of these guys better than Luke Getsy was? Longtime former scouting director Greg Gabriel was asked this on the Chicago Bears Podcast. They wanted to know his thoughts on the list of names so far. His assessment sounded encouraging.

It should be noted that Thomas Brown, the sixth name on the list, wasn’t public when this was recorded. So Gabriel is going off the other five. The fact he made a list of names weeks ago of ideal targets and each one the Bears have met with was on is a good sign they’re pointed in the right direction.

The Chicago Bears are doing things the right way.

They understand the head coach is a defensive guy. He is not equipped to oversee an offense directly. So the smart thing is to identify somebody with the credentials who does. That is why targeting an experienced coordinator makes sense. As always, it’s about picking the right one. That means finding the right fit for the team’s vision. Chicago will get a sense of which candidates have the right traits they’re looking for and bring them back for second interviews. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears tried hiring more than one of them for different positions.

Things should move quickly within the next week. The Senior Bowl starts in two weeks. It is a safe assumption the Chicago Bears will want their staff in pace before then so the coaches can travel to Mobile and begin evaluating draft prospects. It feels like their pool of candidates won’t get much larger. Once the coordinator is hired, the other position coaches should fall into place quickly. Their decision could send a clear message about where they plan to go at the quarterback position in the spring.