DeCosta Turns Down Bears, Will Remain with Ravens
Clipped from: www.chicagotribune.com (share this clip)
The GM pool is drying up and the news is not good news for the Bears. Eric DeCosta, believed to be the Bears’ top candidate, has turned down their interview request and will remain in his current position with the Ravens.
The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Pompei reports that DeCosta got a nice raise to stay in Baltimore, presumably to eventually succeed Ozzie Newsome:
"In the meantime, the Ravens enticed DeCosta to stay.A source said DeCosta signed a long-term contract extension with a salary believed to be commensurate with what many general managers are earning. He also is believed to be set up to succeed Ozzie Newsome as the team’s general manager."
With DeCosta out of the picture, it makes out viable candidates out there that much more valuable. The Packers’ Reggie McKenzie, another top candidate for the Bears, Colt and Rams already signed on with the Raiders. Pompei also believes others under consideration will have their phones ringing:
"So the Bears are back to the drawing board, continuing to research a large pool of candidates that is believed to include Packers director of college scouting John Dorsey, Eagles personnel director Ryan Grigson, Patriots pro personnel director Jason Licht, Giants college scouting director Marc Ross, Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead, Colts personnel director Tom Telesco, Bills assistant general manager Doug Whaley and others."
Sean Jensen just tweeted that Saints College Director Rick Reiprish is on the Bears’ radar. Based on his work in Jacksonville and New Orleans, his forte is drafting offensive linemen. That sounds good.
Two other nuggets from the Pompei column worth noting. For this first one, get a barf bag:
"The search ultimately could lead them back to Bears personnel director Tim Ruskell, whose candidacy has not been dismissed."
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The second, on DeCosta’s apprehension for coming to Chicago:
"The source said DeCosta was interested in the Bears because of the team’s tradition and his love of Chicago. And he was not turned off by coach Lovie Smith already being in place.There were some concerns about the structure of the organization, however, and the team’s budgetary reputation."
What structure of the organization? Is it Phillips? Is it the McCaskey’s? It is Ruskell? He already said it wasn’t Lovie. I know that’s I’m the first one to call the Bears the “Misers of the Midway” but they’ve spent freely in Free Agency the last few years. Was it about salary? Resources? These are the types of questions that Bears should be asking themselves. This is the charter franchise of the NFL in the second largest NFL market. This should a destination job. It’s up to the new boss McCaskey to understand why it isn’t and start making changes.