The Atlanta Falcons announced that former Chicago Bears’ General Manager Phil Emery has been hired by the team and will join the scouting department. Luckily for the Falcons, Emery will only be scouting and not have control of any personnel decisions. Does that make my headline a little harsh? Probably, but hopefully it got your attention.
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Emery, of course, ran the Bears football operations as their general manager for three years and in 2014, his final season, the team spiraled out of control and finished with one of the team’s most embarrassing seasons. With blowout losses and a team that didn’t respect Emery, nor it’s head coach, Marc Trestman, both were fired at the end of the season.
Emery spent the 2015 season on his sofa on Sundays watching NFL games on the Sunday Ticket but the Falcons bring Emery into the scouting department. Emery was in the scouting department on a variety of teams for most of his twenty years of NFL experience.
Emery was the director of scouting for the Falcons’ franchise from 2004 to 2008 so he is quite familiar with the Dirty Birds and was the director of scouting for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 to 2011 where he worked with current Falcons assistant GM Scott Pioli. Bringing Emery back makes sense for the franchise, as long as he’s only making suggestions and not decisions.
Emery is only 57 years of age so if he has success with the Falcons who could be in line to get another opportunity to be hired as the GM of another franchise.
While Emery’s reign in Chicago included firing a coach that went 10-6 and replaced him with a coach that was previously in the CFL, issuing some terrible contracts, and missing on several draft picks, he did however draft Kyle Long and Alshon Jeffery who hopefully will be part of the Bears’ building blocks moving forward, so he does deserve a touch of credit.
Regardless, the Bears have moved on and appear to be in good shape with Ryan Pace and John Fox moving forward. Bears fans can wish Phil Emery the best of luck moving forward, but not too much luck.