Bears won't get compensatory draft picks as Ian Cunningham heads to Atlanta

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Rahimi & Grote Show 12 min 4 speakers 8 chapters transcribed

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Who is Ian Cunningham and why is his departure significant?

Marshall Harris 0:00

We have some interesting things cooking right here, and that is that if you haven't heard, Ian Cunningham, the now former assistant general manager of the Chicago Bears, was named the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons after, again, four years with the Bears. It's very interesting because, and congratulations to Ian Cunningham. By all accounts, every interaction that I had with him before games when I was doing sidelines and just intermittently seeing him through the years at Hallis Hall, seems like a terrific guy, a guy that likes to talk. It sounds like he did play a big part along with Ryan Poles in terms of pushing Poles and being that extra voice that he needed and not just hugging every single decision that he made.

Marshall Harris 0:48

So I say congratulations to Ian Cunningham.

What role did Ian Cunningham play in the Chicago Bears organization?

Marshall Harris 0:50

The one thing about it, like from my perspective, again, having been a reporter out there, it felt like from the second Ian Cunningham walked into the building, they were trying to push him out of the building. And I mean that only in the best of ways, as in they thought that this man was qualified to become a real GM, which he is on this day. And that's the name of the game. But it was just weird to me that every year, did he get a job? Did he get a job? Last year, he almost had a job. Then he came back.

Why won't the Bears receive compensatory draft picks for Cunningham?

Marshall Harris 1:17

to the Bears, and it was kind of like, okay, what's going on now? You're still here, and you didn't necessarily want to be here, and now he's gone. So just a way to say kind of the way I perceived Ian Cunningham, the job that he did, which seemed good. You never really know when it comes to that interaction with the actual GM, Ryan Poles, but he's been trying to get out of here, and he did.

Mark Grote 1:39

Not only has he been trying to get out of here, but Bears fans have been trying to get him out of here for... Ever. Because they understood that if Ian Cunningham got a job as a GM, this was their understanding, that the Bears would receive two third-round compensatory picks. And that's what got people always wondering, is he going to get a job?

What are the implications of Cunningham's new role with the Falcons?

Mark Grote 1:59

Is he going to get a job?

Marshall Harris 2:01

Yeah, that should be part of it. If you haven't heard, the Bears will not receive compensatory picks for Ian Cunningham. And let me just read some of this, just a couple of graphs. In this case, I'm using my guy Brendan Segru, who does a great job with Bears Wire, but he put it pretty succinctly and pretty well in terms of weaving through the rules and the importance of this. Beginning in 2021, the league began rewarding teams that developed minority front office and coaching candidates who received general manager and head coach promotions with other organizations with a pair of third round compensatory draft picks. Since Cunningham is a minority, the Bears normally would receive picks with him leaving for a general manager role.

Marshall Harris 2:44

However, because the general manager position Cunningham is taking is not the primary football executive position for The league will not reward the Bears with those compensatory picks. That's according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

How does the NFL's compensatory pick system work?

Marshall Harris 2:59

The league views the Falcons' general manager position as the secondary football executive under Matt Ryan, who was hired earlier in January, if you remember, as the team's president of football operations. This isn't something the team can appeal to the league, according to reports as well.

Mark Grote 3:20

Feels like it's all for naught. If you are strictly from a fan's lens, and maybe from a bear's lens to a certain degree, expecting to get compensation because the title changes from assistant general manager to general manager. Obviously, he got a raise to go there. And it's a promotion. Like, any way you want to chop it up, this man has elevated his status in the football world. But because Matt Ryan is the team's president of football operations... That's not how the NFL sees it. He's second in command football-wise in Chicago, and now he's second in command football-wise in Atlanta, despite what the Falcons themselves would tell you.