It looked like Ian Cunningham was once again not going to land a GM job in the NFL this year. He'd made it to the list of finalists for the position in Tennessee. Many felt he was a favorite. In the end, it went to Mike Borgonzi from Kansas City. While unfortunate, plenty of people inside Halas Hall were happy. It meant Cunningham would be around to help them with another crucial off-season. However, they may have jumped the gun on that. It appears another team is preparing to make a run at the Chicago Bears assistant GM.
News broke on Thursday that the Jacksonville Jaguars had fired GM Trent Baalke after a tumultuous several years on the job. It is believed this was done to ensure they secured top coaching candidate Liam Coen, which they have since done. Now, they must fill out the GM slot. According to Mia O'Brien, who covers the Jaguars for 1010 XL on 92.5 FM, there is a strong belief that mutual interest exists between Cunningham and Jacksonville.
Ian Cunningham being interested in Jacksonville isn't a surprise.
Multiple factors suggest it's a good landing spot. For one, the owner is notorious for keeping his general managers in place even if the team doesn't do well. David Caldwell served eight seasons there, and Baalke served four. He would inherit a talented quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, meaning he wouldn't have to focus his roster plans on finding one. They aren't in a terrible cap situation and sit in a relatively mediocre division. That would present a big opportunity to make an immediate impact.
There is no such thing as a perfect landing spot. Ian Cunningham knows this. Jacksonville is far from that. Still, it offers many perks that other organizations can't offer. That includes the 5th overall pick in the draft. If ever there was a time to make the jump, this would be it. Presuming it happens, the Bears would be compensated with two 3rd round draft picks per the NFL rule of minority hires. It would be a tough loss for the front office but a great opportunity for him. Co-director of player personnel Jeff King feels like the probable successor in such an event.
