Bears name finalists for GM job
The Kansas City Chiefs' director of college scouting Phil Emery and the New England Patriots' director of pro personnel Jason Licht are the finalists for the Bears' general manager job, the team announced Monday night.
Both will be back at Halas Hall this week for a second interviews, and a decision is expected by the end of the week.
A team source denied reports late Monday afternoon that the Bears were close to naming Emery as their new general manager, or that he had already been offered the job.
Emery was an area scout with the Bears from 1998-2004 and was one of five candidates who interviewed for the GM job last week. Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips also interviewed Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye III, Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, and Tim Ruskell, currently the team's director of player personnel.
Licht, who has been in his current position for three years, is a 16-year veteran of the NFL. He re-joined the Patriots' personnel department in 2009, and spent four seasons there (1999-2002) as a college scout.
Licht served as a personnel executive for the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in 2008 when they advanced to the Super Bowl, losing to the Steelers. He spent five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles as their vice president of player personnel (2006-07) and assistant director of player personnel (2003-05).
Emery, who was the Falcons' director of college scouting from 2004-08, and Ruskell worked together for one year (2004) in Atlanta. Ruskell was the assistant general manager. If Emery gets the GM job, it's possible that Ruskell could be retained in some capacity.
The Bears also announced Monday that offensive coordinator Mike Tice is no longer a candidate for the Oakland Raiders' head coaching job. Tice was to have interviewed Tuesday at the site of Saturday's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., but the Raiders have already moved into the second phase of their interviews.
Payton finalist:
Nine-year veteran cornerback Charles Tillman, who was elected to play in his first Pro Bowl last month, was named one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
It is the only league award that recognizes a player's off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence. Since 2005, the Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation has impacted over one million Chicago-area children and raised over $1.2 million. The foundation began by providing children with educational opportunities and resources to excel in the classroom.
In 2008, when Tillman's 3-month old daughter was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, she received a heart transplant. She is now a healthy and active little girl. As a result, the Cornerstone Foundation changed its mission to improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children throughout the Chicago area by providing support and life-changing experiences.
Lucky seven:
Defensive end Julius Peppers, who led the Bears with 11 sacks, was named to his seventh Pro Bowl as a replacement for the Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul, who will be preparing to play in Super Bowl XLVI.
Peppers, who also had 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries, is the first Bears defensive end to reach the Pro Bowl in back-to-back seasons since Hall of Famer Richard Dent (1984, 1985). He is the sixth Bear named to this year's all-star game, joining Tillman, linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, running back Matt Forte, and special teams coverage man Corey Graham.