Head coaches and quarterback do the heavy lifting, but general managers shape championship teams. The Chicago Bears put the future of the franchise and quarterback Jay Cutler in the hands of 31-year NFL veteran Phil Emery.
Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs can attest to Emery's talent evaluation
One overriding reason that led Bears president Ted Phillips in the general manager search was finding somebody who could better evaluate talent in the NFL draft. They may have found him. Over his three decades of pro football experience as a scout, Emery spent six seasons in Chicago. No one remembers scouts on draft day, but the team should remember him because Emery had a helping hand in drafting both Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, two players with a joint fifteen Pro Bowls between them. Among other players Bears fans might remember include Charles Tillman, Alex Brown and Tommie Harris. All were carefully studied by the tireless man from Michigan. He also possesses a quality Jay Cutler will hopefully find exciting in the coming months after the Super Bowl.
Emery helped Bears draft Marty Booker and Atlanta Falcons draft Roddy White
Something the Chicago Bears haven't been good at since, well, ever is drafting talented wide receivers. The last time they had a Pro Bowler was Marty Booker ten years ago in 2002, when Phil Emery was part of the scouting department. Years later when he earned a job with the Atlanta Falcons, Emery struck gold again in convincing the team to draft a young man named Roddy White. Since then, White has reached four consecutive Pro Bowls and led the NFL in catches last season. For a receiver-starved quarterback like Cutler, this is welcome news. With so much turnover expected on offense as new coördinator Mike Tice becomes comfortable, Emery should do what former GM Jerry Angelo failed at in three seasons: build a functional passing attack.
Cutler and Kristin Cavallari will fill headlines but Emery will fill the roster
Twitter hounds and tabloid crows don't follow Jay Cutler because he quarterbacks the Chicago Bears. They do it because he's marrying and now making babies with Kristin Cavallari. That should suit a low-key guy like Phil Emery just fine. His signature moment arrives in April when the NFL draft begins. Given his background in college scouting, nobody will outwork Emery in finding the right talent to fit what Chicago must do to get back to the Super Bowl. A major key that Emery knows too well is competing not just once but several times. His vision involves the Bears becoming regular contender, much like their historic rival Green Bay Packers. Until then, fans must settle for knowing Phil Emery as the new kid on the block.
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