SMITH IS EMERY’S GUY
GM didn’t hire coach, but he’s happy to be working with him
In his last 14 NFL seasons, Phil Emery largely and anonymously scoured the country for players. But his profile has increased dramatically since the Bears hired him as general manager in January.
Emery, though, didn’t ease into the job. He pulled off a blockbuster trade for three-time Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, re-signed Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte and overhauled the scouting staff.
Days before training camp closed, Emery sat down with the Sun-Times to discuss a range of topics, from inheriting coach Lovie Smith to why the Bears didn’t do more to address the oft-questioned offensive line. Here’s a portion of the interview:
Q: For a first-time GM, you’ve been very aggressive in making moves. Can you explain that mind-set?
A: It’s around the clock. I take it to heart, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure that we put the best roster together. We have a preference in building through the draft. It’s the right way to do it, to reward your own. But when it comes down to that final roster decision, it won’t matter where they came from — who drafted them, what team they came from, whether I drafted them. It’s the best 53 that give us the absolute best opportunities to win football games and win championships.
Q: You’ve been aggressive at a lot of positions but not the offensive line. Why?
A: Anytime you’re talking about personnel or personnel acquisi- tions, you have to go through the same filter. To acquire a player, regardless if it’s offensive line or another position, is he better or worse than what we have? Second, does he fit us? Is he good for our personality mix and character mix? Is he right for our staff ? Is putting that player with that coach going to allow for him to reach his potential? Is he right for our scheme? If those answers are right, then can we acquire him? What’s it going to take? Which pick? How is he going to fit in our cap? So there’s a lot into the equation. Just because the perception may be that we have not been aggressive at a position because we haven’t acquired [a player] doesn’t mean that we haven’t been aggressively working every player available at that position.
Q: How has your working relationship been with Lovie Smith?
A: I got to know him when I was here. His first draft as the Bears’ head coach [in 2004], I was here as a Southeast area scout. I got to know him and really gained an appreciation for him during that draft process. He’s everything that he was then. He loves players, and they love him. He has a scheme and a system and a plan. I mean, what’s not to like? I feel very fortunate. I don’t know why anybody would look at that as a negative. As a first-time GM, having been through several coaching changes as a scout and as a coach, I know how disruptive that is. You can’t ever be afraid to make a change if you know it’s going to be disruptive. However, I think I walked into a very good situation with Lovie Smith as our head coach. I mean, he’s a dean in the NFL for a reason.
Q: Some GMs inherit a coach who isn’t “their guy.” Does it matter to you that Jerry Angelo hired Smith?
A. No, not at all. I’m more caught up in the person that Lovie is, and he’s a guy I want to be around. That’s the key. And as I told him, “I want to do my part for you so we can all be successful.”
Q: There are high expectations this season. Is there something you’re looking for from Smith during this test phase?
A: I don’t look at it as a test phase. Lovie Smith is our head coach. We need to make progress toward our goal, which is winning championships. That’s how I’m going to be judged. That’s how everybody is going to be judged.