Titans to interview perfect fit GM candidate for Mike Vrabel
Finding a new General Manager will be priority number one for the Tennessee Titans as they head into the 2023 offseason, and they are wasting no time in doing so. Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk and the Board of Directors have already lined up an initial group of candidates for interviews, and plan on including […]
Finding a new General Manager will be priority number one for the Tennessee Titans as they head into the 2023 offseason, and they are wasting no time in doing so.
Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk and the Board of Directors have already lined up an initial group of candidates for interviews, and plan on including head coach Mike Vrabel in the process once that first round of interviews has concluded.
The Titans are emphasizing collaboration and unity with this hiring process. Vrabel has had "good and open conversations" with ownership about what the organization will be looking for. According to what Vrabel told the media on Monday, the "whole idea" behind the search is to have collaboration and find a candidate that is "good teammate." Vrabel was firm that he is comfortable with the level of involvement he will have in the process and in the acquisition of players moving forward.
So who do the Titans have their eye on?
One of the first names being floated around for the position is Chicago Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cuningham. Cunningham is scheduled to interview for the job on Saturday, with plenty of other suitors also taking interest.
Cunningham is exactly what the Titans need in their front office, and there's good reason for his name being so popular around the league right now.
Like Vrabel, Cunningham began his football journey on the playing field. Cunningham was a collegiate All-American offensive lineman for the Virginia Cavaliers before joining the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Following his short-lived career as a player, he went on to gain 14 years of experience in NFL front offices, working in a key role with some of the best run organizations around the league.
From 2008-2016, Cunningham was an area scout and player personnel assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, and was mentored by Ozzie Newsome before accepting a job with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In Philly, Cunningham quickly worked his way up from director of college scouting (2017-18), to assistant director of player personnel (2019-20), and finally to director of player personnel in 2021 before being poached by the Chicago Bears last offseason.
Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles (also a former NFL lineman) accepted the GM position under the condition that he could create an Assistant GM role in the front office and bring in Cunningham as his right-hand man. It was a demand. It took just four days for Cunningham to be hired after Poles signed his contract with Chicago. That's how highly he thought of Cunningham's work in Philadelphia.
If the Titans are looking for collaboration, this is their guy. After being hired by the Bears, Cunningham and Poles spent a portion of last offseason living together and traveling the country together to scout players. That's how far he will go to be on the same page and operate with the same vision as his colleagues.
Here's what Poles had to say about Cunningham when he brought him on as Assistant GM:
"I trust in Ian (Cunningham). We have a great relationship. We have a very similar philosophy. And he’s a good person overall, so he’s going to be able to help bring the group together.”
Cunningham is a team player through and through, and there aren't many up-and-coming executives that have his unique background as a player or front office resume. It's not hard to see why Mike Vrabel could have some chemistry with him and why he could be the GM that builds the Titans to be one of the best run organizations in football.
While he is already confirmed to have other suitors and interviews in the coming days, Tennessee would do good to land this rising star.
Image via Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
