Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Bears won't get compensatory draft picks as Ian Cunningham heads to Atlanta

Episode Date: January 30, 2026

Marshall Harris and Mark Grote reacted to Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham leaving Chicago to become the new Falcons general manager.

We have some interesting things cooking right here, and that is that if you haven't heard, Ian Cunningham, the now former assistant general manager of the Chicago Bears, was named the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons after, again, four years with the Bears. It's very interesting because congratulations to Ian Cunningham. By all accounts, every interaction that I had with him before games when I was doing sidelines and just intermingham. admittingly seeing him through the years at Hallis Hall. Seems like a terrific guy, a guy that likes to talk. It sounds like he did play a big part along with Ryan Poles in terms of pushing polls

and being that extra voice that he needed and not just hugging every single decision that he made. So I say congratulations to Ian Cunningham. The one thing about it, like from my perspective, again, having been a reporter out there, it felt like from the second Ian Cunningham walked into the building, They were trying to push him out of the building. And I mean that only in the best of ways, as in they thought that this man was qualified to become a real GM, which he is on this day. And that's the name of the game. But it was just weird to me that every year, did he get a job?

Did he get a job? Last year he almost had a job. Then he came back to the Bears. And it was kind of like, okay, what's going on now? You're still here and you didn't necessarily want to be here. And now he's gone. So just a way to say, like kind of the way I perceived Ian Cunningham, the job that is. he did, which seemed good.

You never really know when it comes to that interaction with the actual GM, Ryan Poles, but he's been trying to get out of here, and he did. Not only is he been trying to get out of here, but Bears fans have been trying to get him out of here forever, because they understood that if Ian Cunningham got a job as a GM,

this was their understanding, that the Bears would receive two third-round compensatory picks, and that's what got people always wondering, is he going to get a job? Is he going to get a job? Is he going to get a job? Yeah, that should be part of it. Yeah.

If you haven't heard, the Bears will not receive compensative tory picks for Ian Cunningham. And let me just read some of this. Just so people, just a couple of graphs. And in this case, I'm using my guy, Brennan Segru, does a great job with Bears Wire. But he put it pretty succinctly and pretty well in terms of weaving through the rules and the importance of this. Beginning in 2021, the league began rewarding teams that developed minority front office. and coaching candidates who receive general manager and head coach promotions or the organizations with a pair of third round compensatory draft picks.

Since Cunningham is a minority, the Bears normally would receive picks with him leaving for a general manager role. However, because the general manager position Cunningham is taking is not the primary football executive position. The league will not reward the Bears with those compensatory picks. That's according to CBS Sports as Jonathan Jones. The league views the Falcons general manager position as the secondary football executive under Matt Ryan, who was hired earlier in January, if you remember, as the team's president of football operations. This isn't something the team can appeal to the league, according to reports, as well. Feels like it's all for not.

If you are strictly from a fan's lens, and maybe from a bear's lens to a certain degree, expecting to get compensation because the title changes from assistant general manager to general manager. Obviously, he got a raise to go there. And it's a promotion. Like any way you want to chop it up, this man has elevated his status in the football world. But because Matt Ryan is the team's president of football operations, that's not how the NFL sees it. He's second in command football-wise in Chicago. and now he's second in command football-wise in Atlanta,

despite what the Falcons themselves would tell you. Who's this tall drink of sun tea? That is Jim Halpert. He is the co-regional manager of this office. I thought this guy was the manager. Oh, he is. He's the co-manager. That's the other co-manager.

Two guys doing one job? We've got to do something about that. That's hilarious. Yes, let's go through the haggling over that. So is this? Okay. Does Atlanta know? what they're doing? I mean, did they understand the technicality of it? Or are they looking at it as, like,

we're going to do, we're going to manipulate this just a little bit? Do you think that they're playing in foul? Well, it's not Atlanta. It's the NFL. Atlanta's not giving up any picks. This is compensatory. These are picks that are created out of thin air for the teams that go by the rule and get their guys who are minorities, guys or women, promoted elsewhere. And that's where I think the confusion lies for a lot of people. But I understand it. I don't like it, but I understand what the NFL is saying here. That doesn't mean you have to like it. I do not like it.

I feel like the Bears, and if they wanted to, they could have blocked this move. I think that's bad, though. That's short-sighted. You want to have a guy who people want to work with. You want to have a boss who you believe has your best interest. Have you ever managed people in any job, whether, you know, fast food? I don't know what jobs you did before you got into radio. Very little.

I've managed people. And my whole thing is, and I learned this from other leaders who have managed me, is you always want to see people that you manage go on to do bigger and better, because that is a reflection on you as a manager. And I think for Ryan Poles, this is certainly a reflection on not only himself, but just understand. He has a relationship with Ian Cunningham that predates him, you know,

him being hired as assistant general manager of the Chicago Bears. And for your friends, you want them to see, you want to see them go on and do bigger and better. Right, right. it does make for a complicated situation for sure and letter of the law is being followed. We have Matt Ryan, right? I can't get into the Google Doc here. But let's listen. We do.

Okay. Let's listen to what? The president of football operations. Matt Ryan has to say about Ian Cunningham. The difference is I'm not doing the scouting. I'm not, you know, doing, running those meetings. Our general manager would do that. The general manager role is going to be exactly the same as what it's been here.

before. And that's something we've made clear to everybody on the coaching side that we've met with up until this point. And we'll make clear, you know, through that process to the general managers that we're going to look at in that process as well. That's Matt Ryan explaining to you that he doesn't do that. He has not done that. He has no experience doing that. He's just, I don't want to say just a figurehead, but let's face it, he's a former Atlanta Falcons quarterback who's now in charge of quote-unquote football. And to hear him explain to it that way, Grotie, tells me that he has more power, more of a position of influence in that organization than he did with the Bears, because that, what he just described, that was and is

Ryan Poles job in Chicago. That further tells you maybe the third round pick should have been coming this way. Yeah. Yeah, no. And I think the part that I think about is, like, it's a great conversation. But God, it would be nice to have with what's going on with the Bears right now in this regime. And I get it. Ryan Poles has had problems through the years in the draft, notwithstanding this past year because it's pretty good. And I'm willing to feel like that

giving Ryan Poles, I don't even know how to put it, a second chance, I suppose. Oh, he's been given a second chance. He's very clear. Yes, but I think it's also fair for us to admit. Maybe you think differently. I'd love to hear what Layla has to say about this, because he's been tough on Ryan Poles. Can you look at it and give him a blank page again and say going forward, okay, this was a pretty good draft class. We're not going to forget about Valus Jones. We're not going to forget about the past and some of the moves that were made in the organization. But doesn't Ryan Poles deserve a new look, a fresh look?

Dare I say, ready, I'm about to say it, a non-jaded look? There's a lot of things I want to say to this. But I'm going to keep it pretty simple. You got time, pal. Well, I got a few minutes before we have to go to break. Yeah, actually not much time. Yeah, not as much time as you just made it out to be. Because I'm thinking about a specific song right now. Aretha Franklin has a song, great hook.

Well, I'm willing to forgive you, but I can't forget because you really, really hurt me this time. There's been a whole lot of hurt that I'm not willing to. irreparable harm is what you're saying. Not irreparable because he's been given a chance to repair it, whereas most executives would not be given the chance. Okay, but you made it, the Aretha Franklin quote, made it sound like there's a scar there. Is there not a scar? I'm sorry, let me ask you a simple question. Let's fade the scar.

What do these names have in common? Less or Are you ready? What are these names have in common? Okay. Karen Amagagogy, Zach Pickens, Valis Jones, Jr. What are those names have in common? They are Ryan Poll's draft picks. When did they happen?

When did they happen? What round? Oh, I get second or... Wait, Vailas was third. They were all third round picks. Wait, wait, Shemar Turner? They were all third round picks. I thought Turner was a second round pick.

I didn't say Sharmar Turner. Oh. I said, Kieran-Omoggi, Zach Pickett and Valus Jones. Oh, yeah, yeah, okay. Third rounders, okay. So if they had the third round pick, the extra one this year, you sure they would know what to do? That's what Lela would say, by the way.

Do we trust that man with third round picks? Well, here's why we're trusting them further because it seems like, while, I think it's been overstated how much, say, Ben Johnson might have in this. I do think that one of the good things that Kevin Warren has done with the organization has said, yes, we're keeping you. We like you, Ryan Poles. That's exactly how he did it. But he got his arm around him.

That's exactly how he did it. And saying to him, we like you, we're even giving you an extension. And I want you to continue to grow in this role. But we're going to give you a little extra help now. I think that that's what's going on. And I think that that's why I'm feeling less cynicism or jaded about the job that Ryan Poles can be doing forward. Because I feel like they've turned a page in terms of their draft process. Just to be clear, you have full trust in Ryan Poles now?

I don't think full trust. I don't like a blind trust. I mean, I'm not going to, I keep the past in mind, of course. Exactly. I read the Franklin taught us that. But, but, but I mean, I think it's fair to. say at some point in time, don't you have to look at it for what it is that this was a successful draft for Ryan Poles, right? This year in terms of the contributors, I know it wasn't perfect

Ruben Hippelite, Zay Frazier. I get it. That's the way drafts go. But isn't it okay to objectively look at Ryan Poles and say, okay, that was pretty good. Let's see if you could build on this instead of saying we know he sucks because look at what he's done in the third round in the past. Yes, the draft appears to be good after one year. You know, it takes a few years before you can really measure up an NFL draft. And also last year's draft, would you call that a good draft? Yeah. The year before?

Caleb Williams, Roma Dunesay, Karana Magaji, Tori Taylor, and Austin Booker. Pretty good. I'd say that. I'd say good. Yeah? Yeah. But not as good maybe as it was the year before. Like this time last year, you probably thought Roma Dunezay is better than what you think about

him right now. Oh, absolutely, but that doesn't. And Tori Taylor may be the same thing. Because I think most people evaluated Roma Dunezay the same way Ryan Poles did. And I get it. He's the GM. He should know better. Can't you look at it and say, yeah.

If Roma Dunesay turns out to be a miss, it's not one of those where you get all over the GM, I don't think. Like if he's, let's just say, crazy alternative, he becomes, let's say he's a bust. Let's say Roma Dunezay is a bust. Will you be pissed off at Ryan Pohl's for having made that pick? Yeah, because ultimately that's his job. Even though we all were like, yay. Yay, yay. He's job.

We're not as informed as Ryan Poles. That's the point. He's got a job to do. And our job is to criticize when the job does not go well. And our job is to praise when the job does go well. All right. Well, I tell you what, let's continue doing his job for him. Let's do that because the defense needs fixing.

What's realistic about it? And specifically, let's get into the edge rushers, the ones that are available. Max Crosby. Not Max Crosby. We can talk about Max Crosby, but let's leave him out of the fray. Or maybe not. We haven't done that yet. We'll see.

I'm excited about that. We'll see how it flows. We've got some ideas for the Bears on defense and at edge rusher as well. It's Rahimi, Harris, and Grotie on the score.