Jan. 06--The Chicago Bears' search for a general manager is intensifying this week with a flurry of interviews scheduled at Halas Hall. On Wednesday, Chris Ballard, the director of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs, will make his return to Lake Forest for an interview and is currently widely thought of as a frontrunner if not the Bears' top choice to land the job.
Greg Gabriel understands why.
Gabriel, who was the Bears' director of college scouting for nine seasons, worked closely with Ballard during their time together in Chicago. Ballard was with the Bears as an area scout for 11 seasons and then spent 2012 as director of pro scouting.
On WSCR-AM 670 Tuesday morning, Gabriel offered his endorsement of Ballard, praising the Chiefs exec as a confident and enthusiastic leader with an eye for talent and the people skills to sell his vision.
As a scout, Gabriel said, Ballard was not only detailed in his work, he was passionate in promoting players he felt strongly about in the scouting process.
"When it was his turn to talk about a player, he did a better job of anybody I've ever been around -- and this goes back 30 years -- in trying to sell his player," Gabriel said. "... If he truly believed in the player, he had a knack for selling him."
Gabriel gave Ballard at least partial credit for the Bears' drafting several prospects who went on to become difference-making starters: Charles Tillman (second round, 2003), Nathan Vasher (fourth round, 2004), Chris Harris (sixth round, 2005), Matt Forte (second round, 2008) and Johnny Knox (fifth round, 2009).
With Tillman, a 6-foot-2 cornerback out of Louisiana-Lafayette, Ballard sold Tillman's playmaking ability and told the Bears to believe in that.
"He literally jumped on the table for Charles Tillman," Ballard said. "... There aren't a lot of 6-2 corners in the league. And generally, their movement skills aren't quite as quick or nifty as a 5-10 guy or a 5-11 guy because of their length. But Chris really saw that with some technique coaching, Charles could be an outstanding player. And he was 100 percent right."
Ballard's history as a coach at Texas A from 1994-2000 has its value as well.
"He understands coaches," Gabriel said. "He understands how coaches think. And now, having been in the scouting business for 14-15 years, he understands how the scouting process works and how scouts think. And really, to be a good leader and a good general manager, you have to understand both sides of the story and you've got to be able to put it together and you've got to be able to please people."
Ballard's hopes to return to the Bears should crystallize one way or another this week.
