Chargers News: Why Reporter Likes NFC Prospect For GM Gig

He interviewed with LA over the weekend.

Your Los Angeles Chargers recently interviewed three prospects for their long-term general manager -- New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown, Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz, and Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham.

Daniel Popper of The Athletic posits that Cunningham, specifically, deserves some extended consideration.

Popper notes that Cunningham served in the front offices of two of the league's best organizations, working under Ozzie Newsome with the Baltimore Ravens for nine years and subsequently under Philadelphia Eagles exec Howie Roseman for five.

Cunningham was promoted quickly through Philadelphia's staff during his tenure there. He started out as the club's director of college scouting from 2017-18, then moved on to an assistant director of player personnel role from 2019-20, before assuming his final role with the club in 2021, as his team's director of player personnel.

Beyond this extensive experience, Popper also believes that Cunningham's collegiate playing career as a University of Virginia offensive lineman (he went undrafted in 2008, and was only an offseason practice player on the Kansas City Chiefs) informs his approach to drafting in a positive way, particularly with regard to the import of his old playing position.

"His playing days as an offensive lineman have strongly informed his team-building philosophy. Cunningham understands the importance of first building quality and depth on both sides of the line of scrimmage," Popper observes.

"Under previous GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers lacked intention as far as investing draft capital in the offensive line," Popper writes. From 2014 to 2020, the Chargers drafted just one offensive lineman in the first two rounds, and that was Forrest Lamp out of Western Kentucky."

"Building through the trenches is an approach shared by the Ravens and Eagles, and Cunningham was forged in this environment."

Finally, Popper notes that Cunningham has shown to be comfortable making uncomfortable personnel choices during his two seasons with Chicago, and LA will need someone who's confident moving big pieces around this offseason.