Bears coach Dave Wannstedt will interview former Detroit Lions assistant coach Tom Moore on Friday, as he narrows his search for an offensive coordinator.
Wannstedt has already interviewed San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh and Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach Larry Kennan, as well as Tom Rossley, former head coach at Southern Methodist University and quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 1990.
Moore, a 19-year NFL coaching veteran who was the offensive coordinator under Wayne Fontes the last three years after serving in Minnesota and Pittsburgh, interviewed earlier this week for the same position in Washington.
Moore lost his job when Fontes was fired after the season. Wannstedt is replacing Ron Turner, who took the Illinois head coaching job.
Wannstedt said he will talk to a few other candidates at the Senior Bowl next week and that he hopes to reach a decision by the end of next week.
“Any of the three I’ve talked to would definitely give us a chance to be better and improve us, so I feel good about that,” he said. “It’s just a matter of zeroing in on which one I think would be the best fit.”
But he admitted that the fit is a hard thing to determine with his quarterback situation in flux.
“That’s a difficult thing,” Wannstedt said, chuckling. “This is the first time I’ve ever tried to hire a guy to coach a position where we don’t have a position.
“We’re counting on Erik (Kramer) being back with us (following a neck injury that kept him out of the final 12 games this season), but he’s a free agent. (Steve) Stenstrom is coming off a broken ankle, (Mark) Butterfield has never played, and everybody knows Dave Krieg’s situation (a 38-year-old free agent).
“So it makes for a real interesting interview. Generally, we end up talking about the offensive line and most of the conversation is based on how we’re going to use Raymont (Harris) and Rashaan (Salaam).”
Wannstedt said job candidates’ opinions on how best to utilize the Bears’ personnel is important, and criticism is welcome.
“We have to make sure we get the ball more to Curtis Conway, and make sure we’re using the best talent we have at running back,” he said.
As for the quarterback situation, Seattle is expected to trade former Notre Dame star Rick Mirer, who is interested in playing for the Bears.
Mirer, who has one year left on his contract at about $2.5 million base (and $3.3 million toward the salary cap), has some leverage because any new team would want him to sign a new contract so he wouldn’t leave after one season.
Also, San Francisco is struggling with how to re-sign unrestricted free agent Elvis Grbac while Steve Young is still around.
Agent Jim Steiner said Grbac, who played at Michigan, would be interested in the Bears as well.
“Chicago would be a good fit,” Steiner said. The Bears “had a little bit of an off-year . . . but you have to look at it as sort of a blip in the road to the Super Bowl and Elvis might be just the tonic they need to get them on the right track.”
The Bears are still trying to sign Kramer, who is working out daily.
“At this point, nothing has been done, but we’re optimistic he’s going to be fine,” said Wannstedt.
Wannstedt repeated the Bears aren’t interested in former Atlanta quarterback Jeff George, who was in Kansas City to talk with the Chiefs on Wednesday.
