'He's able to kind of bridge that gap': The Athletic's Dan Pompei details Champ Kelly's GM candidacy

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As the Broncos interview candidates for their open general manager position, we're connecting with reporters across the country who have covered the candidates in their current job. Our aim is to provide a closer look at the prospective candidates and the skill set each may bring to Denver.


We continue by talking to Dan Pompei, an NFL writer for the Athletic who wrote an article in the fall about Champ Kelly's path to becoming the Bears' Assistant Director of Player Personnel and his GM candidacy.


Aric DiLalla: From your understanding, what sort of responsibilities does Champ Kelly hold in the Bears' front office?


Dan Pompei: "He's responsible for a lot of things. His role is pretty broadly defined. He [evaluates] the draft players every year that they rate in the top 100, and then he also does a lot of the pro stuff. He's involved in a lot of the IT stuff, because of his background, in terms of how that relates to the scouting staff. The other thing is, it's kind of an unofficial role, he's also kind of a conduit, I think, between the front office and a lot of the players. He seems to have a good relationship with a lot of the players, which is kind of unusual for a guy in his position. He's able to kind of bridge that gap."


AD: What sort of reputation do you think he's built for himself within the organization?


DP: "I think it's a pretty strong one. Everyone has a healthy respect for him. He's touched a lot of different parts of the organization. He's very well-liked, he's very personable and I think a lot of people have healthy respect for him."


AD: What do you think it is about Champ that allows him to be that conduit between the front office and guys on the roster?


DP: "I don't know that it's so much limited to him with players as much as it is a reflection of who he is and his personality and the way that he relates to all people. I think he's kind of unusual in that way in that he's a guy who everybody gets along with. He's able to find common ground, I think, with a lot of different people. With players, he's got a similar background to some of them. He came from a tough beginning and fought for everything he had. He found a way to maximize his athletic abilities, and I think he's found a way to maximize his abilities in terms of what he's doing now, too. I think he can be a role model for a lot of them. On top of that, they like him. He's a very positive guy. He's always smiling. That is something that helps him to bridge a lot of gaps."