Lions began their search for a new general manager with a series of interviews before the end of the regular season. But Detroit bosses are also planning a possible successful move.
Sources say Lions plan to chase GM John Schneider of Seahawks for the GM spot, a hiring that would send shockwaves around the NFL.
One of the league’s most respected employees and managers, Schneider teamed up with coach Pete Carroll to take Seattle to two Super Bowls with a victory and make the organization a permanent participant in the playoffs. The Seahawks are 111-63-1 in the Carroll-Schneider era and 11-4 this season, beating NFC West for the fifth time.
While it was unthinkable in any other circumstances for Lions to be able to attract a decorated GM like him, Schneider does not have primary authority over all personnel decisions in Seattle – Carroll does. That didn’t really matter, since Carroll and Schneider are in sync, but under the NFL’s anti-tamper policy, Lions or another team could try to interview Schneider if it gave him full control. Another team is likely to race at Schneider.
Although Carroll recently agreed to extend the contract to 2025, Schneider has only one more year to go.
Detroit is looking for an experienced GM, but another top candidate would be the Vikings’ team vice president and assistant GM, George Paton. Although not a GM before, Paton is widely respected and works side by side with GM Rick Spielman, whose brother, Chris, is a newly hired special assistant to Lions President Sheila Ford Hamp and is part of the research process .
Detroit has already interviewed three in-house candidates for GM’s vacant position – personnel director Lance Newmark, vice president of team players Kyle O’Brien and director of professional scouts Rob Lohman – as well as former veteran GMs Scott Pioli , Thomas Dimitroff and Rick Smith and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick.
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