| Detroit Free Press
Meet Brad Holmes, general manager of Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes was hired for the job in January 2021, after a 5-11 season and resignations from Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia.
Tyler J. Davis, Detroit Free Press
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes indicated that he does not see this team as a long-term project and preferred to call the job ahead of a makeover rather than a rebuild during his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
“Definitely, when you enter the off-season,” said Holmes during a videoconference, “I think each franchise, each team, will look at areas that may need some, say, retrofitting and just a few areas that need to be addressed.
“But the ultimate goal is to ensure that the most competitive team is on the field and that it starts this year, entering the 2021 season. . This is not the approach, it is not the mindset involved in this. The approach is to ensure that we can put the most competitive team on the field in 2021. ”
REPORT: Lions to appoint Saints DB coach Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator
Holmes, 41, takes on a team that finished last at NFC North three consecutive seasons and has not made the playoffs since 2016. He was hired on Thursday after serving as director of college scouts for the Los Angeles Rams. Before Holmes spoke, owner Sheila Ford Hamp told reporters that the team leadership’s decision to hire Holmes was “unanimous”.
Hamp did not answer questions about potential head coach candidates – Lions are expected to sign Dan Campbell this week. But Holmes spoke at length about the qualities he prefers in a head coach.
[ New Lions GM Brad Holmes has superpowers: ‘You’ve got a special one’ ]
“I always had in mind when I looked at a head coach, I never had a preference of ‘he will be an offensive coach, he has to be a defensive coach, he has to come from, he has to run this system, he has to run that system, ‘”he said. “My main trait # 1 was, first of all, that he was a leader of men. He has to be a leader of men, he has to have presence and within that presence, he has to have balance, he has to have confidence, he has to have command, he has to have mental toughness, he has to have intelligence.
“And I emphasize the mental toughness part because there will be ups and downs where stress tolerance has to be at the right level to be able to persevere in those moments. So, these are some of the principles. A strong passion for development. I just know that we will be aggressive in all ways of acquiring players. But let’s be honest, I come from the background of the college draft and I’m looking forward to building this team through the draft. So, if it’s a young team, I want to make sure that the head coach has a great passion, and his assistants have a great passion, to develop the players ”.
One of the biggest doubts that Holmes and the new coach face in the squad will be what to do with quarterback Matthew Stafford, who turns 33 in February. Holmes did not elaborate on his potential plans for Stafford, but indicated that assessing Stafford’s future would work holistically with building the entire list.
[ After another ‘difficult’ Lions season ends, Matthew Stafford, uncertain future awaits ]
“So, Matthew, great player,” said Holmes. “And what you really appreciate is that I think the level of talent is easy to see, but you really appreciate how his intangibles appear in the film, how encouraging he plays, how competitive he is, how tough he is.
“But it is my job to evaluate the entire squad. And through that process, I haven’t had any conversations with Matt or any other player. So, I just want to be fair with the process to make sure we fully evaluate it. But obviously, Matt, a very good football player. “
2021 LIONS ROSTER: Who should stay, who should enter the new regime
Holmes also mentioned the team’s defense, which got the worst overall ranking this season and the second worst last season. But Holmes once again avoided saying “rebuild”, even after making sure that Detroit residents were used to the word, with the other three professional teams in the city currently going through that process.
“Please don’t be mad at me if I don’t use the word rebuild, if I just continue to pivot on refitting,” said Holmes. “But I really think that there are some building blocks in this defense today. Obviously, we will treat that side of the ball in the same way that we will treat the offensive side of the ball. There is no area in which we will not work to improve.
“But I think there are some good, young and talented pieces that are still in the development stage. I really think some veterans have brought good production to the table. So, I would definitely say that I will refit in some areas. But there are some building blocks there. “
Collaboration was an important theme for Holmes. Hamp and team president Rod Wood spoke during the hiring process about the need for better communication and collaboration by the new GM and head coach. Holmes cited an example of the effective collaboration that Sean McVay led during his first season as the Rams’ coach when he led the team to an 11-5 submission.
“When Sean first joined in 2017,” said Holmes, “I’m sure you’ve probably heard the topic is ‘We, not me.’ And it really permeated the entire organization. And it was a collaborative approach.
“And it wasn’t just training and recognition. It was training, observation, player development, athletic performance. Everything was a collaborative approach that really was a great, say, great ingredient for the successful recipe that we had in that quick turnaround that we had. “
In the announcement of Holmes’ hiring, Wood praised him for his “extensive experience in implementing technology and analysis in his Scouting approach”. Holmes explained his technology philosophy as an “accelerator” across the organization.
“And there are so many different paths and so many different areas in Scouting and in personnel where the use and acceleration of technology can be used in a very critical way,” he said. “And it can be just making sure that everyone is connected (with each other) that are outside the building that are on the road. Let’s make sure that this technology is being used properly and effectively and in the right way to ensure that everything is connected.
“Go from the faculty to the pro side for the use of analysis, the use of the evaluation process, how you communicate. This is probably one of the biggest in terms of using technology. But, definitely, there are many different paths and many different products out there, but something that the Rams used intensively that showed me and opened my eyes to many different things and I am very grateful for that. These are some of the things I would bring to Lions. “
Contact Carlos Monarrez at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.