Detroit Lions: Why I Have Faith In Bob Quinn
By Adam Benovic
Now that the majority of the Detroit Lions’ offseason moves have been made, here’s why I have faith in new general manager Bob Quinn.
Let’s have a disclaimer here. I was a fan of Martin Mayhew. I still am. I thought that, in many situations, he made very good moves. Mayhew was an integral part of turning the Detroit Lions franchise around.
At the same time, Mayhew’s regime was a rejuvenating one, not one that was built for lasting success. We were able to finally realize that the Lions are a team that can win, they just haven’t done it with consistency. It was a building block. Mayhew was needed to turn the team around, but they need a different approach now.
So, let’s get into what I think is important about Bob Quinn’s regime that screams success to me.
- Good Players Want To Come To Detroit
Retaining Tahir Whitehead is probably the most promising signing for me this offseason. While not a star player, Whitehead was the team’s premier free agent. He visited with multiple other teams including the Eagles (where he would have familiar coach Jim Schwartz) and the Bucs, and he got good offers from everywhere that he went.
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But he made the choice to come back. Not only did Quinn make a fair offer, showing a commitment to the players that have done well here, we see that the Lions have truly become a desirable option.
After signing Tahir Whitehead, Marvin Jones was probably the most meaningful signing this year. It shows a distinct shift in the mindset from having costly studs like Calvin Johnson to having more of a role player mentality.
Quinn didn’t need to sign or draft a player that can tear up the entire field like Calvin did. The Lions just needed a player who could run routes well and take the top off of a defense on occasion. And not only that, even by signing Jones to the highest wide receiver contract of this free agent class, Quinn may have gotten himself a bargain. Which brings us to…
- Cap Control
Who would you say is a better receiver, Allen Hurns or Marvin Jones? In pretty much every situation, I’m picking Jones over Hurns. And for those of you that do prefer Hurns, let me ask you this. Is Hurns worth almost $3 million more per year? The Jaguars are reportedly paying Hurns up to $11 million a year with incentives.
If you look at the deals the Lions have made this offseason, they’ve been relatively inexpensive. And where they did spend, it was for role players that specifically fit the direction that Quinn wanted to take the team, namely “big, tough, strong.”
- Special Teams
Special Teams has never been a big focus for the Lions. We’ve suffered through Stefan Logan, Jeremy Ross, and so many big returns against. Quinn comes in, and it’s pretty clear that’s no longer the case, paying “big” money for some of the best special teamers out there.
Johnson Bademosi has been an ace on special teams that we haven’t really seen since Kassim Osgood. My one concern here is that Jim Caldwell kept the ever-unsuccessful Joe Marciano on the coaching staff. Perhaps having a higher talent level in the third phase will be enough to make up for Marciano’s lack of talent as a coordinator.
- Patience
Quinn didn’t fire Caldwell. The fact that he saw the players responded to Caldwell as a coach and decided to give him a chance as opposed to just bringing in his own guy shows that Quinn has a commitment to making only the changes necessary. If the team fails, Caldwell can go. But if the team succeeds, continuity can’t be understated.
Whether any of this means jack over Quinn’s stay as general manager in Detroit is yet to be seen, but there are signs of hope. The Lions transformed into a team that is expected to make the playoffs under Mayhew. Now it’s Quinn’s job to do that consistently and take the next step.
Next: Comparing first drafts of Quinn and Mayhew
Let’s see if we can take that next step to becoming a perennial playoff winner under Quinn.