Detroit Lions: Who should be the new general manager?

The Detroit Lions need a serious re-vamp, starting from the top of the organization to the bottom.

The 2020 season for the Detroit Lions has been really tough to watch at some points. As a fan of the Lions since I was ten years old, this has been one of the hardest seasons for me to personally follow since 1997.

That even includes the 0-16 season. For me, this one may be worse.

It is possible that it is harder for me because I have a better understanding of what’s going on with the team than I did when I was 21 during the 2008 season.

The Lions need help in the front office, and just a few weeks ago, they brought in former linebacker and broadcaster Chris Spielman in an advisory role to help the Ford’s find a new general manager and head coach for the organization.

Detroit Lions’ great, Barry Sanders was brought aboard too. It’s really is good to see former top-tier players who have an understanding of the business and know what the team needs coming aboard to right the ship.

Let’s start with the General Manager opening.

There are roots of the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick’s coaching and players tree throughout the NFL. For the last 10 years, Belichick’s assistants and former players have left the Patriots to try their hand in head coaching and even the front office.

Some of these men that have been groomed and learned under Belichick have seen some success. Others not so much.

Bob Quinn was hired by the Detroit Lions on January 6, 2016, as the team’s new general manager. Quinn joined the Patriots in 2000 as a player personnel assistant, spending two seasons in that position.

He also spent another two seasons as a pro scout, four seasons as a regional scout, and one season as a national scout before being promoted to assistant director of pro personnel in 2009. Quinn was promoted to Director of Pro Scouting in May 2012.

Back in 2016, a lot of Lions fans were stoked to have Quinn at the helm. I was, at least. Those feelings changed over time, and for good reason. There were a lot of questionable choices made during his tenure.

One of the choices made was the hiring of another Belichick assistant, Matt Patricia. Patricia joined the Lions in 2018 and had an overall record of 13-29-1 at the time of his recent firing. He had two straight seasons under .500. At the mid-point of 2020, it became very apparent that the students of Belichick had failed in the Motor City.

Both Quinn and Patricia were given their walking papers two days after a loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving. Patricia and Quinn also had a plan for the team. A vision of their scheme working. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition.

In 2021, the organization and the fan base are ready to rebuild this team. First off, they need a general manager that will bring in the correct players to fit the head coach’s criteria, whoever he may wind up being.

There are many deserving candidates out there, and we’re going to go through some of them now and pick my favorite choice at the end.

Let’s dive in!