gave defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn a fresh contract extension. Dorseys drafts showed a similar pattern. A few things have happened since then, from coaching staff changes to the shift to draft season and free agency. Follow him on Twitter@davebirkett. The team might need defense most of all, but they are going to cast a wide net to find improvements across the roster. The Lions also had serious back-channel communications about hiring Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, two people familiar with the conversations but not authorized to speak on behalf of Colbert or the Lions told the Free Press. Do the raised expectations increase the need for a more capable backup for Goff, should he get injured? So that is something were going to need to address whether its here in free agency or in the draft. Spending big in free agency? Just want to thank everybody. Last year, the Lions managed to do short-term deals to build depth while using the draft to build their team. During his career with the Rams, they had 20 All-Pro players and 37 Pro Bowlers. Enter Holmes, and a potential change at the position this offseason. It is the same with Dorsey, who was the GM of the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns before joining the Lions. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. He was voted team captain and helped A&T win the 1999 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Black College Football National Championship. When Holmes worked on a vision board before getting married, he cut out a picture of former Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, who is Black, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. the nephew of former Lions' first-round pick Luther Bradley, Lions new GM Brad Holmes is an exciting hire who wants 'game wreckers'. Hes not one of those egotistical maniacs. Getty Thats true even if Goff doesnt lose his job. Fontenot is not permitted to meet with teams in-person yet, per NFL rules, because the Saints remain in the postseason and Fontenot works out of the team's Louisiana headquarters. You know, all the way up until obviously being in the director of college scouting role (with the Rams), I was truly just trying to be the best college director in the entire league.". "Right before I got married, we had to go through this pre-marital counseling through my wifes church, and they told us to make vision boards," Holmes said. In two draft cycles, Holmes has made it clear he doesnt see value in selecting an off-ball linebacker early in the draft. This post will update with quotes and more while Holmes delivers remarks and answers questions from those in attendance. He stood out to us as the perfect fit, team owner Sheila Ford Hamp said on a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday, days after the team agreed to a deal with Holmes. After a process that included interviewing him and 11 others for the vacancy, Holmes won the Lions over and landed a job he didnt dream of when his NFL career began as a public relations intern in 2003. "I was just so happy to be in actually the industry of scouting that when I was a scouting assistant, I just wanted to be the best scouting assistant. Said he wasnt satisfied with their situation entering 2022 pic.twitter.com/bzGup6zLHC. Guys like Bryce Hager, Micah Kiser, Josh Forrest, all later Day 3 draft picks, are the manifestation of how the Holmes-era Rams valued the off-ball backer. Read news from 100s of titles, curated specifically for you. That was the first step, Holmes told the media. Thats the first thing about it, hes going to put in the work, hes going to make the effort and hes a team guy all the way. DETROIT (AP) Brad Holmes was not even a candidate when the Detroit Lions began their search for a general manager nearly two months ago. Points to making tough decisions on the staff through each of his first two years. That was in the first draft of that era when the Rams tabbed Alec Ogletree at No. The Detroit Lions are ready to kick off the offseason, and before that, the NFL combine offers a chance for the teams power brokers to set the table and prepare for the days ahead. His father, Mel Holmes, battled similar resistance as a Black offensive lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelersin the early 1970s, when the position was predominantly White during that era. Holmes doesnt think theyre one player away from being at the top, either. How could a show about a chart-topping band care so little about the making of their music? A more stable option with Goff figures to be on the table. Those outcomes havent gone so well for Detroit. While holding a prominent leadership role in the player personnel department from 2013-20, Holmes helped the Rams achieve a 64-58 record (.524), while having a total of 25 players named to the Pro Bowl during that span. Believe what Holmes and Agnew said about not valuing linebackers early in the draft. Here are five free-agent receivers Lions could target Holmes, 41,has never run a building before, but Bill Hayes, Holmes' former college coach at North Carolina A&T, said that should not be a problem for a former team captain who has natural leadership ability. with two first-round picks inside the top 20. It would be nice to hear Holmes explain the thought process behind the Glenn extension. ", DEEP DIVE:Lions GM Brad Holmes has a first-round pick in his family tree. Brad Holmes: Theres a mutual interest between the Lions and UFA running back Jamaal Williams pic.twitter.com/ZIUWE7tgry. I have not had any discussions with Matt or any players. Detroit interviewed Fontenot, Rick Smith, Scott Pioli, Thomas Dimitroff, Louis Riddick, Jeff Ireland, Ed Dodds, Kyle OBrien, Lance Newmark, Rob Lohman and George Paton. The play didnt count, but holy Jameson Williams speed is special. You'll now receive the top Lions Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Holmes joins the Lions after spending the previous 18 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (2003-2020). While tearing the team apart and starting over seems to make sense in the long term, it does not to the first-time general manager in charge of the franchise. Many will discount the need for quarterbacks because the team has a resurgent Jared Goff on the roster, but its clear that Holmes is interested in some kind of upgrade at the position. 2 position is. Lions general manager Brad Holmes revealed plenty of interesting takeaways meeting with the media at the NFL combine. With that kind of mindset, the sky could be the limit for Williams. DETROIT (AP) Brad Holmes was not even a candidate when the Detroit Lions began their search for a general manager nearly two months ago. Williams managed to find a seam down the middle of the field and managed to outrun everybody on the play, showing what he was capable of. Thats on me, Ive got to do a better job of making sure were not in that position again. Hes going to have to be dedicated in his approach and we can provide all the resources and lay it all out, but hes going to have to to take the accountability and do it on his own, Holmes said. Holmes has been aggressive in selecting payers coming off of collegiate injuries. One of the more candid tidbits from last weeks press conference featuring Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew came with the very last question. In fact, three Black general managers have been hired the past twocycles. That would be music to the ears of Lions fans, who have wanted a dynamic talent at wideout for years. Thats something weve had a lot of conversations about. ", REACTION:Why Lions hiring Brad Holmes reminds ofSteelers hiring Mike Tomlin, THE VISION:Lions end up trading Patriot Way for the Rams Standard. Holmes thanks the ownership for their continued support, belief and patience with what were trying to build in Detroit. Lions GM Brad Holmes addresses the media at the NFL Combine. Hamp fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia in November soon after Hamp was photographed covering her face with her hands during a loss to Houston. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Heading into the 2023 offseason, he has a For example, the Rams will receive two third-round draftpicks for grooming Holmes to earn Detroit's GM job. Do not expect this team to draft a linebacker early. Please dont get mad at me like if I dont use the word rebuild if I just continue to pivot towards retool, Holmes said. He started with the organization as a public relations intern in 2003, joined the scouting department as an intern months later and worked his way into position to runthe team's past eight drafts. Brad Holmes (born July 29, 1979) is an American football executive who is the general manager and executive vice president for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Detroit gave up 519 points and 6,716 yards last season, breaking records set by its winless team in 2008 and ranked among the worst in NFL history in both categories. 1 dead, 1 injured after shooting in Northwest D.C. 7 passengers taken to hospitals after turbulence diverts flight to Dulles. But it was cool to hear (that a lot of guys want to come back).. Holmes hopes the leagues commitment to diversity includes hiring practices with positions that assist general managers. Brad Holmes has landed what appears to be multiple starters in each of his first two drafts as Detroit Lions general manager, including likely two Day 3 draft picks. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Special assistant John Dorsey took one off-ball LB before Day 3 exactly once in six drafts. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Certainly last but not least, our fans. Holmes says the fans brought the energy week in and week out, building an enviable atmosphere at Ford Field. The Lions are scheduled to meet with a seventh head coaching candidate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, the former New York Jets coach, later this week. Allen Park, MICH. (Detroit Lions) - The Detroit Lions announced today that they have agreed to terms with Brad Holmes to become the teams new Executive Vice President and General Manager. WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, 2023 NFL Free Agency: Biggest names on the free agent market, Teammates death leaves Georgia player emotional at combine, Rodgers says decision on future will come soon enough, Grand jury indicts DC employee charged with killing 13-year-old boy. He cited safety as well, I was talking with Ray (Agnew) about when we were with the Rams, drafted (safety) Jordan Fuller in the sixth round, but had a pretty good idea that hes a high-floor player thats going to end up being a starter, so but theres certain positions that you can kind of look at and assess that you may be able to find gold in the later rounds, and inside linebackers, its a good volume of them throughout the draft.. Coming back here now as the general manager, that was definitely a pinch-me moment where it really just sunk in.. LIONS PRINCIPAL OWNER AND CHAIRMAN SHEILA FORD HAMP, On behalf of the entire Lions organization, I am thrilled to welcome Brad Holmes to Detroit. He is a budding analyst in the sports industry, working with The Cold Wire, EatWatchBet and the Commish Brands. I just want to be fair to the process, but obviously, Matt is a very good football player.. Brad just struck us as head and shoulders above., Follow Larry Lage at https://twitter.com/larrylage, More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL. There is a risk/reward balance with selecting players with preexisting injuries, and I wonder if Holmes calculus has changed based on his experiences with drafting them in Detroit. One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites. Copyright Holmes, who joins Quinn, Martin Mayhew and Matt Millen as first-time GMs the Lions have hired in the past two decades, is expected to team with owner Sheila Ford Hamp, president Rod Wood and adviser Chris Spielman to pick the next Lions coach, someone league observers believe will have experience to complementHolmes' youth. The Lions love Holmes combination of leadership skills, intelligence and personality along with his collaborative approaches. As Holmes pointed out, there may have been a good reason for things not being as big statistically speaking for Williams. You better buckle up for One Pride.. As an organization, the Lions reached a low point with their diversity when former GM Matt Millen failed to follow the Rooney Rule whenhiringSteve Mariucci in 2003, netting a $200,000 fine in the process. Would a developmental rookieat any range of the draftbe considered enough internally, or is prioritizing a better veteran backup something the Lions value? 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Spare is anything but spare, but the prince is going to include even more information than before, Astronomers have long predicted that stray supermassive black holes might occasionally run amok in the cosmos, As The Spy Who Came In From the Cold turns 60, a reassessment of John le Carr and the forces that shaped the writer and the man, The Dark Side of the Moon at 50: how Marx, trauma and compassion all influenced Pink Floyd's masterpiece, Help, Im obsessed with pressure-washing Lara Crofts house, I started playing a video game about cleaning for a laugh now its all gotten out of hand and Im going for the Guinness World Record. I go, 'Yeah, thats why we hired him.' Holmes will oversee the Lions football operations and report directly to Principal Owner and Chairman Sheila Ford Hamp and President and CEO Rod Wood. He helped guide the selection of Jared Goff over Carson Wentz with the No. That combined to put the youngster in a situation where he was playing catch up. 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