There are four main differences between how Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia run the Detroit Lions and their former mentor Bill Belichick guides the reigns of the Patriots, at least at this time. The first is that the Lions have been willing to spend money more freely than the Patriots.
This in part has to do with Belichick already having depth to use when he determines a player is no longer worth the money they are asking for. The other side is that the Lions are trying to build not only a worthy starting lineup but depth as well. This willingness to spend on free agents may eventually dry up on Detroit, but it just seems that Bob Quinn is much more willing to spend a little on a player he wants.
The second difference is that despite the fact that both teams value their draft picks, the Lions have been more willing to trade up than down. This again has to do with talent level as much as anything else it seems and given the chance to get to the point that the Lions actually are able to get a stacked roster, this could change.
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Now the final two are the differences that won’t change. While Belichick has been the astute mastermind behind building the Patriots roster, as long as Quinn and Patricia are together here in Detroit, it will be a two-man committee that makes all player personnel decisions.
Sure the front office in New England will follow through on Belichick’s wishes and bring him any information he needs to make a decision, but at the end of the day, he will make the decision.
Expect the joint committee of Quinn and Patricia to be involved together on all decisions involving the Lions on the field.
The final difference is Matt Patricia’s personality. While he guards information from the media as tightly as Belichick, he is more personable than his old head coach. He genuinely seems to enjoy giving detailed answers even when he’s not giving any actual information. He is also much more of a players coach than Belichick, something he admitted he didn’t show as much of last season and will be more to his benefit moving forward.
That doesn’t mean he has to stop being demanding or not work his players as hard. It just means being himself. It was no surprise that everything seemed like it was flying at him last year 100 miles an hour as a first-time head coach on any level. Experience will help him manage everything better.
I think both Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia understand that they cannot reproduce the intangibles that Bill Belichick has and have to make up for those intangibles by smart moves and creating an atmosphere within their own personalities that breeds winning.
Will it work? As yet the jury is out on that answer, but if they fail it won’t be from leaving any stones unturned. For the better or the worse, this regime will stick to their ideals and do everything they feel is necessary to turn these Lions into winners. And in the end, whether they succeed or fail they will at least be able to say they did it their way.