Ranking all 6 NFL GM openings; Where do the Lions land?
By Jon Poole
4) Detroit Lions (5-11)
- owner: Sheila Ford-Hamp
- head coach: Darrell Bevell (interim)
- projected ’21 cap space: $12,161,410 (19th in NFL)
- projected ’21 draft pick: 7th-overall
Matthew Stafford makes Detroit a general manager destination whether they wanted to keep or trade the franchise quarterback. Keep him and you have a plug and play top-10 QB for your brand new team. Trade him and – if you’re worth your paycheck – you’ll get at least a first-round pick to kick-start your rebuild.
Couple that with the fact that with the seventh overall pick the Lions have a chance at a quarterback that may have been a #1 overall pick if they came out in other drafts.
Detroit has some really intriguing pieces on the offensive side of the ball with tight end T.J. Hockenson, running back D’Andre Swift, linemen Frank Ragnow and Jonah Jackson. You could say Golladay, but with the contract situation, his value is pretty much a wash at the moment with a decision looming.
But, outside of Romeo Okwara, who’s a free agent in 2021, and one maybe two overpaid scheme-specific Patriot cast-aways, the defense is a pretty bare cupboard … unless you have faith in rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah.
If the new regime plays a two-gap scheme it’ll be an easier transition … but there’s still a major talent deficiency on the Lions defense. A real mixed bag roster-wise in total though.
Ownership: Though this is still the Ford Family, Shiela Ford-Hamp is still an unproven owner. If anything, how she handled the Quinntricia ‘mandate’ and allowing them to not take a quarterback with the third-overall pick is a move that will haunt Detroit for a decade. What the Ford’s historically have going for them is being patient and hands-off. I have no reasons to believe that will change under Hamp.