Lions to hire Brad Holmes as their next general manager

The Detroit Lions have found their next general manager in Brad Holmes

After three-straight losing seasons, the Detroit Lions parted ways with both general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia in late November. Ever since then, the organization has been searching for the right replacements to led the Motor City back to the Promised Land.

And now it appears the Lions have found their new general manager. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Detroit intends to hire Brad Holmes as their new GM. Holmes was previously the college scouting director for the Los Angeles Rams and has been the last eight years.

Holmes’ biggest success might be the selection of Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The undersized Donald (6-1, 280) has won six All-Pro first-team honors, been elected to the Pro Bowl seven times, and has been named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice. He would lead the NFL with 20.5 sacks in 2018.

The Lions’ new general manager will have to hit the ground running in Detroit. The first priority for Holmes will be to aid the team in finding a new head coach. Next on the list has to be determining the future of quarterback Matthew Stafford.

While Stafford is still under contract in Detroit through 2022, the team could opt to move on from the soon-to-be 33-year old veteran passer. Just wrapping up his 12th season in the NFL, Stafford ended the year dealing with multiple injuries. In 2019, he missed eight games due to a back injury.

With a new front office and coaching staff being installed in the Motor City, and considering the Detroit Lions possess the seventh overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, this could be the ideal time for both the team and Stafford to part ways. And that decision could very well define Brad Holmes’ career as the general manager of the Lions.