After cleaning house last week, the Lions are set to search for a new GM and head coach. But not necessarily in that order. The Lions aren’t married to any particular structure and may allow their next head coach to help pick the GM, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. 
[RELATED: Lions Fire Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia]
The Lions expected more out of head coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn, one-time shining stars in the Patriots organization. After their fourth straight season without a playoff appearance, they’ll turn the page for yet another reboot. The good news is that they have enough talent to lure candidates, including an offense led by Matthew Stafford and Kenny Golladay, provided that the receiver can be retained.
Patricia was heralded as a defensive guru but his unit left much to be desired. The Lions are near the NFL cellar for points allowed and they weren’t much better over the last two years — Detroit finished 28th in defensive DVOA in 2018 and 2019.
Harbaugh? It’s a short drive from Ann Arbor and he’s not exactly lighting the world on fire there
Owner, Team president,GM,and then coach. In that order. That’s how it works
Pete Carroll and the Seahawks would disagree
Yeah. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers also disagree. Shanahan was hired before Lynch and the Lynch would only take the GM job if Shanahan wanted him.
@BigEasy
Harbaugh looks like he has aged and looks tired
Is he up for the Pros?
Maybe his Lion QB will audible when up 20 to zip and then throw a pick 6 and cause consternation like he did to Ditka
No Harbaugh needs to stay where he is at. I love seeing my Buckeyes kill him every year!
Horrible Idea. He’s a loser. His brother is the guy you want but not Jim.
Maybe he can coach both teams.
John Harbaugh might be available if the Ravens don’t make the playoffs.
bradthebluefish: If you’d like to bet on that, I’d happily take the other side at any odds you like.
Yeah, that formula should help reverse the string of bad years, bad coaches, bad Gm’s, and each bad system brought in? maybe they should get a new owner who knows football, or blow up the whole front office and start over. This team just has bad karma or something. I hope something good happens for them though.
They will let the QB pick the coach first.
For a family that earned its wealth through organizational innovation, you would think they could put a better structure for success in place.
Let Ragnow choose the QB, let the QB choose the coach and them let the coach choose the GM
Actually, why stop there…. after everyone chooses their boss, lets have the new GM choose ownership. We could get this train wreck out of the hands of the ultra-useless Ford/Firestone hands and into the hands of say….. the MyPillow guy or Kid Rock or Chris Rock or The Rock or Sam Rockwell or Sam Elliott or Elliott from ET or Mario Lopez from the other ET or Jennifer Lopez or 8675309 (Jenny)
How about they make Trump the owner, GM AND head coach. That’s an outside the box strategy
You need money to own a team.
Also, despite always blaming his losses on the officials, he wins less challenges than Mike Tomlin.
Hard to do.
Lol! He’d blame every loss on cheating or fraud, and say that the team really was 16-0.
Why not Ben Afflect? He sucked as Batman so maybe he would be better a a Lions GM. Matt Damon could be the coach and they could play Texas Hold’em no limit!
Yes, let the coach hire the GM. This is why the Lions are the Lions.
Why is everyone acting like this is so strange? It’s more or less what happened in Buffalo, and most teams in the NFL would kill for a GM-coach tandem that works as effectively as theirs.
I don’t think it’s strange at all. If you’re in a spot like this, why not get two like-minded guys?
Had worked very well for the Niners. It’s not that uncommon
I am sure most people would like the Seahawk tandem which the coach picked. Heck a lot of teams would like either one.
This model worked out beautifully for the Jets, why not follow suit just like the Lions would
Bill O’Brien?
Barf
Could this mean Stafford is out? Feel like they could get a decent haul for him. Patriots?
Maybe a 3rd rounder if they are lucky…
It would be something like $20 million of dead money for the Lions next year if they trade him. It’s possible they trade him, but seems less likely than holding onto him for another year or two.
Or maybe Stafford will be the coach, gm and QB…
lol! let qb’s big mouth wife run the team!
When has that ever worked? Some teams are just doomed to fail. Every time I lament being a Bears fan, I always remember Detroit Lions fans have it worse.
Expecting the next update to be: Lions May Let New Coach pick TESLA.
Stafford is not the problem. Why everyone thinks he is the issue is comical. Stafford can make all the throws, he is tough as nails and has been here for a long time. There is not any QB in this draft with the arm strength Stafford has now(with age he still has a cannon). If anything, every fan of the Lions(like myself) should be mad at the ownership for not getting a competent front office to build a team around him.
I was a big fan of both Patricia and Quinn coming over. Thought we had big things coming. Year after year, I saw no help in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Outside of Decker, Ragnow and possibly Jonah Jackson, the offensive line has been make shift. When you bank on Kenny Wiggins, Oday Obushi and Hal Vaitai to have huge contributions, that is going to be a problem.
This team has a bunch of problems. I am hoping the FO gets it right and looks into Robert Saleh. If he isn’t on the short list, I will a little disheartened.
Stafford isn’t the problem, but he’s also never been better than very good for an extended stretch of time. Having a great arm hasn’t actually made him great. He’s certainly not the team’s problem, and teams do compete with worse going for them at QB, but he’s not enough to elevate a team into contention either.
How do you know Stafford can’t lead a team to the big game. He has never had a consistency on the coaching side his whole career. His offensive lines and running games have been junk.
Stafford’s last couple of years have been some of his better statistical years. I think if the Lions can give him a consistent running game and find a legit blocking scheme for the offensive line, he could win in the playoffs. Consistency and talent on the offensive and defensive lines will change this teams dynamic dramatically. There is some good pieces to build on.
I’m saying we’ve seen elite quarterbacks lead their teams to some measure of competitiveness without good supporting casts. That’s one of the differences between elite and good. If you think a team is a running game away from being good, they’re not going to be good. Again, not saying he’s the problem, but there’s no evidence that he could be great on a consistent basis.
Ok so what I am getting from your statement is that a running game is not needed for elite QBs to be successful. That being said lets look at elite QBs.
Lamar Jackson – great running game and he runs.
Patrick Mahomes – the running game opens his game up. Andy Reid is a big part in his success(another thing Stafford has not had a solid coach)
Aaron Rodgers – without Jones and Williams IDK how this team would look. I have watched every game and without that running game, Rodgers isn’t as effective.
Kyler Murray – does it with his legs. He has Hopkins so it is like having Randy Moss.
Many more could point to a good running game and offensive line being a key factor in a QBs success. Hell Brady has been loving Ronald Jones when Arians doesn’t cap him.
I just dont get your classification of Elite Qbs and what affects their success. Give Stafford some time, stop some drives from scoring and a capable running game, he can make it happen. Those guys stated above have those variables in their Arsenal. I truly believe he has the moxy and talent to bring a championship to Detroit. Just need to get the blueprints set right. Hopefully the brass gets it right.
Totally agree. They have never put a team around him and what’s with the lack of running game for like 10 years?
Hire Saleh as coach. Hire for GM the guy who’s been running the Chiefs, who hopefully will trade Stafford and trade up for the Ohio State QB or one of these hidden gem QBs, draft all offense, then all defense next year. Or after the QB just keep drafting the “best available player.”
The fans defending Stafford are very similar to the group of Bengals fans who spent years defending Andy Dalton. Both are very mediocre QBs. Sure their teams ownership, management and coaching flat suck..but that’s no reason to stick with a guy who will never go out and actually win big games for you. Lions would be well served to find a QB they like in the draft, after they hire a more competent staff. It really isn’t one or the other. I have zero interest in the lions..so there’s no emotion in this take.
Mediocre… Over 270 TDs, 40000 plus yards and if you give him time in the 4th quarter, he comes through more often then not.
I understand why some want to move on. I get it. I just don’t like people putting the blame on Stafford.
He’s also never had a good coach, never. None of his former coaches have ever been hired to be HC again in the league. That’s a great sign that their abilities have been coordinator only. As a Niners fan, I would take Stafford in a second. Man, what Shanahan could do with him in our system… damn, let’s do it.
Beiniemy time.