Getty Bob Quinn at a press conference.
The Detroit Lions are trying to turn around their fortunes after some rough seasons on the field, and the hope is general manager Bob Quinn has the team on the right track in terms of squaring away their rebuild.
Confidence in that might be low, however, as it relates to rating Quinn against his league-wide competition. Recently, The Score ranked all the general managers in the league 1-32, and when it came to Quinn, he was near the bottom of the league at 25th overall.
Here’s a look at the explanation as to why Quinn placed where he did on the list:
“Matthew Stafford’s contract, which was the highest in league history when it was signed in 2017, now offers good value for a top-tier quarterback. However, despite possessing a franchise signal-caller, Quinn hasn’t been able to build a strong roster around him. Granted, the offensive line has improved, and landing wideout Kenny Golladay in the third round in 2017 was a steal. But some of Detroit’s questionable decisions include using the eighth overall pick on tight end T.J. Hockenson and signing Trey Flowers to a $90-million deal. The Lions are 9-22-1 under coach Matt Patricia.”
The jury is still out on plenty of Quinn’s moves but it cannot be argued that he is sticking to a plan which he feels will make the team winners in the end. For that reason, Quinn deserves a little bit of credit. Perhaps that’s credit he will receive if the team is able to turn things around and become winners on the field.
Chris Spielman Defended Bob Quinn’s Work With Lions
After watching the wheels fall off of the Lions last season on the field, Spielman took to Twitter to provide some of his takes on where he sees things going. As he said, he thinks that the duo of Quinn and Matt Patricia will get things right, there is a plan and it will come together.
Typically, as expected, Lions fans brushed back at Spielman for his commentary wondering how and why he could have any faith in the duo, but the former linebacker said that he simply thinks that more time will be needed to get things in the right direction for Detroit.
The dialogue continued with Spielman fielding a ton of questions about why he believes in Patricia and Quinn, but the former linebacker didn’t waver in his support for the duo.
A few months back before the duo was revealed to be returning, many were putting the pressure on Patricia and Quinn with rumors swirling about their future. Spielman, however, agrees with Patricia that patience is needed most of all.
The team will see in 2020 if that patience has paid off.
Bob Quinn’s Lions Tenure
Quinn came to Detroit after Martha Ford stunningly blew out Detroit’s front office following a debacle in the 2015 season. Quinn entered from New England and elected to observe Caldwell for two full seasons before making a move. Though Caldwell would finish with a winning record, Quinn eventually sacked him at the end of the season in 2017.
All the while, Quinn has been the one crafting the roster, and there have been some major hits as well as some obvious misses for the general manager. In 2016, Quinn’s first draft involved the selection of Taylor Decker along the offensive front. Decker has been solid, but far from elite. The 2016 draft also saw the Lions pick up Graham Glasgow who’s been a starter, as well as a solid piece.
From there, Quinn has managed to find a few difference makers every draft season. 2017 brought Jarrad Davis, who has been alright as well as Kenny Golladay, who has arguably been Quinn’s best pick. In subsequent drafts, players like Glasgow, Jamal Agnew, Frank Ragnow, Da’Shawn Hand, Tracy Walker, Kerryon Johnson and Tyrell Crosby have been solid contributors and shown glimpses.
In free agency, Quinn’s work has been more hit or miss. He has picked up names like Marvin Jones, Justin Coleman, Trey Flowers and Devon Kennard but has surprised by adding names like Jesse James, Christian Jones and Rashaan Melvin, all of whom have struggled to fit in. Quinn has also made some failed signings at running back.
As a whole, it’s perhaps a bit more on Quinn that Detroit has struggled so badly these past few seasons.
Bob Quinn’s 2020 Offseason
Thus far, it’s been a strong offseason for Quinn as he attempts to restructure the team. The Lions added Jamie Collins and Desmond Trufant to the defense in free agency while beefing the group up with Jeff Okudah in the draft. Offensively, the team restructured their offensive line with Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg. The team also added D’Andre Swift and Quintez Cephus to the offense with the idea of giving the group a bit more punch and depth.
Overall, the Lions will have to hope on these moves paying big dividends and leading to winning if Quinn is to make a compelling case to keep his job and rise on lists such as this.
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