Getty Sheila Ford Hamp looks on before a 2019 Lions game.
The Detroit Lions push to find a new general manager could be coming to a close in the future, and the team could be narrowing in on a name.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, after George Paton landed in Denver, Brad Holmes has now became the favorite to become Detroit’s next general manager.
With Denver hiring George Paton as its GM, Brad Holmes becomes the favorite to become the Lions’ GM.
Also according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Lions are also considering names such as Ed Dodds, Terry Fontenot and Jeff Ireland for the role, and could want to speak with them again. Of that group, only Dodds could interview in Detroit again given his team is out of the playoffs. Holmes can interview again only because he is not based in Los Angeles with his team.
New Broncos GM George Paton was a very strong candidate in Detroit. With Paton out of the picture, Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes is with the Lions today.
The Lions also are still considering Indy’s Ed Dodds, and New Orleans’ Terry Fontenot and Jeff Ireland.
Holmes is reportedly talking to the Lions currently, so there could be an abrupt end to the search if the team is blown away and wants to lock him up. It seems the Lions could take a cautious approach to the process and do their diligence.
Brad Holmes ‘Interviewed Well’ With Lions
Scant details about any of the team’s interviews with coaches or general managers have leaked out, but according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Holmes’ first interview with the team went well. That certainly lends to the notion of why the Lions would want to come back with a second interview and get him in the building. The team said they would do this once they had narrowed the focus of the search.
The Lions might have to act if they want Holmes considering the Falcons are hot on his trail as well. It will come down to which situation the candidate likes most, and the fact that he is getting an in-person look at the Lions could lend a hint that he is a major contender for the role in Detroit after a good first round of interviews.
Brad Holmes Biography
While general manager Les Snead will get credit for a lot of what the Rams do for good reason, it’s possible that Holmes might be one of the engines behind the team’s success. Los Angeles made a Super Bowl a few years back and has been able to sustain that success by the way they have drafted and the players they have found along the way. Holmes has been key in this as the director of college scouting. That means he’s made plenty of recommendations about who the team should draft as well as created their draft board.
Holmes could very well be a popular name in this cycle, with the Falcons having had him for a second interview as well. He is said to have impressed folks within the league too, which could boost his candidacy across the league with a variety of jobs.
The Lions could be hot on Holmes’ trail with this news of another interview surfacing and the potential for him to be seen as the top pick when all is said and done.
READ NEXT: Lions Could Eye Former Player as Head Coach