Getty Les Snead and Sean McVay of the Rams.
The Detroit Lions have been moving through the process of identifying their next general manager, and reports are the search has ended on Thursday.
Detroit has reached an agreement with Los Angeles Rams’ scouting director Brad Holmes to be their next general manager. Though the deal was not officially done, the Lions are expected to hire Holmes away with a multi-year deal to run the show in Detroit.
The #Lions have agreed to terms on a 5-year deal with #Rams Director of College Scouting Brad Holmes as their new GM, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. A meteoric rise for Holmes.
Holmes has been around the interview circuit in this cycle, and was a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons job which could now go to Terry Fontenot, also a candidate in Detroit. When he takes over the Lions, Holmes will be dealing with a roster that needs a major overhaul, especially on the defensive side of things. Offensively, the Lions have their share of questions as well.
The next move for Holmes and the Lions? Finding a head coach in the days ahead.
Brad Holmes ‘Interviewed Well’ With Lions
Why did the Lions move to lock up Holmes? They loved his interviews. 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. After the second interview Wednesday, the Lions moved to lock him up and not let him get away without an agreement.
The Lions might have been motivated to act considering the Falcons were also hot on his trail as well and Holmes lives in Atlanta. Now, he will have to re-locate north to lead the Lions.
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.
At 41, Holmes will be one of the youngest general managers in the NFL, but he comes with major advantages considering he has helped build one of the best rosters in the NFL with limited draft means. Holmes will also know plenty about Detroit considering his uncle Luther Bradley was a first-round pick of the Lions back in 1978.
Holmes has been a very 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 have boosted his candidacy across the league with a variety of jobs.
The Lions now are poised to hire Holmes and have him in the fold as their next boss. He will be in charge of turning the page for the franchise moving forward on the field and off.
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