Could Vikings’ Top Executive Have Inside Track to Lions GM Job?

Minnesota Vikings

Getty A Minnesota Vikings helmet before a game.

The Detroit Lions revealed a pair of new interviews for their general manager job on Thursday morning, and both were very interesting additions to the mix.

Detroit revealed they had talked with Minnesota’s assistant general manager George Paton as well as Los Angles Rams’ scouting director Brad Holmes. Paton’s interview was in-person according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport.

Holmes has been said to be a major contender for the Lions job, and Paton himself has some very interesting connections to the mix as well, being he works with Chris Spielman’s brother Rick Spielman with the Vikings. Paton has had numerous interviews for other gigs in the past and is very well thought in NFL circles, but has elected to stay put. It’s possible given he was an-in person interview, he could be a top contender for the job in the end. Paton can also be hired at any time Detroit chooses given his team did not make the postseason.


George Paton’s Connections With Detroit

If the Lions brought Paton into the mix to lead the front office, it could be a seamless transition considering the fact that Spielman is now within the front office and likely would know him well. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press pointed out, Paton has ties to Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as well as Detroit’s interim coach Darrell Bevell, and either could potentially be in the mix for coaching roles with the team as a result. Pairing Bieniemy with Paton could be a very solid move for the Lions.

The Lions have maintained that experience is a huge plus for their search, but Paton would bring some first hand knowledge to the mix given he has been part of one of the best scouting and development staffs in the league recently. The Spielman connection cannot be ignored, and neither can Paton’s status as a bright mind that could make a compelling case to take over the team and usher in a new day.


Brad Holmes Biography

Detroit interviewed another interesting name in addition to Paton. 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 Atlanta Falcons rumored to have him on the interview list as well. He is said to have impressed folks within the league as well, which could boost his candidacy across the league with a variety of jobs. Clearly, with news of his interview in Detroit, he is a top contender for the Detroit.

Paton, however, could quietly be a big contender given his ties with the front office.

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