Getty John Dorsey before a Browns game in 2018.
The Detroit Lions made an under-the-radar move this week in finalizing a deal with John Dorsey to join their front office, and it’s something which could end up benefitting them quickly.
Dorsey has long been known to be one of the best talent evaluators in the league, and that’s a fact that isn’t lost on players, coaches or other executives. Even players who haven’t had a complete brush with Dorsey understand what he brings to the table in an evaluation role.
As Dorsey makes his move to the Lions, one player who was all-eyes and thinks Dorsey could be an advantage to his new team is former NFL defensive lineman Shaun Smith. Smith tweeted in the aftermath of Dorsey joining Detroit’s front office he thinks the Lions are going to be turned around by the successful former general manager.
Smith had a long career in the NFL, bouncing around plenty of stops. His time with Dorsey did not overlap much though, although Smith did play in Kansas City in 2012 just as Dorsey was coming into the fold as the team’s general manager in 2013.
The perception of Dorsey is a good one around the league, and that might only serve to be a big boost to the Lions when all is said and done as they start off their retool of the organization. Smith would say Dorsey will be a huge asset.
John Dorsey Officially Joined Lions
The Dorsey move was made official on Wednesday after nearly a week of speculation. Over the weekend, it was revealed the former general manager would be joining the Lions as a senior personnel assistant. That move is a big one for the team, as it will give general manager Brad Holmes a trusted right hand man in order to help in getting his program off the ground in the Motor City. Dorsey has plenty of good experience from his time in the league, and is one of the most trusted evaluators out there.
It’s safe to say that Dorsey joining the Lions is quietly one of the bigger moves the team has made this offseason given what he can bring from a personnel and scouting perspective.
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Why John Dorsey Makes Sense For Lions
Detroit could be the perfect landing spot for Dorsey, 60, considering he is a veteran football mind and someone who can evaluate talent quite well. That much has been proven true through the years in the executive’s previous stops.
Dorsey has had a hand in building a trio of Super Bowl champions and has his fingerprints all over two of the most exciting teams 2020 has to offer. He started his career with the Green Bay Packers, where he worked in scouting development for the Super Bowl XXXI champions and served as director of football operations for the roster that won Super Bowl XLV.
From there he was hired as Kansas City’s general manager, where he secured QB Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce and WR Tyreek Hill via the NFL Draft, all of whom eventually delivered last season’s Super Bowl LIV title after Dorsey was gone. Following his exit there in June 2017, he joined the Browns as general manager, presiding over the decisions to draft QB Baker Mayfield, DB Denzel Ward, RB Nick Chubb and others and trading for key players such as WR Jarvis Landry.
Dorsey’s personality might rub some the wrong way, but he doesn’t have to be everyone’s best friend. All Dorsey has to do is bring in the right players and be allowed to make decisions for the betterment of the franchise. The Lions need plenty of players to turn things around if they’re going to change their trajectory for the better, and Dorsey could deliver those results.
Getting Holmes this big-name help could be a big boost for the franchisee at the perfect time and help aid in Detroit’s rebuild. That’s just what Smith believes to be the case.
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