Getty Kevin Colbert's headshot with the 2009 Steelers.
The Detroit Lions continue to weigh their options when it comes to their vacant general manager job, and it’s interesting there has been no conclusion to the search in recent days.
Detroit’s inaction could be by design, as a pair of top candidates in Seattle’s John Schneider and Pittsburgh’s Kevin Colbert were both in action this weekend. Both their teams also lost, which could now open the floodgates for the Lions to become active in terms of trying to lure someone exciting but also employed to Detroit.
According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Lions are still pondering a significant offer to Colbert and have been working tirelessly to come up with a plan to try and lure him away, though it could still be a long-shot to play out.
La Canfora wrote:
“The Lions continue to get their ducks in a row about a potential significant offer for Steelers GM Kevin Colbert. He has long been their dream hire, and his contract with Pittsburgh is expiring. Those who know him best doubt he ever considers leaving the Steelers — and he has been going year-to-year with his deals with the club at his own request — but the Lions have been working for this for weeks behind the scenes and would love to be able to lure him away. Should the Steelers lose Sunday night, I’d expect them to make their move. Again, I don’t see it happening, but he is the guy they covet the most, for good reason…”
The loss did play out on Sunday night, with the Steelers getting thumped 48-37 by the Browns in a game that wasn’t exactly as close as the score might indicate. Whether that sets off some major changes in the Pittsburgh organization or not is anyone’s guess, but the fact is, the Lions could be set to pounce on a few fronts this week and weigh their options.
Colbert clearly remains in-focus, and could be the team’s preferred general manager target when all is said and done. This week could go a long way toward determining what happens with the Lions on this front.
Kevin Colbert Resume
There’s little doubting why the Lions would be interested in Colbert. After he had a nine year career as Detroit’s director of pro scouting from 1990-1999, he became Pittsburgh’s Director of Football Operations from 2000-2010 and then took over as general manager in 2010. He won Super Bowl XL as well as XLIII with the Steelers, and has positioned Pittsburgh well for decades with solid drafting and leadership. To that end, if the Lions could add Colbert to the mix, it would be a huge score for their franchise in terms of adding one of the most capable executives in the league.
Clearly, Colbert could be the one name Detroit wants the most for the job as these reports show.
Lions General Manager Search Update
Detroit hasn’t seen any new interviews or targets revealed over the weekend, and the team might still be waiting until they can get a firm answer from some of their employed targets to bring the search to a close. So far, it’s been revealed that the team has spoken with their in-house candidates, as well as ESPN’s Louis Riddick, former Texans GM and EVP Rick Smith and Scott Pioli as well. Former Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff has been said to be in the mix too. Last week, Detroit chatted with Minnesota’s George Paton. Detroit interviewed Jeff Ireland from New Orleans on Friday, and that was their final reported interview as it relates to a general manager.
Now that both Colbert and Schneider are out of the playoffs, a resolution on the general manager front could be expected soon.
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