Getty Rod Wood before the Lions vs. Falcons game.
The Detroit Lions are embarking on trying to find new blood for their organization, but some new questions are arising as it relates to their ability to get this done in a good way.
Team president Rod Wood remains in the organization after the dismissal of Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia, and there’s long been questions swirling about Wood’s exact role with the team. Right now, he’s partially in charge of helping the Lions make roster decisions, or at least signing off on roster decisions. Darrell Bevell admitted that has been happening since the firings this week.
Interesting that Rod Wood is involved in roster decisions, and maybe why some potential candidates are concerned about the Lions’ organizational setup
That said, I still don’t understand why he would need to be involved in a decision about the 53rd roster spot
Wood has admitted in the past he is not a football guy and his experience does lie more on the business side while he has been a trusted friend and advisor to the Ford family, so this naturally will sound alarm bells within the fan base for a big reason. Wood, however, is currently working along with a makeshift front office to get the Lions through the rest of the season, so it might not be that of a surprise to see him more involved in decisions than he would usually be. It’s also more than possible that he is merely a person kept in the loop on moves for checks and balances. Essentially, that’s what he admitted to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press in a piece.
Even in spite of this fact, Birkett also reported that a few of the team’s candidates might have concerns and reservations about Wood’s role within the organization. It’s possible Wood can change titles or his role could shift to satisfy a candidate in the weeks ahead.
Still, many folks are thinking this is business as usual for the Lions considering how they’ve operated for years. Whether it is or not will be up to the team to prove.
Lions Will Not Use Search Firm
A popular thing for NFL teams to do is make use of a search firm to find their candidates. The Lions aren’t going to be one of the teams going that direction this time around for their hiring process. That news was broken early this week by Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
According to Rapoport, the Houston Texans will use a firm, while the Atlanta Falcons and Lions will not.
Obviously, there’s some merit to the debate about whether firms are needed or not, but this combined with the news on Rod Wood’s role will not make many Lions fans feel good. There’s a notion that the team needs all the help they can get, and might not be set to get that much help this time around. Only time will tell if this move proves to be a mistake or not.
Lions General Manager Search Update
Detroit has committed to change on a deep level for the future since the firing of Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia a few weeks ago, and are looking for a new voice in the front office to help set the tone from the top down. An experienced name could be what the Lions need the most considering the problems they have had on the field and with regard to roster construction the last handful of seasons. Early on, John Dorsey and Jerry Reese have been the two candidates with the most traction in terms of the general manager position.
No matter what happens, fans will simply have to sit back and be patient to see what everyone’s role ends up being and who manages to get the jobs.
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