Analyzing, grading the Detroit Lions hiring of Chris Spielman

It’s hard to know exactly how significant of a move the Detroit Lions made on Tuesday afternoon when they decided to hire Chris Spielman as the team’s Special Assistant to the Chairman and President & CEO, but it doesn’t feel insignificant.

The team is at a crossroads, and the next three months will undoubtedly decide the trajectory of the franchise for the next three to five years—hopefully even longer than that. With a freshly-appointed owner and a team president with minimal football experience, the Lions needed someone to be their right-hand man for this general manager and head coaching search. What they got was a full-time assistant who has a clear passion for this franchise, a wealth of knowledge about the game, and a desire to learn even more.

So on Tuesday evening, myself, Jerry Mallory and Mike Payton gathered to discuss the move. How big of a hire was this? Was this a PR stunt? Are there now too many cooks in the kitchen? Or is Spielman exactly the kind of guidance this wayward franchise has needed for years?

We discuss all of that, as well as the announcement that Mark Hollis, Rod Graves and Barry Sanders will also serve as advisors for the Lions GM and head coach search.

You can listen to our discussion on any and all of your normal podcast platforms. If you’re more of a video kind of person, the podcast is also available to watch on demand on our YouTube channel and on Twitch.