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Prior to the Matthew Stafford news-bomb over the weekend, Detroit Lions fans were beginning to get hyped for the staff they were amassing. Brad Holmes was considered a well-respected up-and-comer, Dan Campbell was a calculated risk, and both nailed their introductory press conferences.
But where the Lions really appeared to shine is their supplementary hires. Both Holmes and Campbell are surrounding themselves with not just experienced hires, but impressive people. Holmes’ front office now includes a two-time former general manager and an assistant GM that has years of experience working alongside Holmes in Los Angeles. Campbell, on the other hand, basically hired every single player-turned-coach under the sun, many of whom specifically chose the Lions over other teams that were trying to court them.
So even if Stafford put a damper on the weekend, Lions fandom appears to remain relatively optimistic about the future given this first wave of hires.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which of the Lions’ recent hires has been your favorite?
My answer: There isn’t a single hire I don’t particularly like, but none come close to my level of approval than that of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
The only downside of the Glenn hire is that he’s never been a full-time defensive play caller. That may be a serious concern, but there are plenty of signs that Glenn is more than ready.
At the request of his mentor, Bill Parcells, Glenn took a route through scouting before moving to coaching following his extremely successful career as an NFL cornerback. Parcells’ reason for making him start as a scout? Because he knew Glenn was destined to be a head coach and he believed player acquisition needed to be a part of his skillset.
Since then, Glenn has quickly risen through the ranks and earned himself a ton of respect within the New Orleans Saints organization. The Saints secondary has been phenomenal under him, completely changing the identity of a defense that was once a huge burden for New Orleans.
He’s as hard working of a coach gets in this league, and his player career will help him relate to players in a way previous coaches couldn’t.
Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s already got a rapport with Jeff Okudah. And the Lions’ third overall pick is already ready to get back to work:
It’s hard not to be excited about 2021...
— Jeff Okudah (@jeffokudah) January 26, 2021
Your turn.
Poll
Who has been the Lions’ best hire in the past couple months?
This poll is closed
-
13%
HC Dan Campbell
(300 votes) -
16%
GM Brad Holmes
(368 votes) -
25%
Owner/President assistant Chris Spielman
(574 votes) -
9%
OC Anthony Lynn
(219 votes) -
11%
DC Aaron Glenn
(266 votes) -
5%
RB/assistant head coach Duce Staley
(121 votes) -
1%
DB coach Aubrey Pleasant
(41 votes) -
0%
Assistant GM Ray Agnew
(15 votes) -
16%
[unspecified role] John Dorsey
(375 votes)