The last time the Detroit Lions hired a general manager, team president Rod Wood was new to the job and new to the NFL. Owner Martha Ford was also new to the process of making such a big change.
They leaned heavily on longtime NFL executive Ernie Accorsi, who joined the team to help in the search. Accorsi and the decision-makers interviewed just three people, and it was fairly clear from the onset that Bob Quinn, who had ties to Accorsi through Bill Belichick, was the preferred choice.
That did not end well, obviously. Wood believes he has learned from his first time and is applying the lessons to the new GM search. One big change: involving more people in both the decision-making process and in the candidate pool.
“I think experience is the best teacher, and I think having gone through this now twice, there’s things I’ve learned and things hopefully that we’ll do better,” Wood said in his Zoom media session this week. “I think one of the things is adding more people to the process. When Bob (Quinn) and I interviewed for Matt (Patricia), it was just Bob and I. Now, obviously, Sheila’s (Ford Hamp) involved, (we) added Chris Spielman. (Vice President of Football Administration) Mike Disner’s been very involved.
I think having more candidates is a difference, too. With Bob’s process, we interviewed three people. We’ve already interviewed seven for the general manager and we’ll continue to add to that list.”
Wood added that Spielman has been very active and involved in the interviewing process. Having someone fresh from outside the organization but one with deep ties to the Lions like Spielman, still the franchise career leader in tackles, has been an excellent addition.
“He’s been great in the interviews, really focusing on a lot of the football questions that he brings expertise to,” Wood said of Spielman. “He’s also been great in the building, meeting with a lot of the coaches and players. He has contacts all over the country from his media days and playing days with coaches and others. He’s brought a lot of information to the table on candidates that we’re considering and feedback and research. So, it’s been great having Chris here. He brings energy, as everybody knows, if you know him. He’s a very positive influence in the building. Great addition.”
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