Brad Holmes wins Executive of the Year from PFWA

Holmes is the first Lions exec to ever win the PFWA award

The latest set of awards for the 2023 NFL season from the Pro Football Writers of America are now out, and the Lions brought a big one home. Detroit GM Brad Holmes won the PFWA voting for NFL Executive of the Year.

Holmes earned the award for guiding the Lions to the team’s first NFC North title and the most road victories in a season, as well as the most wins by 10 or more points in any season in Detroit history. He is the first Lions exec to win the honor since its creation in 1993.

Head coach Dan Campbell was a prime candidate to win the Coach of the Year honor, but that instead went to Texans rookie head coach Demeco Ryans. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson lost out on the Assistant Coach of the Year to Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Lions COO Mike Disner is staying in Detroit

Lions COO Mike Disner is staying in Detroit after removing his name from consideration for the Panthers GM vacancy

Current Detroit Lions COO Mike Disner will remain in that role for the 2024 season. Disner was a candidate to leave but has opted to remain with the Lions.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports that Disner is “staying in Detroit” after withdrawing his name from consideration for the Carolina Panthers vacant general manager position. The Panthers apparently moved on as well, conducting second interviews with some other candidates before Disner ever took a first.

Disner is the Lions’ chief contract negotiator and salary cap manager. He does also contribute to player personnel decisions under GM Brad Holmes in Detroit’s consensus-oriented front office.

It’s a welcome return for Disner, who has established himself as one of the NFL’s best-regarded young front office talents.

 

Panthers request permission to interview Lions’ Mike Disner for their GM role

Disner is the Lions’ COO and is the primary contract guru, as well as working with the strategy unit

Already looking for a potential new head coach from the Detroit Lions, the Carolina Panthers are now also looking to potentially fill their GM vacancy with someone from Detroit. The Panthers announced they have requested permission from the Lions to interview Mike Disner as their general manager.

Disner is the Lions’ Chief Operating Officer (COO) and has been in that role since 2022. He was the team’s senior VP of football and business administration prior to that promotion, serving two seasons in each capacity for Detroit.

In layman’s terms, Disner runs the team’s salary cap and contract negotiations with both players and coaches. He is also part of the Lions’ personnel strategy and evaluation teams, working with GM Brad Holmes, assistant GM Ray Agnew, special assistant Chris Spielman and others.

Disner is consistently noted as one of the league’s rising young stars, though he’s been in the NFL for over 15 years. The Lions do not have to grant permission to the Panthers, though that’s not a common move.

The Panthers have already asked the Lions for permission to interview OC Ben Johnson for their head coaching vacancy. Johnson interviewed for that position last year before pulling his name from contention.

Brad Holmes noted as top-5 candidate for NFL executive of the year

Lions GM Brad Holmes noted as top-5 candidate for NFL executive of the year

Lions GM Brad Holmes is the architect of a team on the verge of hosting the franchise’s first home playoff game in over 30 years. His savvy drafting and shrewd moves have Holmes recognized as one of the leading candidates to be the NFL Executive of the Year, according to NFL.com.

The list, compiled by former NFL GM Scott Pioli, cites a lot of what Lions fans already know and love about Holmes in constructing the 2023 team. Pioli spotlights a couple of difficult decisions Holmes made that have paid off handsomely for Detroit,

Replacing Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift in the backfield with David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has proven to be quite savvy. The Lions have also received key contributions from free-agent signings Graham Glasgow and Cameron Sutton, as well as the re-signing of Alex Anzalone, who leads the team with 108 tackles. I have always emphasized the importance of re-signing your own top players — that’s a critical part of free agency.

Of course, the impactful draft class gets its due attention, too.

The other GMs noted include Nick Caserio of the Texans, Miami’s Chris Grier, Eric DeCosta of the Ravens and Howie Roseman of the Eagles.

Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew mentioned as potential GM candidate for the coming offseason

Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew mentioned as potential GM candidate for the coming offseason

While much of the long-term talk about Lions staffers potentially getting bigger and more prominent roles on other teams focuses on the assistant coaches, there is another candidate in the Detroit front office who could attract attention, too.

Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew has a compelling résumé to garner real interest as a potential GM hire in the coming offseason cycle. The veteran has done well as GM Brad Holmes’ right-hand man and primary evaluator of pro talent. Agnew earned a spot in Pro Football Focus’ list of top potential GM candidates in the next hiring cycle.

The 55-year-old Agnew is not the typical candidate, as PFF notes,

Agnew may not be the young upshot executive that teams seem to prefer recently for general manager hires, but his lengthy football career and clear trust from Lions general manager Brad Holmes should go a long way. The Rams built a Super Bowl winner largely with external additions during the time Agnew was the director of pro personnel, and we’ve also seen him now help Holmes build the Lions in a very different manner.

His considerable experience working in personnel evaluation for multiple GMs and organizations are Agnew’s biggest strengths.

4 reasons Texans GM Nick Caserio deserves NFL Executive of the Year

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has demonstrated throughout 2023 why he should be considered for NFL Executive of the Year.

Life changes quickly in the NFL. Just ask Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio.

Not even a full year ago the Texans were amid their third consecutive season and at the bottom of the standings. Their 3-13-1 campaign and hiring of Lovie Smith had failed to build any momentum from previous coach David Culley’s 4-13 campaign the year prior. Any positive developments from young players were marred by a quarterback with Davis Mills that had failed spectacularly.

Once Smith was fired before the team could even return to Houston from their Week 18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the calls for Caserio’s job were ample as well. How could a general manager not position his team to secure the first overall pick after that kind of season? How could that same executive be allowed to hire his third head coach in as many seasons?

The pressure on Caserio didn’t go away, even leading up to April’s 2023 NFL draft. There was speculation he may depart the organization after the draft or even be reduced to a different role with the team. It was hard to find any believer in Houston’s chief decision maker beyond his execution of a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.

Fast forward to November 2023, halfway through the NFL season, and the story has changed.

Caserio not only has stopped hearing conversations about his job security, the third year general manager has had virtually every 2023 offseason decision vindicated. For as disastrous and pointless as the 2021 and 2022 Texans were, the 2023 team is every bit as fun and confidence-inspiring.

It’s the type of turnaround that garners national media attention and, potentially, even awards from the NFL national media. At the season’s midpoint, Caserio has a compelling argument for Executive of the Year for four primary reasons.

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Brad Holmes on big-name trade ideas for the Lions: ‘It’s not reality’

Holmes added, “there’s nothing that we leave unturned or ignored or anything,” and discussed why the team added WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

The NFL trade deadline passed on a Halloween afternoon without a lot of activity in Detroit. Lions GM Brad Holmes held a press conference to discuss the state of the team and his thoughts and experience at the deadline.

Holmes made it clear that a lot of the names that fans and some media fantasized about where just that: fantasy.

“A lot of these names that you might see pop up, they look good in the media, and they are names, but that’s often – it’s not reality,” Holmes said. “Those same names that you see pop up, when you start getting into conversation, it just doesn’t work out for the best for us.

So, every team has a different plight, every team is in different place, different direction, different phase in their team building, but no, there’s nothing that we leave unturned or ignored or anything. We look at every position, we look at everything and this was the best one for us.”

Other teams did make some moves around the league. The Washington Commanders dealt away former first-round pass rushers Montez Sweat (to the Bears) and Chase Young (to the 49ers). Seattle picked up Giants DT Leonard Williams, while the Vikings dealt for one-time Lions third-string QB Joshua Dobbs from Arizona.

Holmes then explained the rationale behind the move the Lions did make, acquiring wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

“Well, I mean obviously we – Marvin (Jones Jr.) had to step away, so we were down a receiver period, so we had to look to add another one regardless,” Holmes explained. “There’s a lot of different avenues that you can take, so this is the one that we chose.”

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Brad Holmes refutes any Lions interest in trading for QB Trey Lance

Detroit GM Brad Holmes refutes any Lions interest in trading for QB Trey Lance

In his first official press conference since the NFL draft, Lions GM Brad Holmes refuted any reports that he or the Lions were involved in any of the trade talks surrounding QB Trey Lance. The 49ers traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys and there were reports linking the Lions to being a potential suitor.

Not so, says Holmes.

“The Trey Lance thing in particular, I never reached out. I never inquired about the player or anything,” Holmes stated.

Holmes continued,

“I think the report was that us and some other teams were like, in that group of being interested. But I never actively pursued the player. I can’t speak to the accuracy of the reports.”

The report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic indicated that the Lions “showed interest” in potentially acquiring the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Cal McNair treats Texans fans with second annual ‘Cal’s Cookout’

Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair took part in the second annual “Cal’s Cookout” where he grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for fans.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans and the McNairs had a special treat for fans after the last open practice Thursday.

Chairman and CEO Cal McNair and his wife Hannah, the Houston Texans Foundation Vice President, provided free hamburgers and hot dogs as part of “Cal’s Cookout,” presented by H-E-B. It was the second consecutive year the Texans provided meals for the fans as a token of appreciation for their support of the team.

“It feels great anytime we are around the fans,” said Cal McNair as he took a break from the grill to talk with the media. “We see the fans out here day after day during open practice, and we just wanted to show our appreciation.”

Texans Wire beat reporter Brian Barefield joined Mr. McNair on the grill along with Sports Radio 610 hosts Ron Hughley and Sean Pendergast.

After back-to-back days of joint practices against the Miami Dolphins, the Texans will have a day off before playing their preseason home opener on Saturday at NRG Stadium against the Dolphins. It will be the first time the fans will see rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud outside of the practice field. He was named the starter by Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans after practice on Thursday.

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Nick Caserio says new job title changes nothing with Texans

Nick Caserio says his new title as Houston Texans general manager and executive vice president changes nothing as to his approach and accountability.

One of the more comical happenings of the offseason was an esoteric belief that Nick Caserio would be fired after the 2023 NFL draft.

Former NFL personnel boss-turned-insider Michael Lombardi muttered on a podcast that he was hearing there would be organizational reshuffling for the Houston Texans after the 2023 NFL draft. How that got interpreted as “the Texans will fire Caserio” is anyone’s guess.

Lombardi was right and the fanatics were wrong as the Texans gave Caserio an additional job title: executive vice president.

Caserio, who still is the team’s general manager, met with reporters for the first time since his “promotion,” and indicated at Houston Methodist Training Center that nothing changes for him despite the additional role.

“I’ve kind of always taken the approach whatever we need to do to help the organization to move it forward, whatever I’m asked to do, how big or small that job is,” Caserio said. “We have a lot of great people around me. We have a lot of great people in this building. Nothing has really substantively changed for me. Try to come in with the right attitude, the right mindset, work hard every day, do what we feel is best for the organization on a day-to-day basis. Appreciate the opportunity ownership has provided to myself, DeMeco [Ryans] and the rest of our staff. Nothing has really changed on this end.”

The fascinating aspect of Caserio taking on the executive vice president tag is that is the same title former football operations director Jack Easterby had from Jan. 2020 to Oct. 2022 when he left the team. Nevertheless Texans fans feel better about the team’s fortunes with Caserio possessing such a title rather than Easterby.

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