Tag: Brad Holmes

Backup QB plan ‘took a detour’ for Lions GM Brad Holmes

Detroit’s backup QB plan ‘took a detour’ for Lions GM Brad Holmes that led to Nate Sudfeld

One of the prime points of conversation in Lions land all summer was the backup QB position. The camp battle between David Blough and Tim Boyle was captivating–in part because neither has really done much to show they should have the job.

And it turns out, neither will. Boyle was cut after a brutal preseason finale. Blough made the initial 53-man roster but was released on Wednesday morning when the Lions opted to sign freshly cut 49ers backup Nate Sudfeld.

Lions GM Brad Holmes had brought back both Boyle and Blough as free agents this offseason. Holmes eschewed addressing the spot with a more proven veteran, a more promising youngster or a developmental draft pick.

In his press conference this week, Holmes was asked about the backup QB decisions he made.

“Yeah, I mean it’s never – it’s never totally ideal. Just like I was telling him, we had a plan in place for the backup quarterback position. It kind of took a detour that was unexpected, but you’ve got to be prepared for that,” Holmes stated. “And we just kind of made it work the best way we can, and we did what’s best for the organization at this time.”

Holmes acknowledged there were some different ways the Lions could have handled the backup QB situation. But he seems content with acquiring Nate Sudfeld and dumping both Blough and Boyle.

“I mean there’s a lot of different options you can go, but we did the best thing for the Detroit Lions and so, that’s how it goes. So, is there a little bit of risk? And is it foolproof? And absolutely no, well I have too much respect for the unknown to really not say that there’s a little bit of that. But I think we got the plan in place where Nate (Sudfeld) will get caught up to speed and we’ll be in good shape.”

Blough signed to the Vikings practice squad after being dumped by the Lions. Boyle remains a free agent and no interest from other teams has been reported anywhere.

Lions GM Brad Holmes downplays the 2nd-round injury risks he’s taken

Holmes said he evaluates pre-existing injuries “case-by-case” but he’s not shied from taking on those cases

Through two draft seasons as the general manager of the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes has not shied away from taking chances on players carrying injury baggage. That’s especially true in the second round.

In 2021, Holmes and the Lions selected DL Levi Onwuzurike from Washington. This year it was Kentucky DE Josh Paschal. Both brought unclean bills of health from college through the draft process. Onwuzurike had an ongoing back problem while Paschal, who also missed most of a season conquering cancer on his foot, missed the end of his senior season and the Senior Bowl with a groin injury.

The injuries have lingered. Onwuzurike was ineffective as a rookie and has been able to practice exactly one day in pads in 2022 before reaggravating the injury. He’s on the 53-man roster but unlikely to play Week 1 with what head coach Dan Campbell termed a “snail’s pace” recovery.

Paschal is on the reserve/PUP list, missing his entire rookie training camp and preseason. His injury required core muscle surgery and his return to the field is unknown.

In his press conference on Thursday, Holmes was asked if the Lions held a flawed injury evaluation process with the second-rounders.

“I think everything is – especially when it comes to medical, it’s always case-by-case. And you’re going back with Levi (Onwuzurike), he was dealing with something that we were aware of and that we knew about,” Holmes said. “And so, he actually was able to do more than what he was going to able last year. And so, unfortunately, he’s had to still deal with it, but you just don’t have that crystal ball quite yet.”

Holmes then continued on Paschal,

“And then, with Josh (Paschal) it was something that we were aware of, that we knew that he had to deal with, while we have a timeline in place, and we don’t have any problem with it. So, it’s not – we’re not kicking ourselves, we’re not saying, ‘Oh, we overlooked this or that,’ it’s just things that we were prepared for.”

Of course, the second-rounders aren’t the only players with existing injuries that Holmes has drafted. He traded up in the first round to snag Alabama WR Jameson Williams, who will miss at least four weeks as he recovers from January knee surgery. Fifth-round TE James Mitchell still isn’t full speed from a knee injury that cost him most of his final college season at Virginia Tech, though he’s on track to play a role in Week 1.

It’s a question that Holmes will need to evaluate more conscientiously in the next draft cycle if Onwuzurike and Paschal are both washed out in 2022. Even though the Lions are still climbing up in the rebuild and generally not expected to contend for the postseason this year, getting nothing out of two top-45 picks because of preexisting injuries would be a very bad look for Holmes.

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Watch: Brad Holmes tells NC A&T marching band they’re playing Lions halftime show

Lions GM Brad Holmes told the marching band at his alma mater, North Carolina A&T, they’re playing Detroit’s halftime show in Week 1

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina A&T. Now Holmes gets to give back to his alma mater, and he did so in a very cool way.

Holmes addressed the Aggie marching band via teleconference to let them know they’ll perform at halftime of the Lions’ season home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. The reaction from the Blue and Gold Marching Machine says it all:

The Lions have typically stuck with Detroit-based musical acts for halftime performances. Bringing in the extravagant HBCU marching band is a welcome change of pace. The fact that it has a connection with Holmes makes it even better.

Lions training camp notebook: Day 3 notes and observations

Notes from Day 3 of Detroit Lions training camp on red zone offense, backup TEs rising up, 2-minute drill blues and more

Day 3 of Detroit Lions training camp is now in the books.

Friday saw the arrival of Lions’ friends and family in the stands, the first day where anyone besides Lions employees and media was present at camp. Alas, pads will not come on for the players until Monday, but we still got to glean quite a bit from the sun-soaked morning session.

Here’s what I saw, heard and noted in Friday’s practice in Allen Park.

Top observations from the first day of Detroit Lions training camp

Lions training camp notebook: Day 2 top observations

Lions announce 8 front office changes, continue strong culture building

The Detroit Lions announced 8 front office changes and mostly internal promotions which shows the strong culture the Lions are instilling.

Since Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell walked through the door, they have been building an influential culture from top to bottom. One that awards individuals for their continued strong efforts, giving them the platform to take the next step forward in their careers potentially. Today those efforts were awarded as the Lions announced eight front office changes this morning, with only one being an outside hire.

The one hire of strong significance is the promotion of Mike Disner, who was promoted as the Chief Operating Officer. Disner has risen through the ranks in the Lions organization when he was hired in 2019, starting as the Vice President of Football Administration, then Senior Vice President of Football and Business Administration when Brad Holmes took over as General Manager.

Disner is widely respected in the Lions organization as he was integral in the hiring of Brad Holmes and brought Holmes to the front office’s attention. He has been a main avenue for Holmes, coming in as a first-time general manager and widely recognized as an up-and-comer in the NFL, and on his continued trajectory, he could find himself running a front office shortly.

The lone outside hire was making the hire of Brandon Sosna official. The Lions are bringing in Sosna from USC and making him the team’s Senior Director of Football Administration. He is another individual making a name for himself as he was named to the Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Sports” list in 2020 as he played as USC’s athletic director Mike Bohn’s right-hand man.

Here are the rest of the front office changes to round out the recent promotions:

  • Lance Newmark from the director of player personnel to the senior director of player personnel.
  • Brian Hudspeth from national scout to assistant director of college scouting.
  • Joe Kelleher from pro scout to assistant director of pro scouting.
  • Ademi Smith from personnel assistant to scout.
  • Gina Newell from director of team operations to senior director of football operations.
  • Jesse Giambra from the coordinator of team operations to manager of team operations/head coach administration.

Reviewing the ‘Inside The Den’ Detroit Lions NFL draft documentary

Reviewing the latest episode of ‘Inside The Den’ in the Detroit Lions NFL draft war room

The long-awaited debut of the newest “Inside The Den” episode was recently released by the award-winning Detroit Lions Media Department, and it was well worth the wait.

This episode focused on the behind-the-scenes action for the Lions during the 2022 NFL Draft. This episode caught some amazing moments between Lions General Manager Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell. It also focused primarily on the top few rounds where the team obtained four quality football players that they seemed to have had targeted long before the draft ever even started.

Let’s take a look at some of the great quotes and moments during this 52-minute video that all Lions fans should support.

The video starts with a multitude of different national media praising the Lions for their draft. Peter Schrager (Good Morning Football), Tom Pelisero (NFL Network), and Chris Simms (NBC Sports) just to name a few.

Almost every one of those analysts noted that the Lions obtained the “best defensive player in the draft and the best offensive playmaker in the draft” and that is rarely if ever done by one team in the NFL Draft.

Last year the Lions were changing their leadership from top to bottom, and this year they were much farther ahead when it comes to preparation and process than they were previously entering this draft. “More organized, more time, and more capital this year,” said Holmes

As the footage showed, there was tension in the room as the draft began with the Lions not knowing who would go first overall. The Lions were thrilled to get Hutchinson but were very nervous leading up to that first overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars and that was clear on the face of Campbell where Holmes said he had played out all the options in his head over and over again leading up to this day. There was a big fist pump from Dan Campbell when the Jags selected Travon Walker (Georgia) over Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan).

“Only one name was up on the board!”, Holmes said to Campbell that their selection and preference were clear. Campbell loved the pick and kept repeating “we got a football player right there, we got a football player.”

Hutchinson was so great during his pre-draft meeting and it was evident how physical he wanted to play and his love for football and the Lions brass loved his mentality.

“The thing that jumps out about Aidan, you are getting a guy that is relentless and plays the football the way it’s supposed to be played,” said Lance Newmark, Director of player personnel.

“He’s a Detroit Lion through and through,” noted Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

“Now the real work begins,” said Holmes after taking Hutchinson, and he now put his plan into action of potentially trading up for one particular player he’s had his eye on for a long time.

The video showed that he had already laid the groundwork with a multitude of teams, but the Minnesota Vikings in particular. Holmes would now follow up on those discussions with the Vikings in hopes to land the player he targeted.

Jameson Williams, a wide receiver from Alabama appeared to be their one and only trade target and someone they had coveted all along.

Campbell seemed to think that the Saints trading up right in front of them might take their guy, but Holmes felt they might want someone right away that could help them on Day 1 and Williams was still recovering from his ACL injury suffered in the NCAA National Championship game. They then said to each other, “Dude, we are going to get him”.

Holmes pounded the desk with the same excitement the moment he knew his guy was still there as he did the previous year when he was able to draft Sewell, and jumped on the phone to finalize things with the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, rookie General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings.

They quickly finalized the deal, but it appears Holmes never specifically told Minnesota his target while doing the trade-up. The Lions couldn’t be more ecstatic about completing this trade and now securing this type of top talent at the wide receiver position.

“This guy can be a potential game-changer and a true #1 wide receiver. Those guys don’t come along very often. A guy with his rare game-changing speed, yet so physical and gritty. Those are the guys we want to build our team around and our program and make cornerstones of our franchise.” stated Brad Holmes.

There appeared to be excellent communication with Lions Owner Shelia Hamp throughout the draft and especially on why the first two picks are such good fits for the type of team they are building in Detroit.

Day 1 review by Campbell, “exactly the way it played out is what we thought was going to happen. That’s why we made the move we made. It’s awesome!”

As the draft progressed into Day 2, the Lions weren’t done getting some of their top targets. They sweated out pick after pick hoping their guy would fall to them for their 2nd-round pick (46 Overall). Sure enough, Josh Paschal from Kentucky was there and that was the player they really wanted badly with that selection.

Chris Spielman seemed most excited about the Paschal pick as he appeared to heavily endorse this player.

Paschal was someone they really wanted based on what Holmes deemed as “elite intangibles”.

“Passionate and powerful” is how Paschal described his own play while being interviewed by the Lions at the NFL scouting combine. The Lions coaches agreed wholeheartedly with his relentless motor.

The other big targets on the Holmes and Campbell wish list, and yes they literally scribbled names down on a small sheet of paper weeks earlier it appeared and all signs point to those names on that wishlist being: Hutchinson, Williams, Paschal, and one name remaining they really hoped they could still get, but felt there is no way he would still be available when they picked in Round 3.

Kerby Joseph, Safety (Illinois) was there for them in Round 3 Pick 97 Overall which both shocked and really excited all the draft evaluators in the room. Joseph had one of the greatest moments with his family at his draft party. There was just so much love, joy, and excitement in that room.

The Lions rounded out their draft on Day 3 and these were some of the notable moments caught on video.

Multiple scouts and evaluators told Brad Holmes that James Mitchell, Tight End (Virginia) was the best player to pick in Round 5 when they were on the clock.

Spielman loved Malcomn Rodriguez, Linebacker (Oklahoma State) as a linebacker and special teams player. Rodriguez had a bitter-sweet draft day experience as he was at his Grandma’s funeral when he was drafted by the Lions.

James Houston, Linebacker (Jackson State) was intriguing to them based on his play as an off-the-ball linebacker and as a pass rusher. His numbers and explosive plays at Jackson State were eye-popping.

They took a really experienced and no-nonsense cornerback Chase Lucas from Arizona State with their final pick in the 7th Round who can compete and possibly help them with their secondary depth plus on special teams. The Lions draft was now complete and all were very excited about the players they had just obtained.

Holmes, the leader of the Lions draft room then was quoted as saying this looking back at the development and at his draft as a whole, “I really think we made some moves to solidify the future, but we are just going to stay aggressive and keep building this roster.”

This was a great behind-the-scenes look for the Lions fans during the 2022 NFL Draft, and “HBO Hard Knocks” will also be in Allen Park soon for Training Camp which will be more tremendous footage for this die-hard fanbase to enjoy. These genuine videos help give a true glimpse into the legitimate plan this regime has for this football team, this city, and this franchise for years to come.

Watch: The Lions draft room reaction to landing Jameson Williams

Watch: The Lions draft room reaction to landing Jameson Williams with a trade in the 2022 NFL draft

One of the highlights of the latest episode of “Inside The Den” from the Detroit Lions takes us to the moment when the staff realized they were getting what they wanted in Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams.

The draft-centric episode from the Lions’ in-house media shows GM Brad Holmes working the phones to negotiate a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to move up to No. 12 overall. But it’s contingent on Williams being there. And that came into serious question when the New Orleans Saints traded up to No. 11.

To the relief of Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and the rest of the Lions draft room–which was unified in coveting Williams, the Saints chose Ohio State WR Chris Olave instead of Williams.

The clip from Twitter nicely frames the background and then captures the spontaneous jubilation when everything falls the way the Lions wanted.

The overjoyed reaction from the room tell you just how excited the Lions are to have the speedy Williams in the den, even if he might not be ready for the start of his rookie season.

Watch Lions’ executives react to first-round draft trade with Vikings

Check out the reaction from the Lions after pulling off one of the unlikeliest draft day trades with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings pulling off a Day 1 trade with the Detroit Lions at the 2022 NFL draft gave new meaning to keeping your friends close and enemies closer.

First-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t surprise anybody by trading back in the first round to accumulate more draft picks. However, it was a bit of a shock to see him accept business with Detroit to do it.

The receiver-needy Lions jumped at the opportunity and parted ways with picks No. 32, 34 and 66 for the Vikings’ No. 12 and No. 46 picks. That move enabled them to move up and select Jameson Williams out of the University of Alabama.

As you could imagine, the draft room for the Lions was full of clapping and high-fiving when they were on the clock at No, 12. The Lions released a video of the trade, via Pro Football Focus’ Ari Meirov, with team executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes talking about the phone conversation he had with Adofo-Mensah.

Some see the trade as Adofo-Mensah cutting off the proverbial nose to spite his face by handing the Lions arguably the most explosive offensive weapon in the draft. That’s a tough challenge for a Vikings secondary that allowed the fifth-most passing yards in 2021 to deal with twice a year.

Others see it as next-level wheeling and dealing in an effort to maximize the number of chances the Vikings had to hit on a really good player. Adofo-Mensah used those picks to work the board and turn them into Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., Ed Ingram and Brian Asamoah.

More bites at the apple is certainly better than one, regardless of the trajectory of Williams’ career with the Lions. It’ll be fun coming back to this trade years from now and seeing who won.

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WATCH: The moment the Lions knew they were getting Jameson Williams

Watch the Detroit Lions’ decision-makers react to landing Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams with a big trade in the 2022 NFL draft

The Detroit Lions made a bold move in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, trading all the way up from the No. 32 overall pick to the No. 12 spot, targeting one of the most explosive playmakers in the entire class.

Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams was their prized target, and though the Lions already had an agreement in place to make the swap with the Minnesota Vikings, they still had to make sure Williams made it to that spot.

When the New Orleans Saints traded up to No. 11, the mood grew tense in the Lions’ draft room, considering their fellow NFC team was also likely to target a top pass-catcher.

When the Saints opted for Ohio State’s Chris Olave, the room erupted:

Lions general manager Brad Holmes could barely contain his excitement, repeatedly smacking the table at which he was seated.

Time will tell if Williams lives up to the hype, but it’s safe to say the Lions are thrilled they were able to add him with this blockbuster trade.

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Lions GM Brad Holmes proves to be a man of his scouting combine words

Looking back at what Lions GM Brad Holmes said in his scouting combine interview and how it held up through the draft and free agency

I’m back in downtown Indianapolis for the weekend and it’s weird being here outside of the NFL scouting combine. Normally my trips to Indy revolve around the massive NFL event every winter, and being back within walking distance of the massive Indiana Convention Center and impressive Lucas Oil Field refreshes the memory of the visit here a few months ago.

Back in late February, Lions GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell did their media sessions in front of a throng of reporters. Because they’re still fairly new on the job, we always wonder just how revealing and truthful they are being with us when they speak.

Okay, we don’t wonder that about Campbell. He doesn’t have a disingenuous bone in his body. But Holmes doesn’t have the frequency or breadth of a track record. So I decided to look back at what Holmes said at his podium, the spot where now a horde of 11-to-15-year-old girls prepare to play a volleyball tournament.

“You still want to build through the draft. At least that’s what Dan (Campbell) and I talk about, in terms of building through the draft,” Holmes said to us at the scouting combine. “You want to be selective and you want to be strategic in free agency. We did a lot of the one-year deals last year that kind of went in line with what our plan was and our process was at that time. And now we’re entering Year 2 of our plan. You’ve got a tweak here and there that’s gonna be a little bit different. But as the years go on, you’ve just got to stick to your plan.”

So far, so good on the credibility meter. Remember, this was before the free agent signing period. Holmes and the Lions did just what he said–he stuck to the plan he laid out bare for us.

Much of the Lions action in free agency still tended toward one-year deals. That’s what landed LB Chris Board, WR DJ Chark, S DeShon Elliott, CB Mike Hughes, TE Garrett Griffin and quite a few players returning to Detroit, too. Safety Tracy Walker is the only player of consequence who signed for more than one year, a smart exception made for a 27-year-old building block at a position where the Lions were sorely lacking.

He also proved a man of his word on the speed front, specifically with wide receiver Jameson Williams. The Lions traded up to No. 12 overall to land the Alabama wideout, who could not run at the combine because of a recent ACL injury.

“You know me, I’m always gonna see how fast a guy looks on tape. Whether it’s the GPS speed, it’s the handheld speed, it’s the electronic speed, you utilize all of them. But at the end of the day, and I always challenge my staff, ‘Tell me how fast that guy is on film.’ We don’t need to wait to see what he runs on a clock. If the guy is fast, he’s fast. And if the clock doesn’t confirm that, then there’s some more work that we’ve got to do,” Holmes said.

Nobody was faster than Williams in all of college football last year based on GPS-based timing. Holmes didn’t need to see a 4.24 on a stopwatch to know Williams can fly with his game-impacting speed.

A lot of the other questions Holmes fielded at the combine dealt with specific situations. Four questions in a row brought up Trey Flowers, who was released not long afterward. Holmes was transparently noncommittal in his answers. He deftly deferred on answering questions about Aaron Rodgers (the shadow of the Packers is inescapable) and franchise tags, too.

Both Holmes and Campbell like to use the term “cut from the same cloth” when describing their vision for their team. Part of that cloth is honesty. No lies detected in what either man told us at the combine.

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