Tag: ray agnew

Aaron Donald draft evaluation has deep ties to the Lions front office

The Rams hit on Aaron Donald thanks to evaluation and advocacy by Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew

The wildly off-base scouting report on the now-retired Aaron Donald went viral last week. What was also discussed was how the Los Angeles Rams took a chance on an undersized defensive lineman after a dominant Senior Bowl performance.

The main reason the Rams took the Pittsburgh Panther? One talent evaluator pounded the table for him to be drafted.

That evaluator was Ray Agnew who was with the Rams at the time and would eventually become their Director of Pro Personnel. Agnew decided to move east when his friend and co-worker Brad Holmes would leave the Rams to become the general manager of the Lions. He now serves as Holmes assistant general manager and has helped craft some of the best draft classes in the entire NFL since they joined forces in the Motor City.

Coming off arguably the best draft class of their tenure, the Holmes and Agnew-led front office now hopes to have a strong repeat performance this April. The Lions currently have the 29th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and have seven selections in total.

15 possible candidates to replace former Panthers GM Scott Fitterer

Who’s next in line to lead the Panthers’ front office? Here are 15 candidates that could replace Scott Fitterer.

The Carolina Panthers didn’t wait long to make a move after wrapping up the worst record in the history of a 17-game season.

On Monday, the team announced they have parted ways with general manager Scott Fitterer. The decision puts an end to a bumpy three-year run, one that resulted in an overall 14-37 record.

So, who’s next for owner David Tepper?

Here are 15 possible candidates for Carolina’s new opening:

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.

48 days until Browns season opener: 5 players to wear 48 in Cleveland

In 48 days we will be watching Browns football again

Cleveland Browns training camp has officially begun ending the long off-season as the team is currently at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. The countdown clock to the season open has ticked down to just 48 days remaining. There have been a total of 23 different players to wear the number 48 for the brown and orange.

The first player to wear it was Ernie Blandin in 1946 who wore it that year as well as the 1947 season. The most recent note-worthy player to wear the number is likely the former fullback Ray Agnew. With only 48 days remaining until the season opens let’s look at a few players to dawn that number in Cleveland.

Hendon Hooker explains his conversation with Lions asst. GM Ray Agnew

Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker explains his conversation with Lions asst. GM Ray Agnew during the Senior Bowl

One of the most intriguing moments of the first day of Senior Bowl practices came right after the American team session ended on Tuesday. Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, who is on the roster but not playing due to injury, made a beeline to Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew on the field.

The two warmly embraced and proceeded to talk for the entirety of the media period on the field, which lasts 15 minutes. Other Lions staffers joined in at various times as well.

In an interview from radio row on Wednesday morning, Hooker told the Detroit Lions Podcast that he and Agnew knew one another from being from the same home area of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“There’s something strong about the 336 (the region’s area code)”, Hooker said.

What did the duo talk about?

“We were talking coverages and protections, reading keys on the field,” Hooker stated. “Kind of going through how I’ve seen things going on and where my eyes go.”

Hooker indicated he is ahead of schedule already with his surgically repaired knee. He walked without a visible limp, though the left leg is heavily wrapped with a therapeutic brace. Hooker noted he’s doing rehab in his room with a portable device and he’s, “feeling very good, very positive.”

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Lions spend extra time with Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker at the Senior Bowl

Hooker isn’t playing due to injury but the Tennessee QB still sought out Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew for a lengthy chat

Hendon Hooker is not able to participate in the Senior Bowl this year. The Tennessee quarterback tore his ACL late in the Volunteers’ season.

But Hooker is here in Mobile, going through the interview process with all 32 teams and staying active in team meetings and on the sideline in practices. The talented prospect had an extra meeting with the Detroit Lions immediately after the American team practice on Tuesday.

Right after the late-afternoon practice ended, Hooker made a beeline directly to Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew on the field. The two shared a warm embrace, clearly having spent some time together before. They conversed for several minutes, with a couple of Lion staffers — including longtime long snapper Don Muhlbach — also joining in the conversation with Hooker.

Photo by Andy Morse

As noted in the picture from Andy Morse of the Detroit Lions Podcast, Hooker’s leg remains heavily wrapped as he rehabilitates to get ready for the 2023 season.

Hooker was generally projected as a Day 2 prospect prior to the injury. He was a Heisman Trophy contender after elevating his game in his final year in Knoxville.

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Ray Agnew and Aaron Glenn will rep the Lions in leadership accelerator program

Ray Agnew and Aaron Glenn will rep the Lions in a leadership accelerator program put on by the NFL in the next league meetings

When the NFL holds its next set of league meetings in Atlanta next week, two Detroit Lions coaches will be involved in a promising new program to promote minority coaching candidates.

The “NFL Coach and Front Office Accelerator” will feature numerous development opportunities for minority candidates looking to climb the football ladder. The Lions will be represented by assistant GM Ray Agnew and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

From the NFL’s press release,

The program will provide senior women and minority prospects with leadership development sessions with football operations experts and facilitators, as well as time spent networking directly with club owners. The effort is designed to continue building a diverse hiring pipeline for future head coach and general manager positions throughout the League.

Glenn’s participation is no surprise. He interviewed for head coaching positions this past offseason and is widely seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks. Agnew has proven himself a capable front office leader in a variety of capacities in his time with the Rams and Lions.

All 32 NFL teams will have at least one representative participating in the program.

Lions make it official, announce Ray Agnew and John Dorsey hiring to the front office

The Lions are rebuilding with several former NFL players in key positions

Ray Agnew is officially the new assistant general manager of the Detroit Lions. John Dorsey is also now on the payroll as a senior personnel executive.

The moves, first reported over the weekend, were made official on Wednesday by the Lions. It’s the latest part of the radical overhaul of the organization from the top on down.

Agnew comes to the team from the Los Angeles Rams, where he worked with new Lions GM Brad Holmes. Agnew was the Rams’ director of player personnel. Dorsey is a former GM for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns who most recently served as a front office consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Both are former NFL players, as are new head coach Dan Campbell and his coordinators, Aaron Glenn (defense) and Anthony Lynn (offense).

Report: Detroit Lions to hire Ray Agnew as assistant GM

NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro is reporting that the Detroit Lions are planning on hiring LA Rams’ director of player personnel Ray Agnew as assistant general manager.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes continues to put together a strong front office during his first week on the job.

It was previously reported that Holmes was bringing in former GM John Dorsey as a senior personnel executive, and now NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro is reporting that the Lions are planning on hiring LA Rams’ director of player personnel Ray Agnew as assistant general manager.

Agnew, a former defensive tackle, was drafted 10th overall in the 1990 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, and over his 11-year career, he would also play for the New York Giants and St. Louis Rams.

In 2017, the Rams named him director of pro personnel, and over the past four years, he along with Holmes ran the entire scouting department for Rams’ GM Les Snead.

The Rams preach collaborative efforts in player acquisition — exactly what the Holmes is promoting in Detroit — and the two scouting departs would work together to evaluate players, both in the draft and free agency.

The collaborative efforts were a big reason the Rams drafted Aaron Donald. Holmes put in a ton of leg work evaluating Donald, as illustrated by The Athletic’s Vincent Bonsignore, and when Agnew began his assessment, he instantly pounded the table to acquire him.

“Ray (Agnew) was a huge advocate of Aaron (Donald),” said Snead, via Kimberley Martin of Yahoo Sports. “And because Ray is such a steady presence, when he gets excited about someone, you can just feel, ‘OK, there’s a good chance this guy is going to be a really good player.’ He was on board with Aaron from the first moment he saw Aaron in the process.”

The trio of Holmes, Agnew, and Dorsey gives the Lions experience in all aspects of acquiring talent, whether they’re drafting, signing, or trading for players.

Lions to hire Rams director of player personnel Ray Agnew as assistant GM

The Rams have lost another personnel evaluator to the Lions, with Ray Agnew heading to Detroit.

Brad Holmes is wasting no time bringing former colleagues from the Rams to his new team in Detroit. According to Tom Pelissero, the Lions are expected to hire Rams director of player personnel Ray Agnew as their assistant general manager.

Agnew has been with the Rams since 2017, which was his first job as an NFL executive. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, beginning with the Patriots and ending with two years in St. Louis as a member of the Rams in 1998-2000.

He’s helped turn around the Rams under Sean McVay, building a roster that made the playoffs three times in the last four years.

The Rams will receive two third-round compensatory picks for losing Holmes as part of the NFL’s minority hiring initiative, but they will not receive picks for losing Agnew as it only applies to head-coaching jobs and GM positions.

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