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detroit1811
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With a new regime comes new hope. And hopes are high for the future of the Lions with the arrival of GM Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and a host of experienced minds around them.
That includes special assistant Chris Spielman, who believes this regime will be different in Detroit based on Holmes and Campbell living up to their words before they were hired.
"Dan and Brad have done exactly what they said during the interview process. Anybody can say anything during the interview process. Until we see it with our own eyes, which I have, now I feel like we?re giving ourselves the best chance to win as soon as possible. I don?t know when that will be, but I?m very confident it will happen," Spielman told the Stoney & Jansen Show on Tuesday.
Spielman was hired by the Lions to help the organization find the right leaders. If he was sold on Holmes and Campbell early in the respective searches for GM and head coach, he's even more impressed with them now.
"Here?s how I look at it," he said. "As long as during the interview process, if Brad Holmes says, ?I want everybody?s opinion, I want collaboration,? and then I actually witness it with his actions, that?s a good sign for fans. Dan Campbell said in his interview, ?I will get coaches to come coach with me.' Not only does he bring in a former head coach as his offensive coordinator in Anthony Lynn, but he brought in two guys who interviewed for head coaching jobs that some people view as future head coaches in Aaron Glenn and Duce Staley. And, by the way, let?s help bring in more talent with former head coach Dom Capers as a senior assistant.
"I?ve always looked at coaches this way -- the great coaches surround themselves with talented people. Some coaches who get a shot maybe aren?t as secure as Dan Campbell and might not hire guys they might deem a threat."
Holmes has done the same thing in the front office, hiring former Browns and Chiefs GM John Dorsey as senior personnel executive and former Rams director of pro personnel Ray Agnew as assistant GM. Furthermore, said Spielman, both Holmes and Campbell have delivered on their promise of collaboration throughout the organization.
"The communication between Brad and Dan has been outstanding," he said. "I?ve been around this every day now for the last two months, I?ve sat in the college scouting meetings. The communication between the scouts and the ability to identify what kind of player (we) want and everybody has a voice and an opinion on what type of player that is, sometimes there?s disagreements but disagreements are good because you can hash out and always give your why.
"Between the pro staff and the college staff and Dan and Brad leading personnel meetings, it?s clear to me that everybody is on the same page -- with, I believe, productive disagreement at times."
When it comes to player personnel decisions, Spielman confirmed "everybody understands" that Holmes and Campbell are calling the shots.
"Brad and Dan, it?s on them, because they have to sign their names to that," he said.
The Lions are likely at least two years away from turning things around. Holmes and Campbell want to build the team through the draft, underlined by the package of picks they got from the Rams in exchange for Matthew Stafford.
"There?s been a lot of discussion around here and it?s kind of an opposite theory on how the Lions used to be very active in free agency. In any philosophy you can fill voids in free agency, but you can?t buy a locker room," Spielman said. "That?s been a philosophy for a lot of teams. Generally, what I believe is, you want to build your team through the draft. Draft, develop and re-sign."
As for the voice at the top, Spielman said owner Sheila Ford Hamp has been actively involved in offseason meetings. She even displaced Spielman from his original office.
"People ask me all the time, 'How much is Sheila involved?' Well, she?s been involved by sitting in on all these personnel meetings, two days of offensive free agency meetings and defensive free agency meetings," Spielman said. "I had a great office when I got here and all of the sudden I?m on the corner next to the exit door and I said, 'What happened?' Well, Sheila wants this office because it's right in the middle of everything, which is awesome. It just goes to show her commitment to what she wants and how involved she is, being in these meetings and giving her opinion."
Love that as long as she stays away from making any personnel decisions. Her being there holds guys accountable, and if they fail, she will have insight as to why these things happened.
That includes special assistant Chris Spielman, who believes this regime will be different in Detroit based on Holmes and Campbell living up to their words before they were hired.
"Dan and Brad have done exactly what they said during the interview process. Anybody can say anything during the interview process. Until we see it with our own eyes, which I have, now I feel like we?re giving ourselves the best chance to win as soon as possible. I don?t know when that will be, but I?m very confident it will happen," Spielman told the Stoney & Jansen Show on Tuesday.
Spielman was hired by the Lions to help the organization find the right leaders. If he was sold on Holmes and Campbell early in the respective searches for GM and head coach, he's even more impressed with them now.
"Here?s how I look at it," he said. "As long as during the interview process, if Brad Holmes says, ?I want everybody?s opinion, I want collaboration,? and then I actually witness it with his actions, that?s a good sign for fans. Dan Campbell said in his interview, ?I will get coaches to come coach with me.' Not only does he bring in a former head coach as his offensive coordinator in Anthony Lynn, but he brought in two guys who interviewed for head coaching jobs that some people view as future head coaches in Aaron Glenn and Duce Staley. And, by the way, let?s help bring in more talent with former head coach Dom Capers as a senior assistant.
"I?ve always looked at coaches this way -- the great coaches surround themselves with talented people. Some coaches who get a shot maybe aren?t as secure as Dan Campbell and might not hire guys they might deem a threat."
Holmes has done the same thing in the front office, hiring former Browns and Chiefs GM John Dorsey as senior personnel executive and former Rams director of pro personnel Ray Agnew as assistant GM. Furthermore, said Spielman, both Holmes and Campbell have delivered on their promise of collaboration throughout the organization.
"The communication between Brad and Dan has been outstanding," he said. "I?ve been around this every day now for the last two months, I?ve sat in the college scouting meetings. The communication between the scouts and the ability to identify what kind of player (we) want and everybody has a voice and an opinion on what type of player that is, sometimes there?s disagreements but disagreements are good because you can hash out and always give your why.
"Between the pro staff and the college staff and Dan and Brad leading personnel meetings, it?s clear to me that everybody is on the same page -- with, I believe, productive disagreement at times."
When it comes to player personnel decisions, Spielman confirmed "everybody understands" that Holmes and Campbell are calling the shots.
"Brad and Dan, it?s on them, because they have to sign their names to that," he said.
The Lions are likely at least two years away from turning things around. Holmes and Campbell want to build the team through the draft, underlined by the package of picks they got from the Rams in exchange for Matthew Stafford.
"There?s been a lot of discussion around here and it?s kind of an opposite theory on how the Lions used to be very active in free agency. In any philosophy you can fill voids in free agency, but you can?t buy a locker room," Spielman said. "That?s been a philosophy for a lot of teams. Generally, what I believe is, you want to build your team through the draft. Draft, develop and re-sign."
As for the voice at the top, Spielman said owner Sheila Ford Hamp has been actively involved in offseason meetings. She even displaced Spielman from his original office.
"People ask me all the time, 'How much is Sheila involved?' Well, she?s been involved by sitting in on all these personnel meetings, two days of offensive free agency meetings and defensive free agency meetings," Spielman said. "I had a great office when I got here and all of the sudden I?m on the corner next to the exit door and I said, 'What happened?' Well, Sheila wants this office because it's right in the middle of everything, which is awesome. It just goes to show her commitment to what she wants and how involved she is, being in these meetings and giving her opinion."
Love that as long as she stays away from making any personnel decisions. Her being there holds guys accountable, and if they fail, she will have insight as to why these things happened.
