ProFootballTalk.com - Rumor Mill I believe Ron Wolf was in Miami with Parcells on the final game of the regular season last year and was a talent evaluator in the past. Wolf put together the Raider and Packer teams of the past as well as the nineties 49ers. He would be their best option from the list IMO.
Its about time they take a look at getting someone qualified for the job in there. Im not a lions fan, but I felt embarrassed for them sitting in ford field on thursday when a majority of the fans were heading for the exits 5 minutes into the second quarter
Even when Detroit finally considers a front office cleaning, they can't do it right. Exactly what is motivating them to excavate the NFL's dinosaur GMs? They should hire someone known to make good decisions but who does not have control over his own shop. Tom Heckert, Jr., Scott Pioli (if he wants to leave), those sorts of guys.
I don't think its a big deal going after the "dinosaur GM's." I think, as long as he is a guy whose had success, its fine. Ron Wolf, for example, had a 63% win percentage during his time with the 49ers. In Oakland, he's the one who drafted Gene Upshaw, Art Shell and others. Then in Green Bay, he assembled the Packers '96 Super Bowl roster. He's had success and when he's brought in by a man like Bill Parcells, then you know he knows what he's doing. I may be wrong here but I believe Ernie Accorsi put together the Giants team that went to the Super Bowl in 2000 against the Baltimore Ravens. Young or old, as long as they get the job done. Same here. I think he's in retirement anyways. I can't see him taking on a project like the Detroit Lions.
I'm proceeding from the point of view that a retired guy wouldn't want to take on the total demolition and rebuilding of the Lions. I think it's in Detroit's best interest to get a younger guy who's hungry to make a name on his own. This is the route we went with Jeff Ireland, and it's the route Atlanta went with Tom Dimitroff. The Lions are at the very least a five year project simply because of salary cap reasons: you can't keep drafting in the top ten (usually the top five!) and not have a wildly imbalanced cap. Just clearing out the financial deadwood will take three years, and then the new guy has to worry about the cap impact of the #1 overall pick. (Detroit might be forced to draft a quarterback simply because it's hard to justify investing that kind of money in any other position.)
Ah, I get your point now. I was going off of this line in your first post : "Exactly what is motivating them to excavate the NFL's dinosaur GMs? They should hire someone known to make good decisions but who does not have control over his own shop."
Right, and I listed examples of that kind of guy. I'm not saying the retired GMs in question are poor candidates, just that I think Detroit needs to go in a different direction. They need a guy who'll stick around for a decade or more. Ron Wolf, for example, would be hard pressed to sign on for a single year. The list of names being floated tells me that Ford, Sr. has no idea who or what to look for and is simply hoping to hit on a retread candidate.
IMO they should throw the bank at Pioli and try and get him in there. While they are at it, grab Josh McDaniels as the new HC to go along with him, and hell, maybe even Cassell as a QB. Then follow the Miami plan and solidify the OL and DL via the draft and add a few guys across the board in FA to help key weaknessess improve. Its gonna be tough no matter what though, that team is one giant pile of crap. They have hope in looking at what Miami and Atlanta are accomplishing this year, but I dont think either of those teams were as poorly off across the board as Detroit this year. Either way, out with the old and in with the new. They need to get started on it now.
Track record Desides, the Lions have been so bad for so long they really don't have the luxury of experimenting. Ernie Accorsi is a fine GM, Ron Wolf won't take the job.
Agree, Wolf has said more than a few times he doesnt want to be a GM anymore. I have no doubt hes still active in the game, but I dont think he wants the pressure of actually being the GM and having to produce results. Accorsi, wasnt he the guy who engineered the trade for Eli? I remember him (if it was him) getting grilled pretty hard for it at the time, but it seems like he came out on the right with him. Same thing for Casserly. He got hammered for not taking Vince or Bush, but Williams seems to be the best of the bunch so far. Still, I think they would be best served going after Pioli, though who knows if he actually wants to leave.
He might be a good choice, but imagine selling Lions fans on a guy who just came off a 1-15 season? I think the next choice for the Lions needs to carry wight like Tuna coming here did.
So were the Cardinals, but they still brought in Ken Whisenhunt. Seems to be working out for them. The Falcons were nearly as abhorrent as we were last year, but they went the "new guy" route with Tom Dimitroff, and that's also working. And dare I mention Jeff Ireland? I think the Lions can become respectable with a GM like Tom Heckert, Jr. and a coach like Steve Spagnuolo. But if they're really interested in going with the proven, Marty Schottenheimer is available.
