ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions officially introduced their next General Manager on Thursday afternoon.
Brad Holmes comes to Detroit as the team's new Executive Vice President and General Manager after spending the past eight seasons as the Director of College Scouting for the Los Angeles Rams.
"He was our unanimous choice," said Lions principal owner, Sheila Ford Hamp, "we all had the same gut instinct. Brad Holmes is a winner and I'm beyond delighted to introduce him as our new General Manager."
And Holmes says he's all about shifting the culture within the franchise.
"You're probably saying, 'I've heard it all before, I've heard this all before,' but I will say this, there will be no ego in this process, no ego in this culture," Holmes said.
The 41-year-old is a bit different from the experience the Lions said they were seeking for the position, but team president Rod Wood says Holmes stood out from the beginning.
"He blew away the competition," Wood added, "he stood out from the start."
Of course, Holmes will have a lot of work to do, starting with future of quarterback Matthew Stafford who could the franchise could trade, though he wouldn't comment on it directly during his press conference.
Let's get to work❗️#OnePride pic.twitter.com/ALng7COEgz
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 19, 2021
Holmes will look to put his expertise on display during the upcoming NFL Draft this spring in which the Lions hold the seventh overall pick.
He also says that the bottom line is he's a team-first guy and will make sure to trust the judgment of those around him.
"Everything is about the team," Holmes added, "we will be extremely collaborative, very intentional and thorough in our process to truly earn it."
The city of Detroit is hungry for a winner with the franchise's last playoff win coming back in 1991. Holmes says he feels the pain of the fans and is anxious to turn it around.
"We will keep laser focus on the main thing and that is improving football and serving a championship to this city of Detroit and this passionate fan base, 'One Pride' deserves that."
The Lions have yet to announce a head coach, though they're reportedly nearing a deal with New Orleans Saints tight end coach and assistant head coach, Dan Campbell. While Wood and Ford Hamp would not comment on the head coaching situation, they say both Holmes and the eventual hire will work directly together.
