Like head coach Dan Campbell, Lions GM Brad Holmes isn't hiding from the team's past. They'd both rather use it as fuel.
"We don’t hide from it at all. We actually embrace it," Holmes said Tuesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show. "It’s not really a lot of added pressure. Again, just sticking to our plan. But we understand what this city’s gone through and we really want to make this organization proud, we want to make this city proud, we want to make this city proud of our organization. They just deserve it. It’s been so long since they had a winner and that really drives Dan and myself, to bring a winner here to Detroit.
"Anywhere you go, you want to build it the right way and bring a winner. But because it’s here in Detroit, in this city, that means so much to us."
There's a feeling that the Lions are on the right track. This season will be telling. With a potentially potent offense and a young defense led by coordinator Aaron Glenn, the Lions are expected to at least double their win total from a year ago and perhaps challenge for a wild card spot. Holmes declined to put "a timestamp" on the team's rebuild but noted, "We attack every single day."
"Look, we’re going to stay aggressive. That’s what Dan and I believe in. We’re not scared, so it’s not a long, methodical, 'Let’s just take it slow.' Look, man, let’s just add the best guys we can. We got a phenomenal coaching staff that can accelerate development and we’re very fortunate that way," said Holmes.
Holmes, Campbell and the Lions will be thrust into the spotlight this month on HBO's 'Hard Knocks.' While some teams might shy away from the attention, Holmes is excited for the rest of the NFL to see what's being built in Detroit.
"We’re very proud of the culture we have in place here and the direction that we’re heading and look, we’re excited for the world to see us," said Holmes. "Just this past free agency, you’re talking to agents and you’re trying to get things done and we’re not trying to sell the culture, but Dan and I often say, 'Just ask the players on our team or the players that were with us last year.' But I’m glad that the rest of the world is going to be able to see the direction we’re headed and the culture we have in place."
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Other highlights from Holmes' interview on 97.1 The Ticket:
On expectations for Jared Goff: "Jared knows that, look, he has to go out there and prove it. He’s gotta earn it. He’s gotta perform better than he did last year. Now, I’ve always said, I give Jared so much credit and respect for everything that he had to endure last season, but he knows what he has to do."
On if he's worried about the 'lack of quality' at linebacker: "No, I’m actually now. Unfortunately I do hear the outside narrative, you gotta just block it out. But we added a lot of competition in that room and I think competition brings out the best one everybody. A guy like Derrick Barnes going into his second year, much more comfortable with his communication and calling out signals. And you add a guy like Chris Board in free agency. Drafting a Malcolm Rodriguez, he was a really good player at Oklahoma State. It was his special teams tape that really stood out, then you turn on the film and the guy’s a tackling machine, he’s what we’re all about. He’s smart, passionate, instinctive, relentless, explosive and he’s off to a nice start so far."
On the improved wide receivers room: "That was a point of emphasis heading into the offseason. Obviously it was noticeable last season that we needed to add some help there. So being able to add DJ Chark in free agency. And being able to bring Josh (Reynolds) and Kalif (Raymond) back, those guys had great years for us last year. And then adding Jameson (Williams). And even going back to a guy like Trinity Benson, he came in late (last season) and he had to get adjusted to some things. Give him credit, he stuck to it, he bought in and he had a great offseason and he’s having a great camp right now. You talk about a guy like Qintez Cephus, who was one of Goff’s primary targets early in the season before he had his unfortunate injury. I definitely think Jared’s probably happier."
On knowing when to target star players: "I think you gotta know where you are as a team. Coming from LA for so many years, I give (Rams GM) Les Snead so much credit for building a foundation as far as drafting well and then when you get into a window where you can make some big moves and trade away draft picks and get primetime players, you just gotta know what window you’re in. And I think Dan and I have great awareness about where we’re at as a team right now. That’s what you have to keep into perspective in terms of patience."
On the overall roster compared to when he arrived: "Our assistant GM, Ray Agnew, he comes in my office sometimes and looks at the depth chart on my board and he’s just always like, ‘Man, we’ve come a long way.’"
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