The tenure of Lions owner Shiela Ford Hamp has been a success, but this season was certainly a disappointment.
After the Lions fell from first in the NFC North to last and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years, Hamp said Tuesday in a letter to the team's season ticket holders "that our results on the field this season were not what any of us envisioned and frankly, were not good enough."
"While we do not believe it is a time for drastic change, this is an opportunity for us to refocus, evolve, and move forward," Hamp wrote.
She went on to say that she's proud of the roster the Lions have built under Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell and that 36 wins over the last three seasons, tied with the Eagles and Bills for the most in the NFL, "doesn't happen by accident."
"But it also does not guarantee future success. It is incumbent upon us to continue growing toward our ultimate goal of bringing a championship to all of you and the city of Detroit," said Hamp.
Holmes said at his end-of-season press conference last week that the Lions are going to take a "long, hard look" at where and how they erred and that he's "already started to identify some things that I can definitely do better," but declined to elaborate. He said their approach to building the roster will generally be the same, centered on drafting, developing and extending their own players. He doesn't expect an offseason of major moves.
"Honestly, a lot of the things that we'll look at, and a lot of the changes and tweaks and adjustments that we will make, probably won't come with a headline," said Holmes. "That's not to say that we won't do something that's in that ‘splash’ category, but it's not indicative of a lack of effort, work ethic."
The Lions still have one of the most talent-rich rosters in the NFL. Assuming better health next season, especially on defense, Holmes doesn't think "that we’re that far off" from reaching the ultimate goal.
"So again, we’ll be looking at everything, but I do not think that this is a deep surgery, overhaul," he said. "I don’t think that. But obviously, there needs to be some adjustments made, for sure."
Hamp assured the fans that "we are committed to looking at everything we do to ensure we are performing at the highest level."
"Through conversations with Rod (Wood), Brad and Dan, we are all aligned with this thinking and have already started meetings to address how we move forward," she said.