| Detroit Free Press
Assessing Detroit Lions’ coach, GM searches as regular season ends
Free Press sports writers Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez debate Jan. 4, 2021, who the Detroit Lions should hire as general manager and head coach.
Carlos Monarrez and Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Lions’ hopes of luring Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider to town are officially dead.
Schneider, in his 11th season as Seahawks GM, signed an extension that will keep him with the team through the 2027 NFL draft, the Seahawks announced Tuesday.
NFL Network reported Jan. 3 the Lions planned to pursue Schneider as a replacement for Bob Quinn. Schneider was in the final season of his contract and did not have full control of personnel in Seattle, where he has helped build one of the NFL’s best organizations of the past decade.
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The Seahawks won the NFC West this season with a 12-4 record, but lost in the first round of the playoffs. They have made nine playoff appearances in the last 11 seasons and reached the Super Bowl twice.
It is unclear how far, if anywhere, the Lions got in their pursuit of Schneider, but he is not the only sitting GM to pique their interest.
The team remains a possible destination for Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, should Colbert want to leave Pittsburgh.
Colbert, a Lions scout in the 1990s, is on an expiring contract and expected to decide in the coming days if wants to stay in Pittsburgh to help the Steelers through what could be a rebuild — quarterback Ben Roethlisberger turns 39 in March and is near the end of his career — retire, or pursue a job with the Lions.
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The Lions have interviewed 11 candidates for their GM job and are expected to meet with a 12th candidate, Indianapolis Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, on Tuesday.
In-house candidates Kyle O’Brien, Lance Newmark and Rob Lohman interviewed in December, as did ESPN analyst Louis Riddick and ex-GMs Thomas Dimitroff, Rick Smith and Scott Pioli.
Los Angeles Rams director of college scouting Brad Holmes, Minnesota Vikings assistant GM George Paton and New Orleans Saints assistant GMs Jeff Ireland and Terry Fontenot also have interviewed for the job.
Paton, who works for Lions adviser Chris Spielman’s brother, Rick, in Minnesota, and Fontenot are reportedly finalists for the Denver Broncos GM job, and Fontenot, Smith and Holmes remain in the mix for the Falcons GM job.
The Lions, who interviewed Paton in person last week, are one of six teams with GM openings, along with the Broncos, Falcons Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.