Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions (Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes filled up on meat and potatoes in the 2021 NFL Draft. While not flashy, it’s hard to win in the league without them.
Last weekend, the draft permeated the eyes and ears of NFL fans everywhere. The draft promotes the opportunity to improve or even reinvent a franchise. In the Motor City, the Lions have started the journey towards what they hope will be a new identity.
Instead of being the NFL’s poster team for pratfalls, low brow humor, and the inability to find a way to win, Detroit’s new regime led by Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell are striving for more. They are intent on building a winner.
As a matter of fact, the Lions are not just banking on a winner, but a championship contender. This long-lost franchise who hasn’t ruled the NFL jungles since 1957 thinks this is the beginning of a brand new era.
An era that allows them to stand toe to toe with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers. An era that has opposing fans nervous to see Detroit on their schedule.
Now if all of this sounds strange it’s for good reason because the Detroit Lions don’t intimidate anyone. Opposing fans look forward to facing these Motor City kitties since it usually means a win for their team.
But history aside, Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have taken a different approach than all their predecessors over the last 60 plus years. They won’t be distracted by shiny objects in the draft on their way to a dead-end ‘become champions quick’ shortcut that has been the downfall of so many head coaches and front office personnel with the Lions.
This a regime that did the unthinkable and traded their all-time leading passer. A team that used last weekend to ignore all splash picks and built in the trenches. A team that is already on record as being willing to bite knee caps.
Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell had a meat and potatoes draft. For those who don’t understand, when you stock up on meat and potatoes, then you are giving your team one of the most necessary ingredients for winning; an opportunity to win in the trenches.