The Lions have hired Rams Dir of College Scouting Brad Holmes under a five-year contract. Holmes to date has "spent his entire NFL career with the Rams," starting as a PR intern in '03, joining the scouting department as an intern months later before he "worked his way into position to run the team's past eight drafts." Holmes joins Bob Quinn, Martin Mayhew and Matt Millen as "first-time GMs the Lions have hired in the past two decades." He is "expected to team" with Owner Sheila Ford Hamp, President Rod Wood and adviser Chris Spielman to pick a new Lions coach (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/14).
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted Holmes' "meteoric rise," saying, “This was a name a couple of months ago no one had really heard of ... and he went to Detroit, had an unbelievably impressive interview.” NFL Net’s Tom Pelissero said this hire and the Falcons' potentially naming the Saints' Terry Fontenot their next GM are “notable" at a time that the NFL is trying to "promote upward mobility for minority candidates” (“NFL Now,” NFL Network, 1/14).
