All Lions Roundtable: Will Lions Regret Passing on Coaching Candidate?
1.) Is there a coaching hire that the Detroit Lions will come to regret not making?
Vito Chirco: While a myriad of Lions fans will say new N.Y. Jets head man Robert Saleh because of his Dearborn, Mich., ties, I'm going to go out on a bit of a limb and say Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
The job that Daboll has done in cultivating the talent of Bills third-year passer Josh Allen, who is now one win away from guiding Buffalo to its first Super Bowl appearance since 1994, is commendable.
He's emerged as a "favorite" candidate for the L.A. Chargers' head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
If I had it my way, I would do everything in my power to ensure that Daboll ends up in the Motor City.
However, at this point, with him having yet to interview for the Lions opening, I don't envision him being hired by Sheila Ford Hamp for the job.
And, in the long haul, Detroit will indeed regret passing up on him.
Logan Lamorandier: The odds say there will be one great coach who is hired this year. I just don't know which one it will be.
If I had to pick one name, it'd be Robert Saleh -- now the head man of the New York Jets. It would be a classic Lions move to pass on the seemingly logical candidate -- who a large sect of fans wanted -- and then to see him have great success as the head coach for another franchise.
2.) What one piece of advice would you give new GM Brad Holmes?
Chirco: Not to be "Captain Obvious," but it's to build up the defense. The defense was league-and-franchise-worst for a reason: It lacked playmakers.
Holmes needs to make upgrading the defense through free agency and the draft his top priority this offseason. It's the only way in which he'll be able to bring the Lions to at least a semi-relevant state in the near future.
Lamorandier: Draft the best player available. The Lions need all the talent they can get, and are void of playmakers. Hopefully, done are the days of getting cute and over-drafting "perfect" scheme fits.
3.) Is there a player the Lions would be wise to trade up for in the 2021 NFL Draft?
Chirco: Only one player: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. And we know this isn't going to happen. He's going to wisely be drafted by Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick.
If anything, it might be more worth it for Holmes to trade down from the No. 7 spot to gain multiple draft assets.
Remember, the Lions presently only have five total picks in this year's draft. So, leading up to the draft, Holmes & Co. should definitely be looking to acquire additional draft capital.
And, trading down from the No. 7 pick should certainly be in play for a franchise that isn't in search of simply one high-end impact player.
Lamorandier: At this point, I don't think it would be wise to trade up while already having limited draft capital.
If anything, the Lions need to trade down and get more picks. The No. 7 spot will still have some great players on the board.
Really, there is always a future Pro Bowler, no matter where you pick in the first round. The Lions just have to make the correct choice.
4.) Are the Lions putting way too much emphasis on "culture?"
Chirco: There's certainly an argument to be made for this being the case.
If Detroit ends up hiring New Orleans Saints tight ends coach/assistant head man Dan Campbell, it'll be because he's the polar opposite of the team's former head man in Matt Patricia and commands the respect of the locker room. It won't be because he's an X's and O's genius, like a Sean McVay.
While getting rid of the Patricia "stink" from the locker room is important, I hold in higher regard landing a head coach that is an offensive mastermind and can consistently get the Lions to play at a high level.
And, at this point, we don't know if Campbell is that guy.
Lamorandier: They might be over-compensating due to the last regime. No doubt, culture is extremely important on a team with historical futility.
Passing on a true X's and O's type of coach --purely because they are searching for a culture fit over a brilliant football mind -- is very risky. As always, there are many ways to win in the NFL, though.
More from SI All Lions:
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Rumor: 'Uncertainty' with Stafford Impacted Coaching Search
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Dan Campbell is Favorite to Land Lions Head Coach Job
Twitter Reacts to Brad Holmes GM Hiring
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