Mailbag: Why Can't Lions GM Brad Holmes Make Bold Trades Like Rams?

Exploring if the Detroit Lions strategy of building through the draft will ever pay off.

Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp talks to general manager Brad Holmes during organized team activities | Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Detroit Lions core has been built through the NFL Draft and general manager Brad Holmes has done an exceptional job of turning around the organization.

No debate, the Lions are a team that are now annually in the conversation to win the division and to make regular playoff appearances.

But these accomplishments only really satisfy a small segment of the fanbase, fan websites and YouTube channels that aim to provide public cheerleading and a positive spin on everything.

A very large segment of the fanbase and this writer still sense a feeling of emptiness.

Oh yea.

The Lions are the only team in the NFC that has not ever appeared in a Super Bowl. Quite the feat, given how poorly other organizations are run.

There are a handful of NFL teams that clearly have the mission of fighting tooth and nail to try and win a Super Bowl.

Others say publicly they want to win, but never really make the necessary moves or take enough risks to get over the hump.

Given how aggressive Rams general manager Les Snead has operated recently, it is difficult to see the Lions eventually hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

For the second time this decade, Snead has been bold and acquired a player via trade in the hopes of finishing the season on top.

When Matthew Stafford was traded to the Rams, he won his first Super Bowl that same season, even hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the home stadium of the franchise.

After the trade was announced, supporters of the Lions expressed a significant amount of frustration that another team in Detroit is simply unwilling to be as bold to add what is perceived as a final piece to the puzzle, to really compete for a championship.

Supporters also asked if it was even possible to add proven talent, given the Lions current salary cap situation.

The latest 'Lone Wolves' podcast answers listener questions about the Lions roster building strategy and if Holmes will ever make the decision to push all-in in order to try and win a Super Bowl.

Don't miss any future episodes of the podcast. Make sure to subscribe to the Lone Wolves podcast, which is available everywhere your favorite podcasts are housed.

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