Detroit Lions Assistant GM Could Be Coveted This Offseason

Could Detroit Lions assistant general manager depart this offseason?

Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew after the joint practice with New York Giants | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions have a front personnel member that could be coveted by other NFL teams.

With the 2025 regular season winding down, teams will begin to make changes, including dismissing their current general managers.

Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Albert Breer recently listed hot names to watch as potential future NFL general managers.

Breer created two categories: Those candidates that are on the doorstep and those closing in.

Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew was placed in the closing in category, as the veteran front office executive is a "name that you should get to know, if you’re interested in this stuff."

At 58 years old, Agnew previously served as the Los Angeles Rams Director of Pro Personnel from 2017 to 2020.

He joined Holmes in Detroit and has served as the assistant general manager for the last five years.

As Breer, explained, "Agnew’s been a big brother to a lot of folks in the business, and that probably foreshadows the problem he’s had pursuing a job—he’s 58 years old. If you can get around that, hiring Agnew would mean bringing aboard a guy who has experience in a lot of different ways.

"He was a player, a team pastor, a player development director and then a pro scouting director over the last 35 years, and has a great feel for what a team needs and how a culture is built. Given what Detroit’s built, there should, at some point, be an uptick in interest in him."

Those that could be quite close include Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds, Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby and Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Prior to the 2025 season, Agnew had positive thoughts about the upcoming 2025 season.

"I was on a team that won a Super Bowl. And at every level we had difference makers, and I believe this team, at every level, we've got difference makers on the field, and we've just got to go out and do it," said Agnew. "Ain't nothing guaranteed, but when you look at certain teams that win Super Bowls, the Hutchinson's of the world, those guys, the St. Brown's of the world.

"Those guys are the difference makers. They show up in those times when you're trying to win a Super Bowl. I played with a lot of Gold Jacket Hall of Fame guys and that's a little different, but I believe some of our guys are headed that way, too."