No Regrets: Lions GM Does Not Believe Team Ever Reached For Prospect

This offseason, the Detroit Lions faced some additional challenges, as key veterans departed in free agency, including linebacker Alex Anzalone, cornerback Amik Robertson and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad.

Despite losing veteran leadership, general manager Brad Holmes does not feel any additional pressure to target specific needs in the draft this year.

The team has expressed on numerous occasions no player will be added in the draft unless their is strong conviction and alignment from the personnel department and coaching staff.

Holmes indicated he has not ever felt he reached for a player and felt a sense of regret.

“No. Not that I can remember. I just know we’ve never done that, but I can only imagine. You can’t take a player that you’re not really fired up about because he plays a certain position," said Holmes. "And then the reason why you weren’t fired up about him, he shows that on the field, and that’s why you had reservations on him. Now you’ve got the double-whammy. We haven’t done that. We only take players that we’re really excited about.”

No pressure to target specific needs

Detroit will again target players that meet the expansive criteria required to become a member of the Lions' roster.

Targeting positions can put general managers in a bind, as there are times when passing on a good player can come back to haunt decision-makers.

“I actually think you can get in trouble by doing that because you might start to reach for a certain player because you feel like you need that position, and you never want to feel that way when you select a player," said Holmes. "You passed up a really good player that you liked even more, but there is a question mark on your roster, so you just go ahead and get that player that you weren’t as excited about."

Holmes indicated he does not want to ever feel burdened by thinking the team passed up on a player he wanted in order to reach for a position of need.

"I know for me, it’s hard to sleep at night when you do that, when you don’t get the player that you really, really wanted because you reach for a need," said Holmes. "If that reach, you already reached for it, so you already reached for a player that you weren’t as fired up about but it fits a certain position. What if the player shows or demonstrates the reason you weren’t as fired up about him?

"So now, you’ve reached for the guy and the guy’s not even performing up to standard, the same reason why you had reservations about him," Holmes added. "Now you’re really in trouble. That’s why I think you have to be careful.”