Detroit Lions mailbag: Favorites for GM/coach jobs; Matthew Stafford’s greatest hits

Dave Birkett
 
| Detroit Free Press

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I got a note from @bigbadjjcollins on Twitter the other day suggesting I write a story on the gutsiest, toughest, most ironman moments of Matthew Stafford’s career.

Stafford, as everyone knows, is one of the toughest players in the NFL. He has taken a pounding over the years, to the point that when he said Wednesday he had never heard of, let alone suffered from, a fractured throat before, I joked that was one of the few injuries he had not dealt with in his career.

Stafford is dealing with a rib cartilage injury now that may cause him to miss Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. Dr. David Chao, the ex-team doctor for the San Diego Chargers, told me Wednesday rib cartilage injuries typically require intercostal nerve injections to play through, and even those don’t totally dull the pain.

If Stafford plays Sunday, this could be one of those moments JJ asked about, but for now I’ve got three others that top my list.

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2009 vs. Cleveland Browns: This has to be No. 1 on the list, when Stafford suffered a separated left shoulder late in a game his rookie season. He was in obvious pain as doctors worked on his shoulder, but re-entered after a Cleveland timeout to throw the winning touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew. Stafford was mic’d up for the game, which provided memorable audio.

2015 vs. Minnesota Vikings: I was not covering the team in 2009, so the game I saw that most defines Stafford’s toughness came early in the 2015 season, when the Vikings pummeled him with eight quarterback hits that left him moving gingerly and speaking deliberately after the game. Joique Bell recalled the game — and how much pain Stafford was in — in a story I wrote last fall, saying Stafford was “gasping for breath every word” in the huddle.

December, 2018: This was not an on-field moment, but Stafford suffered transverse fractures in his back in a game against the Los Angeles Rams two years ago and played the final four games of the season with the injury. I did not learn how bad his back was until the Senior Bowl more than a month later, but I knew he was in pain — and what he was doing to try and play — when he postponed his weekly media session a few days after the Rams game to get treatment on his back. Amazingly, he led the Lions to a win the next week.

Let’s get to your questions.

Alright Dave, putting you on the spot. Who do you hire for GM/coach if you were in charge? And who do you predict we hire? – @ToddGreenspoon

It’s still too early in the search process to have any real favorites. A lot of people around the league think Robert Saleh is the front-runner for the coaching job, and I’d tell you if the Lions interview, say, four candidates, he will be one of the four. But I think they are truly open to possibilities at both positions, and once they identify the right person for one of those jobs they will go down that path.

Knowing how the NFL works, I think of these things in pairs. Rick Smith worked with Saleh in Houston, for instance, so they make sense as a duo in Detroit. Or Saleh and Adam Peters in San Francisco now. But that’s a dangerous way to go. It’s better to cast a wide net like they’re doing, and go into each interview with an open mind.

I’m very much in the learning stages on these candidates, too. I would be intrigued by the possibility of hiring an experienced GM like Smith or Thomas Dimitroff, and I know the Lions value that experience. But I would not make a hire until I talk to up-and-coming candidates like Mike Borgonzi of the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Schoen of the Buffalo Bills and Ed Dodds of the Indianapolis Colts, if he would take my call.

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On the coaching side, I’d open the vault for someone like Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley or Stanford’s David Shaw, but I don’t think either are for the Lions. Along with Saleh, I’d make sure to have Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who I will be writing about this week, on my interview list.

What do you think the timeframe is on this GM hire? – @ronniereb1963

As I said, I would wait to talk to Borgonzi, Shoen, Dodds, etc., before making a hire, and I believe that’s what the Lions will do, which would push their decision into early/mid-January. There is risk by waiting. A top candidate like Smith could come off the board early. But the Lions’ recent searches have been far too narrow in scope, so that’s a risk I’d take in order to make sure I get the right man.

Is Spielman’s hiring the first step to him becoming the eventual GM or President of Football Operations, despite what he said about not being qualified? – @TBrooks_Sr

I asked Spielman directly if he has designs on becoming a GM one day like his brother. He said no, but I absolutely could see him transitioning into a more prominent role in the organization eventually.

The Lions did not bring Spielman aboard simply to meet with corporate sponsors, and that does not strike me as the type of job Spielman would want. NFL team presidents tend to have close ties to their owners, and it would not surprise me one bit if, say, five years from now, Spielman is in position to take over for Rod Wood as president.

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Kyle Shanahan stated today that he told Saleh he could not take anyone from his staff with him if offered a HC position. It appears he prevented Mike Lafleur from joining his brothers staff in GB for 2019 season. Your thoughts and if this means Bevell may be retained due to ties. – @TTime90

That’s a little bit of a mischaracterization. Shanahan is protective of his staff, has prevented some of his assistants from interviewing elsewhere in the past and he indicated he will not let Saleh raid his assistants. But new NFL rules prevent teams from blocking assistants from leaving for promotions to a coordinator spot, so Saleh could take LaFleur or Mike McDaniel with him as offensive play caller.

I had someone I trust tell me weeks ago that’s how Saleh envisioned his staff, with LaFleur or McDaniel running the offense. Bevell does have ties to Saleh, though — they worked together in Seattle — so I would not rule out that possibility. Bevell has opened some eyes with how the Lions have played for him in his short time as interim head coach that will lead to him having opportunities elsewhere, either as a head coach or coordinator.

New regime comes in. Whats their biggest priority w/ hopefully a top 10 draft pick? QB for the future, or total defensive overhaul (drafting a DL/LB) – @14_Maen

Here’s the thing: The Lions can win in 2021 with Stafford as their quarterback, but not with their defense the way it is. They need a complete defensive overhaul. But that being said, the biggest priority for this team — as I’ve written several times, most recently here — needs to be finding a long-term solution at quarterback.

First, no one knows if Stafford wants to stick around for another regime and rebuild. Second, Stafford turns 33 in February, has dealt with late-season injuries in three straight years and will need a new contract soon. 

Stafford is a good quarterback and people will be rooting for him in the future, no matter if he’s a Lion or not. But if the draft position lines up, the next regime cannot pass on a quarterback who could be a solution for the next decade at the position. 

[ Stafford’s injury forces next Lions GM to address issue Bob Quinn wouldn’t ]

Hey Dave, just wanted to get your thoughts on the sports card hobby exploding, and how difficult it is finding product in retail stores! – @JHusocki_97

I always like to end on a fun one, and I think I saw John when I was talking about this the other day. My son went to a birthday party probably 18 months ago where one of his buddies wanted some basketball cards. We got some cards for his friend, and being the sports nut that he is, my son wanted some, too.

I got a couple packs for the kids. They liked them enough that they wanted more, and at some point I took them into the basement to show them some of the old cards I still have boxed up from when I was little.

The hobby has exploded since then, and as anyone who has looked lately can attest, good cards are nearly impossible to find in retail stores. That’s good for business, no doubt, and Santa should have a couple packs for my kids. But I know Santa was running low on supply in the North Pole so unfortunately not everyone will be as lucky.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.