| Detroit Free Press
Can Detroit Lions end season with win? Is this Matthew Stafford last game in Detroit?
Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez break down the Detroit Lions’ finale against the Vikings and whether this will be Matthew Stafford’s finale hurrah in Detroit.
Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Lions are thinking big in their effort to finally build a consistent winner.
The Lions are one of two teams planning to pursue Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider as a replacement for Bob Quinn, NFL Network reported Sunday.
Schneider is widely considered one of the best GMs in football. He helped build the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning team, and after some major defensive losses, has helped rebuild Seattle into one of the NFC’s best teams this season.
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The Seahawks are 11-4 entering Sunday’s season finale, and can earn homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a win and some help.
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Schneider’s interest in leaving one of the best-run NFL franchises is unclear, but the Lions could offer him a promotion and full control of the team. Though Schneider is Seahawks GM, coach Pete Carroll has final say of the roster in Seattle.
Schneider, 49, is a Wisconsin native and was a long-time scout for the Green Bay Packers before leaving for Seattle in 2010, the same year Carroll arrived from USC.
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The Seahawks are 111-63-1 under Carroll and Schneider and have made the playoffs nine of the last 11 seasons.
Schneider, who has one year left on his contract, according to NFL Network, is not the only sitting GM the Lions may try to lure to town.
Already, they have interviewed seven people for the GM job — in-house candidates Kyle O’Brien, Lance Newmark and Rob Lohman, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, and former GMs Rick Smith, Thomas Dimitroff and Scott Pioli.
They would like to hire someone with previous experience for either the GM or vacant head coach position, though that is not a prerequisite.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.