Allen Park — Whether it’s the high-profile debate about selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter at the top of the NFL Draft or adding a lesser-known prospect with character concerns in the later rounds, one thing is clear: Detroit Lions leadership, including owner Sheila Hamp, will be on the same page regarding those decisions.
“That’s part of my job, to make sure that she’s informed,” general manager Brad Holmes said Thursday. “So if we go that route of acquiring a player that may stir some headlines, yeah, you definitely want to make sure that she’s aware. And that’s kind of how we’ve always ran our process and our approach.
“She’s an excellent listener, she sees things all big picture and she has a lot of wise counsel,” Holmes continued. “Obviously, you wouldn’t do anything to compromise our culture or the integrity or put her in a bad spot or the organization in a bad spot. So, definitely make sure that all things are communicated, especially when it comes to her.”
Likely because of his own cultural standards, and his ability to read the room, Holmes said there hasn’t been a time where he’s been keen on a player and Hamp overruled him, or vice versa.
“I think the reason is we’re so collaborative in everything that we do,” Holmes said. “She has so much trust in what me and (coach) Dan (Campbell)’s process is and how we’re building the team. And that’s very comforting. It’s very appreciated, but we just haven’t experienced that yet.”
As for Holmes and Campbell, the GM said the two are almost always on the same page, but there has been an occasional disagreement about a player, whether in the draft or free agency. But Holmes said those moments are positive, because they offer opportunities to learn more about the way each other thinks.
Most importantly, Holmes made it clear he would never add a player to his roster that his coach, or even one of the assistant coaches, didn’t want.
“We’re cut from the same cloth, we see players the same,” Holmes said about his relationship with Campbell. “It’s rarely an experience that has come up where I liked a player and he did not. If that did happen, it always turns into a learning experience, so it ends up being a win-win either way.
“We’ve got to have buy-in, man. I’m not going to draft a player he doesn’t like. You know what I mean? I’ve been in regimes where I’ve seen that happen, where a player is drafted and the coach wasn’t on board with and it doesn’t really lead up to the visions of success that you have for that player because the coach has to have buy-in. Our assistant coaches, they live with these players. They have to teach them, they have to develop them, so you want that buy-in.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers