Thursday, less than a week after Detroit Lions suffered a blowout 45-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in London, team owner Martha Ford announced a few of the biggest changes in the organization in recent years.
Advertisement
Mayhew, who is 50, was hired on an interim basis by the Lions after Matt Millen was sacked in 2008 during a season that ended 0-16. Allison Maki, the team’s chief financial officer, will be the team’s interim COO and report to Ford. He will finish the season as the Detroit Lions’ head coach and I’m completely fine with that.
“Our fans deserve a winning football team, and we will do everything possible to make that a reality”, said Ford. The next GM and Team President are bound to bring a new mentality and an improved winning approach to this football team.
Ford has spoken infrequently to the media, and briefly on those occasions, since assuming ownership of the franchise when her husband, William Clay Ford, died in March of 2014. She did not take questions.
Speaking of which: There is not a single player remaining from either of the 2010 or 2014 draft classes for the Lions.
The Lions have failed to draft well enough to win and their other moves – or lack of them, such as losing defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh in free agency – have often missed the mark.
Sparing Caldwell of a different fate would seemingly be a short-term decision given the team’s front office was shredded and a new president or general manager will want to hire his own coach. Prior to his hiring as the president, Lewand worked with the team for 14 seasons, plus his six as the president to give him 20 seasons in Detroit.
It’s hard to even say exactly how many starters Martin Mayhew drafted in seven years as Lions GM.
As has been documented, Stafford’s guaranteed money runs out after this season as well, giving the Lions the freedom to part ways with a 27-year-old who, given his considerable talent and the state of quarterback play across the National Football League, could fetch a nice return on the open market. Sandwiching those what seem to be now outlier and fluke playoff berths, are more seasons of disappointment and embarrassment. “All of a sudden you don’t know how to get there, and you’ve got to ask, ‘How do I get there?’ Thank God for Global Positioning System”.
Both Mayhew and Lewand have had their shares of mistakes over the years. He was named assistant general manager in 2004. He threw in Wednesday’s practice and head coach Jason Garrett said the same plan was in place for Friday.
Advertisement
“They’re working on that all the time”, Tom Coughlin said. After going through that process for several decades now, Lions fans are hoping that this will be the rebuild that will finally get them to the Super Bowl. “I have informed coach (Jim) Caldwell of our decisions, although no changes have been made to our coaching staff”.
