Lions Could Let Next Coach Pick His Own Boss

There was a time, and not long ago, that the Detroit Lions thought they had made all the right moves.

Four years ago, they hired Bob Quinn as general manager and brought Matt Patricia in as coach two years later. Both were products of the New England Patriots organization. And we all know everything the Patriots and their offspring touch turns to football gold. Right?

Wrong.

Patricia and Quinn were fired Nov. 28 after the Lions failed to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year. They are now looking for a new team of saviors.

This time, though, they might let the new coach pick the new GM, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. That's the opposite of the way things usually go. However, Breer cautions that consulting a new head coach about possible GM prospects is not definite, only a possibility.

Still, if you let the coach pick the GM, why even have a GM? You'd think most coaches who are allowed to pick their GM would simply hire himself.

Anyway, Breer went on to report that the Lions aren't married to any particular idea. They hired Patricia as a defensive guru, and that didn't turn out well. In each of Patricia's three seasons, the Lions finished near the bottom of the league in points-allowed.

Offensively, the futures of quarterback Matthew Stafford and free-agent-to-be receiver Kenny Golladay in Detroit are also to be determined.

Today, the Lions sit at 4-7 and visit the rival Chicago Bears (5-6) on Sunday. It's a must-not-lose-again game for both teams.

Nothing the Lions have tried recently has worked. So letting the coach pick the GM? Hey, how much worse can it get?