Newly acquired Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn is looking to change the culture in Detroit, as the franchise has not won a playoff game since 1991.
The Lions have made some nice additions to their roster in free agency this offseason, landing wide receiver Marvin Jones and running back Stevan Ridley, but they know that there is still a ton of work to do before the Lions become a consistent contender. Quinn came to Detroit after spending 16 seasons with the New England Patriots as a scout, assistant director of pro personnel and eventually a director of pro scouting, a position that he held from 2012 until this past season.
The Lions general manager knows the importance of the draft and is looking to build a strong foundation in Detroit, starting with the 2016 NFL Draft at the end of this month. "I think the best way to build a football team is through the draft, and you can supplement through free agency when you have some serious needs," Quinn said. "That's my philosophy."
Quinn may have surprised some with his most recent comments about the upcoming draft, but given his history in New England the move could make sense. "I think it's really good football business to acquire a young quarterback every year or every other year," said Quinn. "There's such a value in the position and nowadays in college football there's a lot of spread offenses, which means it's a lot different than pro football. So it takes these young quarterbacks time to develop. So if you can add a young quarterback every year or every other year to your roster, it's good football business in my mind."
The Lions retained backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky on a one-year contract this offseason, but that won't stop them from finding another viable backup or potential trading chip that they could look to use should Matthew Stafford remain the guy for the next decade. The Lions have reportedly shown interest in Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock and Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan, and with many potential starting quarterbacks in this year's draft, it could be a smart move by Quinn.
Stafford produced strong numbers again during the 2015 season, as he completed a career-high 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,262 yards with 32 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The Lions franchise quarterback will be without his star receiver Calvin Johnson, who announced his retirement this offseason, and will look to prove that his numbers were not just a result of having one of the best weapons in the game.
The Lions have multiple needs heading into the draft, particularly on their offensive line, but they could look to target a quarterback in the middle rounds of the draft, as there are multiple quarterback prospects that could have huge upsides in this year's draft class.
