The Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions share a significant similarity.
Just two years after ranking among the worst teams in football, the Detroit Lions turned things around in the 2023 NFL season and made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. In actuality, the Lions’ two-year comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. Once infamous for being utterly incompetent and badly managed, this club is now regarded as one of the NFL’s most stable long-term groups.
What, then, gives a team its strength and consistency? A significant factor is ownership certainty, but other factors include the roster, the head coach, his staff, the general manager, and—most importantly—the quarterback. The Detroit Lions’ general manager, Brad Holmes, now comes into play. Holmes started working as a general manager in 2021.
He was a member of the Los Angeles Rams from 2003 until 2020. From 2003 to 2012, he was a scout; from 2013 to 2020, he was the director of college scouting. He was hired by the Lions in 2021. George Paton, the general manager of the Denver Broncos, also assumed the position in 2021. He was brought in by the Broncos to take over for the long-serving John Elway, who was temporarily reduced to a front office position.
In the same season, Paton and Holmes assumed leadership roles on their respective teams. The Lions started from the bottom and have ascended to the top. The Broncos started at the bottom as well and have remained there for the most part.
The league as a whole appreciated the signing of George Paton. As a well-liked front office leader, Paton’s early results during his stay were promising. Players like Quinn Meinerz, Baron Browning, and Patrick Surtain II were selected in his 2021 draft. But that seemed to be the beginning of the end for Paton and the Broncos.
In actuality, since Paton took control, the roster has gotten worse rather than better. There is not a pass rush. There is a hole in the defense. The wide receivers are not very explosive. The roster lacks a reliable tight end. The quarterback position is unclear, and Paton threw a huge curveball to Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett.
On the flip side, since taking control, Brad Holmes and the Lions have steadily expanded their squad and made huge draft selections. Players like Amon Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Kerby Joseph, Jackie Robinson, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch have all been selected in the NFL Draft.
The Lions are the NFL’s best team because of their young players, who have been instilled with viable youthful talent. With Jared Goff as their long-term quarterback, the Lions made a bold move at quarterback. They signed players like David Montgomery, Graham Glasgow, and CJ Gardner-Johnson as a result of their astute free agency choices.
They have accepted and endured their culture under head coach Dan Campbell. To be honest, George Paton came over a franchise in a far better position than Brad Holmes did, yet he has completely destroyed this Broncos roster.
To be honest, it’s embarrassing to see the Broncos languish in the irrelevant middle while the Lions perform like they have this season.
Brad Holmes took over concurrently with George Paton, and it’s obvious who performed better.
