Lions' Brad Holmes Understands 'Buzz' Must Equate to More Wins
The Detroit Lions' front office is appreciative of the increased national "buzz" surrounding the 2022 team.
Sports Illustrated writer Conor Orr even has the Lions defeating the Buffalo Bills in 2022, in what would equate to a massive upset, en route to a record of 7-10.
With Hard Knocks documenting all of the events that have transpired this offseason, the attention given to a three-win football team has dramatically increased.
Detroit general manager Brad Holmes is encouraged by a national audience getting a look at the newly established culture that has been built during the team's rebuilding process.
"Now the world can see it," Holmes explained, at his media session in front of several reporters. "We didn't do anything special for cameras or anything. This is what we are every single day."
Holmes continued, "At the end of the day, if we go out there and win three games again, then it is all for naught. We can add as much buzz and all this stuff that we want and I really appreciate that the fans -- this fanbase is so passionate, and they deserve to have hope and belief. But, we have to hold up our end of the bargain. We can have all this buzz and hype and all that, but if we don't go out there and equate it to wins, it really doesn't matter."
A youthful roster
While the decision-making process to trim the roster from 90 players down to 53 players was much more challenging for Holmes and Co. as compared to last year, the team is confident in the mix of young players and veterans at key positions.
The current Lions roster is among the three youngest ones in the entire National Football League.
"A lot of patience had to be practiced last year, and those guys got a lot of valuable, valuable reps," said Holmes. "And, there are some up moments, and there's some down moments. But, Dan and I are sticking to our plan and being patient and saying, 'Look, this is what we're doing.' And, those guys having those reps heading into this year -- you could see the difference. It was very, very noticeable.
"I was talking about our practice squad just recently. A lot of guys that played for us last year in games were able to come back to our practice squad. It's young, but at the same time, there's some plug-and-play in there, as well. I think that's just a testament to those vital reps those young guys got."
Jared Goff is more confident with changes made this offseason
One of the biggest factors that will determine how successful the Lions can be this season will be the play of quarterback Jared Goff.
It was understood the team did not provide the veteran signal-caller with enough weapons in 2021 to evaluate him fairly.
The team has elevated tight ends coach Ben Johnson to offensive coordinator, added more weapons and provided the starting quarterback with more of an ability to adapt the offense to his liking.
Goff has regularly had input with the coaching staff regarding the new offense. The goal is to blend what he does well in the passing attack, while at the same time, establishing the run to maximize the output with play-action passes.
"I do believe the confidence that he has going into this year has been a big difference," Holmes commented. "I've always felt that he was a confident kid. He's always been a very mentally tough kid. But, I think us giving him ownership and letting him know, 'We believe in you. We're supporting you. We're going to put you in the best position to succeed. You're the quarterback.' So, us surrounding him with a little bit better supporting cast and giving him that ownership, I think that's helped his confidence. And, that's showed in this camp."
