CHICAGO -- The Detroit Lions finished the regular season with a 7-9 record after a 24-20 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Here are five key questions facing the Lions this offseason.
Who will be the new general manager? This is the first -- and most important -- question to answer. The Lions can start interviewing candidates employed by other teams this week, and advised by Ernie Accorsi, they figure to act quickly at least to interview their top-tier guys. Some names to watch are Jacksonville's Chris Polian, Houston's Brian Gaine, Kansas City’s Chris Ballard, Green Bay’s Eliot Wolf, Minnesota’s George Paton and Lions interim general manager Sheldon White. Lions president Rod Wood said he expects White to be a candidate for the job; an above-.500 second half likely earns him that at least.
What will happen with coach Jim Caldwell? Wood has made it clear the new general manager will decide whether Caldwell returns for a third season in Detroit. Of the names listed above, White and Polian would be the most likely candidates to stick with Caldwell. While Caldwell rarely, if ever, discusses his future, it could be a long couple of weeks for him as he waits to hear his fate. In case you missed it, I earlier outlined the cases for and against retaining him.
What happens with Calvin Johnson? The short answer is he probably returns, especially if the Lions stick with Caldwell. If Detroit completely sweeps the front office and coaching staff, a stronger possibility exists that Detroit and Johnson part ways. The opportunity to potentially open up $11.1 million in cap space could be enough to entice a new general manager to part ways with his star receiver. That said, anyone who comes into Detroit would likely try multiple ways to keep Johnson with the Lions (contract restructure, pay cut) before cutting ties with the face of the franchise.
Do Jim Bob Cooter and Matthew Stafford stay together? The first two questions will influence whether the Stafford-Cooter union continues for a full season in 2016 after a successful half-year in 2015. Cooter has done enough to warrant consideration as an offensive coordinator somewhere if he doesn’t stay in Detroit, and Stafford has looked like a much-improved quarterback with Cooter running the show. So how do the Lions keep Cooter and Stafford together? It’ll be a certainty if Detroit retains Caldwell. If not, the best bet might be if they hire Chicago offensive coordinator Adam Gase. Cooter has said Gase has been an influence for him and the two know each other well from their time in Denver.
What should the top draft priority be? The Lions have enough needs -- other than quarterback -- that the best-player-available strategy would work. If you were to rank the positions, the offensive and defensive lines should be a priority. Stafford was a battered quarterback a lot of the year; drafting a left tackle, and allowing Detroit to have options with Riley Reiff, would be optimal. The defensive line has some holes that need to be filled, particularly at defensive tackle. The Lions could also use an impact player at linebacker to pair with the returning DeAndre Levy, and drafting a wide receiver to eventually replace Johnson should be considered if somehow Ole Miss’ Laquon Treadwell were available. Again, the answers to the first two questions will go a long way to setting what happens here.