Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com profiled Marty Hurney as a potential GM candidate for the Lions and his background is certainly interesting. Hurney got his start as a sportswriter before moving on to work in Washington’s PR department. Eventually, he took a front office job with the Chargers which led to a salary cap job with the Panthers and in Carolina, he ascended to the GM spot in 2002. Hurney was fired by the Panthers in 2012 and he’s now a radio host in Charlotte. His draft aggressiveness is something that the Lions could use, but Rothstein isn’t sure if he can be lured away from his broadcasting gig. Hurney also made his fair share of mistakes while at the helm of the Panthers and he would have to answer for some questionable decisions.
Here’s more from Detroit:
- Ultimately, the Lions’ next GM will have to decide what to do with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, and the pair’s future in Detroit seems somewhat linked, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. If the Lions decide to start anew at quarterback, it might not make sense to keep a receiver with one of the highest cap figures in the league. Johnson could ultimately restructure his deal to extend his time in Detroit, but failing that he could very well be following Stafford out the door.
- Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy had his suspension reduced to four games on appeal with the help of the NFLPA. As Lions safety Glover Quin explains, however, the union wasn’t necessarily advocating for him to play, but they were rather looking to ensure that the rules were being enforced fairly. “The P.A. is not the league,” Quin, the Lions’ players rep, told Birkett writes. “The P.A. is the union and our job is to protect the rights of players. So, no, we don’t condone domestic violence. But within the disciplinary phases, if the league does something wrong in the CBA, it’s our job as players as a union to at least protect his rights.”
- In a conference call with Detroit reporters, Packers coach Mike McCarthy spoke highly of Eliot Wolf, who could be a candidate for the Lions’ GM job. “Eliot is a fine, young man, excellent co-worker,” McCarthy said of the 33-year-old, according to Birkett. “I really enjoy working with him. He does a great job in our personnel department and I think he’s excellent. He’s a real asset to our organization.” Wolf is thought to be the heir apparent in Green Bay, however, and he might be a longshot to leave the Packers organization.
I think Marty Hurney would be a disaster for the Lions. He showed a complete lack of understanding when it came to cap management in Carolina, and the Panthers are still hamstrung by his work. Detroit needs someone who has shown a history of being fiscally responsible.
Exactly, Detroit in particular is hamstrung by bloated salaries–though, to be fair, much of that came because they were picking early in the draft under the old CBA–so they should be looking at someone with a different approach to roster construction.