The Lions have selected former NFL general manager Ernie Accorsi to help guide them through the process of finding a new GM of their own, the team announced today in a press release. Accorsi, who previously served as the general manager of the Colts, Browns, Giants, will act as a consultant for Detroit as the team attempts to identify a permanent GM to replace Martin Mayhew.
“We are most pleased that Ernie Accorsi will serve as consultant for our GM search,” new Lions president Rod Wood said in a statement. “Ernie’s reputation is impeccable. Not only did he succeed as a general manager in the NFL, but his work as a consultant with teams like Chicago and Carolina is well documented.”
Less than a year ago, Accorsi acted as a consultant when the Bears were looking to replace former GM Phil Emery, eventually helping to identify Saints executive Ryan Pace as the man for the job. As Wood notes, Accorsi also took part in the Panthers’ search for a GM, which saw the team land on Dave Gettleman.
Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Wood said today that Accorsi has pledged exclusivity to the Lions during this winter’s hiring cycle, meaning he won’t be consulting for any other teams that may have a position open up in the front office in the coming weeks or months.
Wood reiterated today that interim general manager Sheldon White remains a candidate for the permanent job in Detroit. When asked if the coach and the GM could end up being the same person, Wood said that’s not the team’s plan at the moment (Twitter links via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).