It’s been almost exactly 23 months since the Detroit Lions hired general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell to lead this franchise into a new era. The buzzword since the two arrived in Allen Park—even if the two refused to say it—was “rebuild.” This team was in total need of a teardown: from culture to roster to philosophy. Nothing from the Matt Patricia era could remain.
Halfway through this season, Holmes spoke to the media after trading T.J. Hockenson, and he adopted the word “rebuild” for the first time since he arrived.
“We’re still in the build phase,” Holmes said.