General manager Bob Quinn is ushering in a lot of change in Allen Park.
Quinn has reshaped the front office and scouting department, and is steering the Lions in a new direction of scouting and player evaluation.
Having people around that speak a similar language and know what the end game is supposed to look like is crucial for Quinn, as he explained at the Combine when discussing the hiring of Kyle O'Brien as his new director of player personnel.
"It's extremely important because we're talking about the same language about players," Quinn said. "So, that's something that I'm trying to instill in the current Lions staff, which there's a lot of good people there."
O'Brien, a Harvard graduate, is held in high regard around league scouting circles for his intelligence and work ethic.
He's entering his 15th season in the NFL and has worked in player personnel for four different teams in capacities that covered both pro and college scouting.
Most recently, O'Brien was with the Jacksonville Jaguars as director of college scouting for the past three seasons. He spent one season as a regional scout with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 prior to his time in Jacksonville.
For 10 seasons (2002-11), O'Brien served in various roles within the New England Patriots player personnel department, working closely with Quinn.
"We went through draft meetings last week, so we're trying to really get everyone talking the same language about players, which for me to sit there in front of the meeting room and talk the whole time, I need another voice that's been in the same rooms that I've been in in the past and can talk about the players in the same respects," Quinn said.
Quinn has that in O'Brien, and it's invaluable for a first-year GM trying to usher in his way of doing things.
