The unthinkable has happened. For a long time the Detroit Lions had no real General Manager, and then they hired Matt Millen (insert not real GM jokes here), but now they look to have the real deal in Martin Mayhew, and his work building the 2011 Detroit Lions has certainly placed him into the discussion about the best NFL executives of the year.
Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press is an advocate of Mayhem for Executive of the Year. He summed up Mayhew quite well:
Mayhew doesn't bring attention to himself, happily avoiding cameras and microphones. He made that point quite clear to the Fords when they removed the "interim" tag from his general manager title following the 0-16 debacle. He's the football guy, not the spin guy.
Sharp goes onto to make his case. It was Mayhew he pulled the trigger on QB Matthew Stafford with the first pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Then many Lions fans, and so called draft experts, wanted him to take the supposed safer route in LB Aaron Curry. There is no doubt after Stafford threw for 5,000 yards this year that this was a wise choice. On top of that he has used his other high round draft picks to surround his young QB with elite level talent.
On the free agent market Mayhew has added difference makers in DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, LB Stephen Tulloch, and G Rob Simms. Not to mention WR Nate Burleson who may not be elite, but is an important piece of the Lions high caliber passing attack.
Sharp also points out that the real work may still be ahead of Mayhew and the Lions Coaching Staff:
Mayhew warrants appreciation for the year the Lions had, but the only way to sustain what they started this season is by developing middle-to-low-round draft choices into productive starters. Everyone will fixate on whom the Lions draft this spring, but of greater interest should be whether three guys they drafted in middle and low rounds over the last three years -- offensive tackle Jason Fox, defensive tackle Sammie Hill and defensive end Willie Young -- are ready to take the next step and become effective starters.
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