Detroit Lions vs atLanta faLcons JOHNSON'S Mega-PURSUIT 2012 ...

since becoming the Lions Executive vice President of Football
operations and general Manager, Martin Mayhew has orchestrated
a dramatic transformation of the team which resulted in the Lions
making its first playoff appearance last year after 12 seasons.
With 2012 marking Mayhew’s fourth season as the team’s
executive football decision-maker, he continues to build the Lions’
roster through a plan that focuses on developing a physically-tough
football team with the multi-dimensional players that head coach
Jim schwartz covets. Mayhew adamantly believes that smart players
with great football character should lead this franchise. now in his
12th season with the Lions, Mayhew reports directly to Mr. Ford on
all football matters.
the process of improving the Lions’ success on the field began
to take shape in January 2009 with the team’s search for a new head
coach. along with President tom Lewand, Mayhew searched for a
coach who shared his philosophies and possessed the following
characteristics: strong communication and leadership skills; a track
record of success in the nFL; demonstrated ability to overcome
adversity; the right mixture of youth and experience; and a coach with
enthusiasm and energy for the challenge ahead.
the search concluded with the hiring of schwartz, who served eight
years (2001-08) as the tennessee titans defensive coordinator before
coming to detroit. schwartz is unique because he had tremendous
experience as a coordinator and position coach in the nFL, but he
also previously worked in player personnel when he began his nFL
career. these attributes appealed to Mayhew, and both have worked
in concert on free agency and the draft.
along with the coaching staff, Mayhew re-organized the team’s
player personnel department. From the start of the 2009 off-season,
the team set out to add a personnel executive who was successful in
overseeing both pro and college scouting in the nFL.
that was completed with the hiring of James “shack” harris, who
now has worked 25 years in scouting, including the six seasons as
Jacksonville’s vice president of player personnel. along with the hiring
of harris, the Lions’ player personnel department, under Mayhew’s
direction, underwent a geographical realignment that improved the
team’s scouting operations.
in his role, Mayhew oversees the player personnel department,
including college and pro scouting, and plays an integral role in the
coordination of the team’s salary cap objectives and negotiation of
player contracts. Mayhew and Lewand collectively work on all team
matters pertaining to the nFL collective Bargaining agreement and
League policies and procedures.
in addition to his duties, the coordination of all football operations,
managed day-to-day by vice President of Football operations cedric
saunders, is under the direction of Mayhew. this includes team
travel, training camp operations, security, medical staff, equipment
operations, video department and cafeteria staff. Mayhew also works
on many of the Lions’ football-related legal matters.
in February 2001, Mayhew joined the Lions’ front office as senior
director of football administration/staff counsel. he was promoted
to senior vice president of football administration/legal affairs on
February 3, 2003, and on october 14, 2004, he was appointed senior
vice president and assistant general manager.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION
along with free agency and the draft, Mayhew utilizes every
resource, including trades and the league’s waiver wire process, yearround
to improve the team’s roster from top to bottom.
significant change to the team’s roster over the past three seasons
underscores Mayhew’s 24/7 philosophy and approach to improving
the team’s roster. the 2011 opening day active roster included only
10 players (81 percent turnover) remaining with the club from 2008,
including six starters.
in 2011, Mayhew’s approach paid dividends when the Lions won
10 regular-season games for the first time since 1995 and also earned
a playoff berth for the first time since 1999. only twice in the team’s
previous 78 seasons had a Lions team won more than 10 regularseason
games (11 in 1962 and 12 in 1991). Last season marked only
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the sixth time the team won 10 games in the regular season.
Mayhew’s roster overhaul during his first three seasons has now
resulted in a more talented and stable roster.
this year, 21 of the 22 starters from last season return. Retaining
quality veteran players, like WR calvin Johnson and LB stephen
tulloch, both of whom signed new long-term contracts this offseason,
has become a greater priority.
Mayhew expects this consistency, along with his approach to
never stop looking for upgraded talent, to pay even greater dividends
in the near future.
MASTER OF TRADE
When Mayhew first assumed the role of interim general manager
in october 2008, he immediately began evaluating and upgrading
the roster. since then, he has completed 22 trades for players and/
or draft picks, including a total of 10 trades in 2010 and three draftday
trades in 2012.
several veterans acquired by Mayhew via trade have contributed
to the Lions as starters or improved the team’s depth, including:
dt corey Williams, QB shaun hill, cB chris houston, dE Lawrence
Jackson, g Rob sims, tE tony scheffler and cB alphonso smith. hill,
houston, sims and scheffler have all signed contract extensions
with the club.
two of Mayhew’s trades generated additional first round draft
picks in 2009 and 2010. it marked the first time in franchise history
that the Lions have made two selections in the first round of the draft
in back-to-back seasons. those additional picks allowed the Lions
to draft tE Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th pick in the 2009 nFL
draft and RB Jahvid Best with the 30th pick in the 2010 nFL draft.
BUILDING THE CORE
though Mayhew often says the draft is not the finish line, he
understands that the best rosters in the nFL begin with shrewd
drafting each and every year.
the team’s 2009 and 2010 drafts under Mayhew’s direction have
generated highly productive classes, including eight players (2009: QB
Matthew stafford, Pettigrew, s Louis delmas, LB deandre Levy and
dt sammie hill; 2010: dt ndamukong suh, Best and s amari spievey)
who form a nucleus of talented, young players that undoubtedly will
lead this franchise for years to come.
While each of his personnel decisions will impact the team’s
performance, it may be Mayhew’s very first draft choice as general
manager that could have the greatest long-term impact. that
selection, QB Matthew stafford, had arguably the greatest single-
season performance ever for a Lions quarterback in 2011.
stafford, who was slowed by injuries his first two seasons, had
one of the biggest breakout seasons ever last year when he set
franchise passing records for yards (5,038) and touchdowns (41).
he led the team to several comeback wins, including an nFL record
three wins after trailing by 17+ points, four after trailing by 13+ points
and two 20+-point comebacks in back-to-back-weeks. stafford’s
passing numbers last year were among the best single-season
totals in nFL history. his performance earned him the aP comeback
Player of the Year award. despite the fact that he will be entering
his fourth nFL season in 2012, stafford does not turn 25-years-old
until February 2013.
dt ndamukong suh and RB Jahvid Best highlighted Mayhew’s
2010 draft class. suh made an immediate mark on the nFL during
his rookie season by being named aP defensive Rookie of the Year,
all-Pro and voted as a starter to the Pro Bowl. he set a Lions rookie
record with 10 sacks and became the second rookie defensive tackle
to register 10 sacks in the nFL since 1982. Best, though he battled
through toe injuries throughout his rookie season, led the team in
rushing, set a team rookie record for receptions and became the
first rookie to score five touchdowns in their first two games since
RB Billy sims in 1980.
STRENGTHENING POSITIONS
Mayhew maximizes his resources in an effort to not only
strengthen the team by improving individual talent, but by