Quick Read: Former Dolphins GM Now a Member of the Lions Front Office
The Lions add to their front office.
Information sourced from: Pride of Detroit, Wikipedia Chris Grier, Pro Football Reference
The Lions continue to adjust, tweak, and finalize things for the 2026 season and beyond. It goes far beyond the roster, with the addition of Chris Grier to their front office in the position of Personnel Executive.
Grier joins the Lions with a rich history in the NFL that includes both the Patriots and Dolphins. In the latter he advanced all the way from the position of Scout to General manager, giving him a lot of perspective in how the league works, and what it takes to succeed and fail in the evaluation of talent. Lions fans may remember former Dolphins first round draft pick Charles Harris who was a flash in the pan in Detroit when he was signed shortly after the hiring of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. Harris notched 7.5 sacks, 65 tackles, and 15 QB hits in 2021 before returning to his middling ways in 2022 and beyond (see graphic below courtesy of Pro Football reference).
Initially I was questioning this signing, given how the Dolphins have fared from both a talent and roster construction perspective. I would argue the Dolphins made questionable decisions over his tenure. Furthermore, the team didn’t produce from a record perspective, which is a combination of coaching and player performance. However, his picks certainly weren’t all misses.
Why should we not be concerned about this move? Much like John Dorsey (Senior Personnel Executive with the Lions) , he is a former NFL GM with a seat at the table to let his voice be known. If we have learned anything about this Lions team it is that they function in a collaborative way for many decisions. I highly doubt that Grier is going to be making any decisions on his own, and rather will provide another perspective for Brad Holmes to consider. This isn’t a bad thing at all. It simply provides more information from a professional that has been around the block in the NFL.