New Lions general manager Bob Quinn has decided coach Jim Caldwell will stay with the team, shaken up the personnel department and has begun the process of making some of the player decisions he’s now tasked with making.
As for having any key decisions made, though, Quinn told reporters he’s been so busy talking with people and settling into his new role that he’s had to force himself to find time to watch film and fully evaluate the roster.
So, key decisions on extensions or new deals still have yet to be made.
“It’s a challenge every day,” Quinn said this week at the Senior Bowl. “I have a to-do list that’s a mile long every morning, and I just try to get as many things done as I can before the night falls. So, it’s been fun.”
Defensive linemen Haloti Ngata and Jason Jones are among the players who can be free agents, and cornerback Darius Slay is eligible for an extension.
Longtime star wide receiver Calvin Johnson is contemplating retirement but hasn’t said when he’ll make a decision. Because Johnson carries a $24 million cap number for 2016, the March 9 start of the league year will force a decision. That’s one of a few situations Quinn figures will become more clear in the coming weeks.