Mobile – Lions general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Jim Caldwell sat in a meeting room for about 10 to 12 hours over the course of two days a couple weeks back talking about football and life.
In the end, Quinn decided that he and Caldwell's "philosophies on football" matched.
But what exactly does that mean?
"Just being able to get on the same page about how to acquire players, how to develop players," Quinn told beat writers Wednesday afternoon before one of the Senior Bowl practices. "I said in my press conference that I'm not a coach and I'm not going to be coaching them.
"It's really to get a system in place to where he can be flexible to the players I bring in to develop them and mesh them into his offensive, defensive and special teams systems."
Quinn said that after meeting with Caldwell, he came to the decision that he and Caldwell saw football the same way. He then made the decision to retain Caldwell as his head coach.
That decision was a popular one among players, but Quinn said he didn't reach out or talk to any players before making his decision.
Quinn also made it clear that it isn't his job to interfere with the coaching staff. He won't be one of those general managers who make suggestions to coaches on how players should be used.
"What I'm going to ask the coaches to do is develop them," Quinn said. "Players out here, on this field at the Senior Bowl, and even free agents that are younger players, they still need development.
"So that's what I think one of the main jobs of the coach to do. Assistant coaches, head coach, everyone in-between is to develop these players so when the time and place is right to put them in the field, they are going to perform for the Lions."
