The Lions announced Sunday they've retained the services of Ernie Accorsi to stay on staff in their front office as a special assistant to team president Rod Wood.
Accorsi was hired back in November to consult the Ford family and Wood on their GM search that led to the hiring of former Patriots director of pro scouting, Bob Quinn.
What will Accorsi's new role entail?
Rod Wood has made it very clear that his background is more in business and not football. He doesn't plan to interfere with football operations.
The hiring of Accorsi as an advisor gives Wood a respected football mind to lean on when it comes to matters he might not be as well-versed in.
"I was active in the league for 45 years and 10 years as a consultant," Accorsi told detroitlions.com. "I've had 45 years in the league. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I've been involved in every facet of operation.
"Whatever capacity or subject matter he wants to ask me about, I'll be happy to give him my best advice."
Will Accorsi continue to be on the NFL's Career Advisory Panel?
He will.
How did Quinn become a candidate early on?
Accorsi said he's known about Quinn for a long time and it was his job to "scout the scouts" being on the Career Advisory Panel.
"There are certain people that are going to recommend people that you trust that have a track record of knowing what it takes to be a good general manager," he said. "So, I started to check (Quinn) out with people who knew him, who worked with him and who used to work with him and knew him from being on the road."
Accorsi has a very good relationship with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who came to New England the same year Quinn did in 2000.
Belichick was very high on Quinn, according to Accorsi.
Quinn's role in building the Patriots franchise set him apart to the Lions. He even made the point that eight players on the Patriots Super Bowl roster last year, including Malcolm Butler, who won the game for them, weren't on the roster on the team's final cuts before the season.
"That just tells you what kind of work they do," Accorsi said.
Accorsi joked that the Patriots would have won a couple more Super Bowls over Quinn's time in New England if not for the quarterback Accorsi drafted in New York, Eli Manning.
What jumped out about Bob Quinn that made him the right man for this job?
The Lions met with Quinn twice last week (Tuesday and Thursday).
Not only did his body of work speak for itself, but also Accorsi said Quinn's preparedness and the direction he laid out for the franchise knocked their socks off.
"I remember when I was just a college student, I listened to the (presidential) debates in 1960 and my first impression of John Kennedy was this guy's been preparing to be president since he was eight years old," Accorsi said. "He just knew exactly what he wanted to do when he took office.
"I had that same impression when I interviewed (Bill) Belichick (back in the late 1980's).
"(Quinn) was so prepared. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. How he wanted to do it. Not only his knowledge of the game. Not only his track record as an evaluator. He just knew what it takes to win it."
Accorsi said some people just know how to win and "those people in New England" know how to win.
How many people showed some level of interest in Detroit's GM opening?
Accorsi didn't want to put a number on it, but said he got "inundated" with emails and texts and calls from a lot of people who wanted it.
"Young people that hadn't had a GM's job," he said. "Former GM's. Former people, who maybe weren't GMs, but executive vice presidents. There were a lot of people interested in this job."
How involved was Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford in the GM search process?
"She was involved, believe me," Accorsi said. "I was really impressed with her knowledge, with her interest.
"She was involved in everything. She was a delight, believe me. I did not know her. It was really a great experience for me. She was involved."
Why did Accorsi take the consulting job with Detroit in the first place?
At age 74, Accorsi thought his consulting days were over last year after he helped the Bears find their GM, Ryan Pace.
"Jerry Richardson (Panthers owner), who was so close to Mrs. Ford, and the commissioner (Roger Goodell) said, 'I really want you, if you can, to help them because they're so committed to winning.'"
