Patriots' Kraft, Falcons' Dimitroff praise Detroit Lions' Bob Quinn

HOUSTON -- Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn has a fan in New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Speaking at Super Bowl LI media night Monday, Kraft praised Quinn, a former Patriots scout, for the job he did in leading the Lions to the playoffs.

"I think Bob did a great job this year," Kraft said. "The first year of any personnel man coming in, they have to clean out and starting making their vision and, look, you folks made the playoffs. I don't know how often that has happened. Things are only going to get better there."

Quinn spent 16 years in a variety of roles with the Patriots, helping the team win three Super Bowls.

He took over a Lions team that went 7-9 last year and, with the help of a strong draft and some shrewd free agent signings, turned them into a 9-7 wild-card team that reached the playoffs for the third time in six seasons.

Another former colleague of Quinn, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, also said that Quinn has the organization on the right track.

"Bob Quinn’s a very smart football guy," said Dimitroff, the Patriots' college scouting director in 2003-07 who oversaw Quinn as a regional scout for the final four of those seasons. "He’s been around the best, obviously, in building teams in New England and he knows what it is to build teams. He’s got a great future. I personally like Bob a lot. I think he’s going to be really good, and they’re a good pair there. I think that he and the head coach have a real good understanding of working together."

Asked why he believes that Quinn and Lions coach Jim Caldwell work well together -- Quinn inherited Caldwell last January and decided to keep him after a week of get-to-know-you meetings -- Dimitroff said, "Just seeing them operate."

"Knowing and talking to Bob periodically, I know he believes in the importance of a partnership," Dimitroff said. "That’s what’s so important in this league. If you don’t have a GM-head coach partnership, you can’t thrive in this league. That’s what I truly believe."

Along with exalting Quinn, Kraft also lavished praise on Lions owner Martha Ford on Monday.

"I have a special place in my heart (for her)," Kraft said. "I guess everyone knows her age (91), but I love seeing people that are a few years older than I who conduct themselves like that. And she is another case where she spoke to me when they were hiring their general manager. You have a great general manager there. And she takes everything in and she was thrown into that position and has handled it very well.

"I think the fans of Detroit should be very pleased that she's doing what she's doing."

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett .

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