How Detroit Lions Stack Up Against Other Potential GM Job Openings

Jim Caldwell's fate is undecided.

The Detroit Lions head coach's job will probably be safe until his new boss is identified. Former general manager Martin Mayhew was axed almost two months ago, and Detroit seems keen on waiting until after the season to name his successor.

While the Lions are the only team to have ousted their general manager thus far, they'll likely have competition on the executive talent market. So how will Detroit stack up against the rest when potential front office types are perusing their options?

Definite Passes

We have to suspend reality and throw in some speculation to pull off these pseudo rankings, so do not take any of the following as anything more than that.

The Tennessee Titans already fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt some time ago and haven't improved much since his dismissal. Considering this is Ruston Webster's fourth season at the helm, his head has to be near the chopping block as well.

And the Cleveland Browns are simply the Browns. Ray Farmer is only in his second year, but who would be shocked if they chucked everything into Lake Erie and started over?

"

By the way, I hear that changes in Cleveland are brewing, and expected at the end of the season. Ray Farmer is about to get the shank.

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 21, 2015"

In this scenario, neither team can touch Detroit in terms of career prospects. The Titans have almost $20 million in cap space, per Spotrac, but a roster that doesn't have anywhere near as much talent. Their young quarterback situation (Marcus Mariota) gives them the nod over the Browns, however, and they have over $5 million more cap space available too.

Things are Heating Up

The New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins take the next two spots, with Miami getting the edge based solely on Drew Brees' age. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill hasn't proven he can be great, but he'll at least play for the next few years. Brees' career looks like it could end with every passing hit.

Plus, the Saints can't match Miami in terms of talent either. Ndamukong Suh leads an intriguing yet underperforming front line, and that's a huge improvement over anything New Orleans has to offer.

"

And the sad season for the #Saints continues. No players named to the #ProBowl roster. One of only six teams with no players selected.

— Kelsey Wingert (@KelsWingert) December 23, 2015"

However, both teams are facing an offseason in salary-cap hell. Both are projected to be over the cap once the league year turns over to 2016. That alone disqualifies them in the face of Detroit's almost $20.5 million worth of cap space, and that's before discussing offensive tackle Riley Reiff's $8 million cap hit that carries no dead money.

The True Competitors

The New York Giants offer an intriguing option. Head coach Tom Coughlin is coming under increasing fire as his team keeps blowing close games, and it's fair to wonder if it will spread toward general manager Jerry Reese.

"

Tom Coughlin is fighting for his job. People are actually surprised he didn't want to suspend his best player in the middle of a game?

— Bart Hubbuch (@BartHubbuch) December 22, 2015"

Quarterback Eli Manning is a two-time Super Bowl winner with one of the game's elite receivers at his disposal. While Odell Beckham Jr. needs to remove his head from a certain unfortunate spot after his tantrum-riddled performance against the Carolina Panthers, there's no denying the Madden cover boy's talent.

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

However, the other side of the ball presents a real problem for New York. The Giant's best defender might never reach his pre-firework heights, but they do have a prospective $38 million in cap space to deal with the problem. 

The Indianapolis Colts are in a similar position. Andrew Luck hasn't had the type of year many expected from the 2014 fantasy MVP, but few people are ready to give up on him yet.

Yet Colts general manager Ryan Grigson might not have the option to next year anyway. He's given out some terrible free-agent contracts—linebacker Erik Walden should have received half of his four-year, $16 million contract—and his draft strategy would make Matt Miller cringe.

"

Anyway, I've gotta go write about how Ryan Grigson and Chuck Pagano are terrible at their jobs for the 1,000th time.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) December 21, 2015"

Indianapolis has a commensurate amount of cap space ($20.1 million) in relation to the Lions, but the Colts don't boast a commensurate defense, especially when accounting for the division they play in.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

The Lions are the more complete team entering this offseason. The Lions do have a few more big choices to make this offseason, however, like whether to re-sign defensive end Jason Jones or defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

What the decision will likely come down to for those on the job hunt next month is which quarterback do you like better? And while Luck has more aplomb nationally, it's worth nothing that Stafford is only one year older and has thrown for 14 touchdowns against just two interceptions in his last six games, all of which featured an offense more compatible to his talents.

So the competition this summer for top executives will probably only come down to these two teams, assuming all contractual details are even. For once, that actually leaves Detroit in a great position.

All salary cap statistics are sourced from Spotrac.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter @BrandonAlisoglu.