Meet Lions exec Brandon Sosna, Brad Holmes' contract negotiating wizard

Orlando, Fla. — Every transaction the Lions make, whether in free agency or the draft, general manager Brad Holmes reaps the credit. It's simply the nature of his position. And it makes sense. As the head of the team's personnel department, he's the one making the final decision for each and every decision.

But that's an oversimplification of the collaborative process the Lions have in place and Holmes helps captain. There are college scouts who grind all year to build comprehensive profiles of the prospects who will be available in the upcoming draft, and a pro personnel department that maintains extensive data of the players already in the league, as well as every NFL teams' needs. That department is an invaluable resource to Holmes ahead of free agency, when a player hits waivers, when an injury replacement is needed, or even for offering insight on which players might be available on the trade market.

Holmes is quick to praise his expansive support system, often rattling off a list of names ahead of his media availabilities, and did so again this week at the league meetings.

But of all those staffers getting some time in the sun, one stands out this time of year. Senior director of football administration Brandon Sosna is a behind-the-scenes figure who has quickly become one of the organization's secret weapons. A noted up-and-comer in the industry, he made Forbes' "30 under 30" list in 2020. He spent three years at USC before the Lions brought him on board ahead of the 2022 season. Since then, he's become a central figure with the team's contract negotiations and salary cap management.

"It's been really cool to see his growth in this role," Holmes said Tuesday. "Last year was kind of his first free agency, and I thought he did a phenomenal job. This year, he knocked it out of the park again. Just with all these deals, me and (coach) Dan (Campbell) can communicate with him about these guys we're targeting, but Sosna is getting those deals done, along with (chief operating officer) Mike Disner. As always, it's a full collaboration, all hands on deck, and I truly believe this was our best free agency of all that we've had since we've been here."

Sosna reports to Disner, who was elevated to his current football/business hybrid role shortly after Holmes and Campbell were hired in 2021. The newcomer, Sosna, has quickly built a reputation for his intelligence and work ethic, helping the Lions navigate the complexities of the NFL salary cap and taking advantage of many of the nuanced devices built into the CBA.

"It’s a year-round, collaborative approach," Holmes said. "It really is. We start on this during the season, in terms of planning and our process for free agency. But me and Sosna, we work side by side, man. With the communication, the players that we’re looking to acquire at all levels, starter-level and backup-level guys. We talk about there’s a Plan A, there’s a Plan B, a Plan C, and it’s just consistent communication.

"That’s the great thing about Brandon. He’s about as elite of a communicator as I’ve been around. And he’s a grinder. He’s a grinder just like I am, just like a lot of guys in our building. It’s just that communication, collaboration year-round, where it’s at a point Brandon almost, pretty much, has a very good feel of what we’re thinking already. He's very proactive in that sense. That’s pretty much how it works. That’s how me and Sosna communicate and then he just kinda closes the deals."

Replacement still needed

For the second consecutive offseason, Holmes will have to navigate replacing a top member of his front office team. Last year, it was college scouting director Dave Sears, and this year it will be Lance Newmark, senior director of player personnel. He was named the Washington Commanders assistant general manager in February after 26 years with the Lions.

Holmes said he doesn't expect to name a replacement until May, at the earliest.

"Those are tough ones, man," Holmes said. "Losing Dave, that was hard. That was a little bit of a blow there. And then losing Lance, back-to-back was like whoa. Again, it opened up opportunities for others to step up and I still have all the confidence in the world of our current staff right now. But in terms of just filling his role or addressing any staff changes, we’ll do all that after the draft, if needed."

The Lions announced Sears' replacement, Brian Hudspeth, last June. That was an internal promotion. He joined the Lions in 2018 and had been serving as a national scout prior to getting the bump.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers