Five things to know about Ray Agnew, the Lions executive who could fill the Dolphins’ general manager vacancy

Get to know one of the most respected names available in the 2026 GM cycle.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew after the joint practice with New York Giants at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Few executives across the NFL landscape who don’t hold a general manager position come with a better reputation than Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew. As the Miami Dolphins kick off their formal and official search for their own next general manager, Agnew certainly feels like a name to know. He’s older than your usual candidate — he turned 58 last month. But Agnew has been around the block and worn many hats.

The question of whether or not he’s the right fit for the Dolphins could come down to just how well he wears the hat Miami is looking for. Reports as we inch closer to the official opening of the interview window suggest that Miami is seeking a scout and team builder first and foremost. Agnew has done that with two successful programs, making him someone you should know.

What else do you need to know about Ray Agnew? Here are five big things to know about this general manager candidate for the Miami Dolphins.

Five things Dolphins fans should know about GM candidate and Lions executive Ray Agnew

Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew after the joint practice with New York Giants at Detroit Lions headquarters and training facility in Allen Park on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

1. He’s been in the shoes of the players

Agnew knows what it is like to deal with the rigors, distractions, and hardships that come with being an NFL player. He walked in their shoes for a decade. Agnew was a standout at NC State, and the Patriots selected him inside the top 10 in 1990. He would go on to finish his career with the Rams, where he served as a starter and helped the team secure a Super Bowl win over the Tennessee Titans.

That playing experience is helpful from a leadership, management, and player relations standpoint. But it isn’t the only thing Agnew has done in his NFL career to position him to build strong player relationships as a leader.

2. A diverse background of responsibilities

Seven years. Agnew was the team’s director of player development and served as the team’s pastor for seven years. Per his biography page, Agnew was “a spiritual mentor for players and assisted them with life issues.” Additionally, he served in the Rams’ personnel department and eventually rose to assistant director of pro scouting before assuming his first full leadership role — director of pro personnel in 2017.

He left the Rams in 2021, joining Brad Holmes in Detroit to build the Lions from the ground up. He’s been the assistant general manager ever since. What does Agnew do in the role?

He “assists and consults…Holmes with all functions of the player personnel department. Agnew continues to be a key asset in helping Holmes with roster construction and team building. His influence continues to be an integral in the roster construction and success of the club during his tenure.”

Detroit Lions executive & general manager candidate Ray Agnew’s NFL career

  • 10th overall draft selection (New England Patriots) in the 1990 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State
  • Played for the Patriots, Giants, Panthers, and Rams — won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams
  • Retired from playing in 2000
  • Served seven seasons with the Rams as director of player development & team pastor
  • Director of pro personnel: 2017-2020 (Los Angeles Rams)
  • Assistant general manager: 2021-present (Detroit Lions)

3. He’s seen both extremes of team-building

The man has been a part of “F them picks” with Les Snead, and he’s been a part of drafting a high volume of draft selections as Holmes and the Lions built their roster from the ground up. Both processes could not be further apart in philosophy, but they’re both rooted in the same thing — conviction in players. In the years Agnew held the director of pro personnel title in Los Angeles, the team did not make a single first-round draft choice. It’s pretty incredible.

In Detroit, the Lions made five first-round picks in three seasons: OT Penei Sewell, EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, WR Jameson Williams, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, and LB Jack Campbell. Where does Agnew’s personal philosophy in asset management stand? That’s for the interviews to uncover.

4. An Ozzie Newsome comparison

Don’t get mad at me. I didn’t make the comparison. Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead once did, though.

“I can only imagine him being very similar to Ozzie Newsome,” Snead said via an interview with Yahoo! Sports. “A former player. Has impeccable character along with mental toughness. You feel it when the waters get high, and there’s a little bit of chaos. There’s definitely a calm, sound presence from Ray. He’s one of those guys that, when the winds are blowing strong, you wanna go see Ray and you feel like, ‘Hey he can steady the ship’…That’s the leadership quality and that’s the human quality. Being a former player and all of that, in his role now in personnel, he’s very, very good at evaluating football players. But the first part is what I’d put on his tombstone.”

5. An all-time hit he pounded the table for

Agnew was, reportedly, the first to pound the table for Aaron Donald in the Rams’ building during the 2014 NFL Draft. Donald, who was drafted 13th overall that season, finished his NFL career with 111 sacks and three AP Defensive Player of the Year awards.

“Ray was a huge advocate of Aaron..and because Ray is such a steady presence, when he gets excited about someone, you can just feel, ‘OK, there’s a good chance this guy is going to be a really good player.’ He was on board with Aaron from the first moment he saw Aaron in the process,” Les Snead recalled in that same Yahoo! interview.

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