That didn't take long. New Lions General Manager Bob Quinn is a fraud, a flip-flopper. Worse, Quinn isn't a man of his word.
There's no other way to look at it after Quinn signed tight end Andrew Quarless on Monday. Oh wait. Convicted gun offender/tight end Andrew Quarless.
We get it. The Lions are desperate. They must know the injury news isn't good for both current injured tight ends, Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew.
Still, it takes a lot of gall for Quinn to come to Detroit as a first time GM, kick the door in like the new sheriff in town, lay down new laws and policies, only to go back on his word less than eight months into his regime.
This is terrible, at best.
It was Quinn - and Quinn alone - who said he would have zero tolerance on domestic violence and dangerous weapons. Here's the quote from January of this year, not 1978.
"The two things that are zero tolerance are domestic violence and dangerous weapons," said Quinn when he was introduced as the franchise's GM. "Those are the two things I'm not going to stand for - I don't believe in. That's how I feel."
How embarrassing.
Quarless, who the Lions need so badly, will miss the first two games of the season. He was suspended by the NFL just last week after pleading no contest to firing a .45 caliber hand gun during an argument with a man and two females in Miami Beach.
Here's what Quinn said in a statement after the team announced they had signed Quarless.
"We are aware of the upcoming NFL suspension of Andrew Quarless," Quinn said. "We have thoroughly researched the incident that caused the suspension and have talked at length with Andrew about this.
"Andrew was has been forthright and honest about the situation and he has gone through the process within the legal system. As an organization, we are comfortable with adding Andrew to the roster and look forward to seeing him compete for the rest of the preseason."
Quinn didn't add anything else with the tap dance act.
At least, Quinn should have admitted that he changed his mind and the Lions' no longer have a zero tolerance policy.
It's OK to change your mind, change course. Just let people know you were wrong originally and have come to a new conclusion.
Although Quinn is new here, it's so Lions. They say one thing and do another. To not address it and act as if we don't remember his stance is insulting.
Quinn owed Lions' fans - and players, for the matter - an explanation. Fans aren't sure what kind of players they will be rooting for.
And players, whether right or wrong, can feel pretty confident that a gun charge won't cost them their gig in the future. That's comforting to know.
This is not about whether Quarless deserves a second chance. Most people who have done wrong probably deserve another opportunity.
Quarless, a 2010 fifth-round draft pick, had played his entire career with the Green Bay Packers. He missed most of last season with a knee injury. In the two previous seasons before 2015, he averaged 31 catches and 318 yards.
Still, this is about Quinn and his word. It damages a man's credibility if he doesn't keep it. Your word is all you have in life.
Quinn was the one who deemed a zero tolerance policy for the Lions. He's the one who said character would be important when drafting players and signing free agents.
The media didn't paint him into a corner and demand it from him. Quinn made the statement with full confidence that this is the best way for this organization to move forward under his watch.
It's hard to imagine this will be the only time Quinn will go away from his own rules when it's convenient for him.
While Quinn is at it, he should pick up the phone and give Ray Rice a buzz, too. Rice has been honest and upfront since he was suspended from the NFL for domestic violence. Like Quarless, Rice deserves a second chance as well.
Welcome to Quinn's World where apparently anything goes - no matter what he said previously.
