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2025 Detroit Lions: 4-1 Lions win battle of the big cats. (34 Viewers)

Surprise! Anzalone is practicing today.

Tyleik Williams is out for personal reasons.

Coach was impressed with Isaac TeSlaa yesterday but still pronouncing his name wrong (teh•SLAW not TEH•sluh bruh.) Also, he’s dealing with a minor ding on his knee - his answer was in response to a Q about him grinding through pain.

Dave Birkett (Freep): “The Lions have had dialogue about signing 4-time Pro Bowler Matthew Judon, a free agent [and] West Bloomfield High & Grand Valley State product who had 5.5 sacks for the Atlanta Falcons last season." I am interpreting that might mean AQ Muhammad or Paschal not being ready longer than assumed.

Day 6 is the first day with fans in attendance. The media has different rules when the practices are open (not allowed to tweet during closed practices.) 26 Lions centric X accounts

ETA fixed link
 
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Still on injury list:​

  • LT Taylor Decker (PUP)
  • G Miles Frazier (PUP)
  • DT Alim McNeill (PUP)
  • DT Mekhi Wingo (PUP)
  • EDGE Josh Paschal (NFI)
  • LB Malcolm Rodriguez (PUP)
  • CB Khalil Dorsey (PUP)
No changes to this list or updates on any of these players.

Returned to practice:​

  • WR Tim Patrick
  • DT Roy Lopez
  • DT Tyleik Williams
  • EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad
  • LB Alex Anzalone
  • CB Ennis Rakestraw
The Lions got a whole slew of guys back at practice Saturday. Most notably, Tyleik Williams was back after missing Friday’s practice for “personal reasons,” per Dan Campbell.

(my bad - thought he was missing today but it was Friday…family emergency)

TeSlaa (teh•SLAW) mossed somebody for a 30 yard TD to end today’s practice. I know he’s raw but every day he does something spectacular. Also stays late to catch balls on the juggs machine. Probably a year away but really think he could be special.

Today’s practice tickets were exclusive to season ticket holders. MFF was out with Sheila + a lot of alumni.
 
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Exploring Detroit Lions reported interest in Matthew Judon​



Allen Park — Colleague Dave Birkett generated some buzz heading into the weekend when he reported the Detroit Lions have had conversations about adding edge rusher Matthew Judon. The news, seemingly out of left field, is worthy of dissection.

Admittedly, we don’t know how serious Detroit’s interest is in Judon, specifically, at least in the way it was reported. It’s certainly possible things didn’t progress much beyond an internal conversation, one of hundreds that team leadership has regarding available players.

Lions coach Dan Campbell downplayed the team’s desire to add outside pass-rush help when asked by Birkett during Friday’s press conference.

“Just worried about evaluating the guys we got here right now,” Campbell said. “We’ve got a good crop of guys in here, young players. We’re about to go see what we can pull out of them, see what we can develop, see what comes from it, and we’ll take it from there.”

Still, some evergreen truths exist when it pertains to roster management. Probably the most significant is that front offices are always looking for ways to improve the roster. How many times have you heard a GM drop the cliche that they’re turning over every stone, whether it’s via free agency, the draft or the trade market? And there are few more obvious ways to give a roster a jolt than bolstering the pass rush. Lions fans have certainly been clamoring for more to be invested into edge rushers this offseason.

So, at the most basic level, the idea that Detroit's brass had dialogue about Judon makes sense. This is a four-time Pro Bowler we’re talking about, a guy who had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons in 2021 and 2022. And even though he’s in the twilight of his career with declining production as he approaches his 33rd birthday, there’s probably enough in the tank to meaningfully contribute in a rotational role.

Detroit’s interest is almost certainly fueled by the team’s injury situation. Going into the offseason, the top four spots on the edge-rushing depth chart seemed clear. Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport were going to start, with Josh Paschal and Al-Quadin Muhammad providing depth.

The problem is that depth has been shelved by injury. The Lions got good news on that front on Saturday when Muhammad returned to practice. But Paschal remains on the non-football list and isn’t expected back until early September. And, respectfully, sixth-round draft pick Ahmed Hassanein has a ways to go with his development before he’s ready to fill that void.

Between Paschal and an inability to fully trust Davenport, after three consecutive seasons marred by injury, the Lions can reasonably use an injection of depth, someone capable of playing between 15-25 snaps per game immediately, and able to step into a bigger role if an injury further up the depth chart dictates it.

There’s been a lingering expectation that Za’Darius Smith would be the guy to fill that void, if needed. He has not hidden his interest in returning to Detroit since being released as a cap casualty in March. So what would make Judon a preferable option? Maybe he’s cheaper. Perhaps the Lions feel better about his reliability against the run. Or maybe floating Judon’s name out there is a leverage play in an effort to lower Smith’s price tag into a range the Lions are comfortable paying.

For now, as Campbell pointed out, they’re going to see what they have in their youth. Sure, Hassanein is part of that conversation, but so are Nate Lynn, Mitchell Agude, Isaac Ukwu and Keith Cooper, a 280-pound undrafted free agent who might be the best of the bunch in simulating Paschal’s ability to play both on the edge and inside.

With Smith or Judon, it wouldn't take them long to get up to speed. The Lions can go through a preseason game or two to gauge whether they've got a temporary solution already on the roster. And if no cream rises, they can pivot to one of those veterans with enough time for them to be ready to roll when Week 1 rolls around.
 

Lions camp observations: The cavalry has arrived​



Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Saturday morning training camp practice.

● The Detroit Lions got back several injured players for Saturday’s padded practice. The biggest surprise was Alex Anzalone, who had been nursing a hamstring strain. Still, he was a question mark beyond that because he’s been pushing for a contract extension that the team has been reluctant to give.

Admittedly, Anzalone didn’t do a lot. He ran the conditioning hill after individual and skeleton drills as he works up to full-team activity. His presence led to speculation that an extension might be close, but the veteran linebacker laughed when asked that after practice, stating plainly there’s been no progress.

In addition to Anzalone, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad made his practice debut, while cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (chest) and defensive tackles Roy Lopez (foot) and Tyleik Williams (personal matter) returned from brief absences.

Williams and Lopez immediately jumped back into the full practice routine, with Williams taking first-team reps and Lopez slotting in with the second group. Muhammad was more on Anzalone’s acclimation path, while Rakestraw was in between, seeing some seven-on-seven red zone work in the second half of practice.

In terms of players sitting out, safety Kerby Joseph was a notable new addition. He suffered what appeared to be a relatively minor lower-body injury at the end of Friday’s practice. Avonte Maddox stepped into Joseph’s snaps with the first-team defense.

● For the third consecutive day, Graham Glasgow was snapping for the first team offense, with rookie Tate Ratledge at right guard.

“When you get the day off, you have the ability to kind of sit back, look at it all, think about it,” coach Dan Campbell said when I asked him about the swap on Friday. “And then it’s like, ‘You know what? Why don’t we — let’s just go ahead and throw Graham back in there at center and get Tate some of these guard reps. We’re still going to work him at center, but let’s go ahead and do this and see what this looks like for a little bit. We go into pads.’ So, like I said, we’re just seeing what we can find. What’s the best combination? Who’s going to play best where?”

● Martha Ford was in attendance, getting shuttled around in a golf cart along with her daughter and owner Sheila Hamp. The pair drew a loud ovation from the season-ticket holders in attendance.

● The physicality was at a good level all day. The first big collision occurred between running back Kyle Robichaux and safety Loren Strickland along the sideline, drawing a nice pop from the crowd.

Robichaux and Jabari Smith both ran with good physicality throughout the day. They should be a fun pair to watch in the preseason opener, where they’re likely to shoulder most, if not all, of the backfield workload.

As for Strickland, he followed up the big hit by disrupting a handoff in the backfield and contributing to a tackle for a loss.

● The Lions have been building up their kickoff block/coverage for the past week and tested the full-play blocking scheme this week. It’s always telling which players are getting the first-team reps on special teams. Among the ones that caught my eye were tight end Shane Zylstra, linebacker Zach Cunningham, safety Dan Jackson, defensive end Ahmed Hassanein and linebacker DaRon Gilbert.

Hassanein got a double workload, staying on the field with the second team. He’s got a long way to go before he’s considered a viable option with those groups. Regardless, he’s likely going to be on the 53-man roster, so the team is hammering home the reps, trying to find him an early role.

With Zylstra, he’s been the more consistent performer in the battle for Detroit’s third tight end job. His role here is reflective of the team recognizing he has a leg up on newcomer Kenny Yeboah.

Zylstra has grabbed the lead through his receiving acumen. He ran a crisp crossing route on Friday, getting open for a longer throw out of play-action from Hendon Hooker.

● After a stellar practice on Friday, Cunningham had some coverage struggles, getting beaten for a massive catch and run by tight end Sam LaPorta and giving up a first-down grab to Brock Wright, coming out of the backfield as the lead blocker in an I-formation.

● Aidan Hutchinson continues to shine. He had a tackle for loss on David Montgomery. The defender also ripped by offensive tackle Dan Skipper for a would-be sack during another full-team rep.

● Jake Bates was perfect on the day, with six makes ranging between 33 and 53 yards. The final effort, from 53, was low and kind of a squib, but it split the uprights.

● The Lions ran another session of one-on-ones between the offensive and defensive linemen, and you better believe I found a spot as close to that action as I possibly could.

After getting cooked on a spin move Friday, Penei Sewell rebounded with shutdown reps against Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, stonewalling a plodding spin move on the latter. Hutchinson came back with a win later against Skipper.

Ratledge showed good handwork and balance, battling through the initial moves of both Lopez and Chris Smith to win his reps.

Graham Glasgow was excellent, shutting down DJ Reader twice, and Christian Mahogany rounded out the quality showing of the interior by stuffing Tyleik Williams and rookie Keith Cooper.

Even the backup guards performed well, with Kayode Awosika and Michael Niese logging multiple winning reps.

On the struggling side, Giovanni Manu has had better days this camp. Pat O’Connor got the young offensive tackle with a swim move, and Mitchell Agude bent the edge with ease after bursting out of his stance. Manu’s only win was stalling out Hassanein’s bull rush after getting initially knocked back a couple of yards.

● Rookie receiver Dominic Lovett didn’t get off to the best start, bobbling a flare in the flat that ended in an incompletion when cornerback Tyson Russell blew up Tim Patrick’s lead block into Lovett’s lap. But the rookie rebounded with a pair of contested catches, including a slick slant on a third-down play in the red zone, where he burned cornerback Dicaprio Bootle on the release and held on through contact from the linebacker across the middle.

● There were two other contested catches, on deep balls, that thrilled the crowd. Early in practice, undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks hauled in a pretty one-hander over his shoulder, drawing the loudest cheers of the day. He took a moment to soak in the adulation in front of the stands.

And ending practice, Isaac TeSlaa snagged a deep fade from Hendon Hooker over tight coverage from Bootle.

● During full-team red-zone work, the offense was kept out of the end zone. For the first-team defense, the coverage took away everything on first down, and Reader came through the line for a sack on second, leading to an overthrown slot fade intended for Kalif Raymond on third down.

With the second offense, Patrick dropped a flare to the flat to open the series before YeBoah moved the chains with a catch-and-run on third down. But on the final snap of four, safety Dan Jackson tracked running back Jabari Small across the field, making a stop after a short gain on the perimeter run.

● Detroit’s quarterbacks showed some decent mobility late in the day, including Jared Goff, who sidestepped Derrick Barnes’ blitz and found Kalif Raymond late on a crossing pattern, which the receiver turned up the sideline for a big gain.

Meanwhile, third-stringer Kyle Allen tucked the ball, running up the gut for a sizeable chunk while displaying better-than-anticipated speed and athleticism in the open field.
 

Thoughts on the Detroit Lions' offense after watching a week of camp practices​



Allen Park — A week into training camp, with the preseason opener on the horizon, it felt like a good time to gather my position-by-position thoughts on the roster.

We’ll start with the offense today before looking at defense on Monday morning.

Quarterback​

In my 14th season covering the team, I can’t remember a camp where the Lions had more effective quarterback play throughout the depth chart.

Starter Jared Goff is a known commodity. There’s not much to add here. He’s the accurate and efficient starter you’ve come to love during his time with the Lions. The mistakes have been minimal throughout camp, with just one interception in full-team work, and even that one could be more directly blamed on the receiver than the quarterback. The more critical evaluation of Goff will come when the red, no-contact jersey comes off in the regular season. That’s when we’ll be able to better process the impact of the team’s offensive line remodel, and the threat of additional inside pressure, alters his command of the pocket.

The more attention-grabbing development has been the backup competition. In his third season, Hendon Hooker is looking more and more like the player the Lions hoped he’d be when they took advantage of an injury-related slide down the board to snag him in the third round of the 2023 draft.

Hooker missed his rookie camp while recovering from an ACL injury, and was wildly inconsistent in his second year as he adjusted to retooled mechanics and an injured thumb on his throwing hand. His velocity and accuracy on intermediate and deep routes have been eye-catching this summer.

More importantly, his timing and anticipation are vastly improved. Last year, Hooker held on to the ball for far too long, far too often, eating sacks or relying on his legs to escape self-inflicted trouble. Those moments still crop up, but at a more reasonable rate as the ball is regularly getting out under 2.5 seconds.

Meanwhile, the third member of the room, veteran Kyle Allen, has been better than most of the backup options who have rolled through Allen Park the past decade. He has impressive poise in the pocket and matches the other QBs' knack for putting the ball where it needs to be, including some tight windows across the middle, even if the throws lack Hooker’s zip.

Running back​

You might remember coach Dan Campbell raving about David Montgomery’s impressive conditioning coming into camp last year. Well, the veteran’s motivation is once again palpable through his preparation. Still in the heart of his physical prime after celebrating his 28th birthday last month, Montgomery looks like a man on a mission. He also sounds like one, talking this camp about wanting to remind everyone he's part of this record-breaking offense, as well.

We already know what Montgomery can do running between the tackles. Where he’s commanded my attention more this summer is his burst and open-field elusiveness in the screen game.

Montgomery’s pass-game contributions weren’t fully appreciated last season. He caught 36 of 38 balls thrown his way, averaging a career-high 9.5 yards per catch. It wouldn’t be surprising to see new offensive coordinator John Morton tap into that ability more in 2025. That, along with Jahmyr Gibbs getting more practice time running routes from the slot and out wide, could open the door for more two-back sets, as well.

Further down the depth chart, Sione Vaki’s hamstring injury has opened the door for more practice reps for Jabari Small and rookie Kyle Robichaux. Both run with good physicality, while Small’s initial burst through the hole and around the edge is intriguing. If the backup offensive line can provide decent blocking in the preseason, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the backfield depth pieces thrive in those contests.

Wide receiver​

Early in camp, watching Amon-Ra St. Brown win route after route, I said to another reporter, “I’m sure he’ll ever be viewed as the best receiver in the league, but I’m not sure there’s a player who maximizes their abilities more.”

What will always keep St. Brown behind the Justin Jefferson and JaMarr Chase types is his lack of a consistent vertical component to his arsenal. It’s not from a lack of effort. The Lions have been working in more deep shots to St. Brown this camp, but it’s just not something that’s taking hold.

St. Brown is damn near elite in every other aspect of the position, impossible to cover in the short to intermediate parts of the field, even when defenses know he’s the go-to option in critical situations. But on sideline shots, cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and DJ Reed are typically in St. Brown’s back pocket, successfully challenging the throws.

Turning to Jameson Williams, I don’t know what more needs to be written. The electric receiver is primed to reach new heights in his fourth season, thanks to an enhanced route tree that features better timing and cleaner transitions. For the first time, Williams looks to have true No. 1 potential.

Interestingly, it looks like the Lions might be looking to increase Kalif Raymond’s usage after his targets have declined three straight years, from a career-high 71 in 2021 to just 22 last year. In one-on-one work, his speed and pristine fundamentals make him borderline uncoverable. That doesn’t always translate to full-team work, when he’s rarely the primary option. Still, he’s been rotating more frequently with Tim Patrick as the third receiver with St. Brown and Williams, pointing to a potentially bigger role in 2025.

As for the rookies, it’s easy to like where they’re at in this early stage. Isaac TeSlaa has shown toughness, both in his ability to fight through a sore knee and running through a tackle attempt in a head-to-head drill the first day of pads. The knee has impacted his ability to maintain speed through his route breaks, but not his top gear, where he’s had his share of success doing damage on deep shots.

With Dominic Lovett, there’s a grittiness matched with a strong fundamental base that reminds you a little of a mix of St. Brown and Raymond. The seventh-round pick has shown an ability to get separation with his releases, but also pull down tough grabs in traffic. Plus, he’s a high-effort guy during special teams drill, where his speed can be an asset.

Even closer to the bottom of the depth chart, there’s promise. For me, the biggest standout has been Jackson Meeks. He had one of the best catches in camp this weekend, hauling in a deep ball with one hand, but his best work has been as a big target over the middle. Plus, he brings a lot to the table as a special teams performer.

If the room weren’t so crowded, I’d have no issue squeezing Meeks onto the roster in an updated projection. He’s a rare player who I’m not sure gets through waivers on cutdown day. If he does, the Lions would be fortunate to keep him around on the practice squad.

Tight end​

Despite less experience, we can put Sam LaPorta in the same bucket as Goff and St. Brown. The third-year tight end is a known commodity, continuing to refine his reputation as one of the best route-running tight ends in the NFL.

LaPorta got off to a sluggish start last season because of a camp injury. That’s not a concern this year. He’s been giving Detroit’s linebackers fits and looks primed to pick up where he left off last year, when he was on a nearly 100-catch pace the final five games of the season.

In the competition for the third job, behind LaPorta and Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra has taken an early lead on Kenny Yeboah. The two offer contrasting styles, with Zylstra as the former college receiver who is the more dynamic in the pass game compared to Yeboah, who made his mark as an inline blocker for the Jets.

With only two days of padded practices, Zylstra’s been able to showcase his abilities more frequently. And it didn’t help that Yeboah dropped one of the few throws his direction. As we shift into preseason games and joint practices, he’ll get more opportunities to showcase what he does best.

And even though the practice squad is more likely the destination for Zach Horton, I don’t want to close the door on the undrafted rookie. The 6-foot-4, 252-pounder has shown some early promise as a blocker.

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Discussion of the OL continues in the next post
 

Offensive tackle​

Maybe I’m crazy, but it doesn’t feel like Penei Sewell has been quite as dominant as we’ve come to expect. That sentiment may be a symptom of seeing Aidan Hutchinson, one of the league’s elite edge rushers, get his fair share of rep wins. Regardless, Sewell at 90% expectation is still the best tackle this town has ever seen.

If Sewell is giving up his fair share of pressure to Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, you can imagine how things have been going for Dan Skipper, who is repping in place of injured left tackle Taylor Decker. It’s a reminder that outside quarterback, there’s probably not a position where there’s a wider gap between starters and backups around the league.

Of course, few players have commanded more fan interest this offseason than Giovanni Manu, the second-year offensive tackle. We can start the conversation by acknowledging, yes, the improvements from last camp to this one have been significant. We can also plainly state there’s a long way to go. Coach Dan Campbell accurately described the development as two steps forward and one step back.

As a rookie, it would be generous to say Manu won half his reps while working mostly against third- and fourth-string defenders. It was as poorly as you'll see an NFL offensive lineman perform on the practice field. This year, as the second-team offensive tackle, the win rate is closer to 75%. That’s legitimate and promising progress, but it also tells you the offense would be in trouble if Manu were forced into action during a regular-season game. Right now, I’d feel more comfortable with Jamarco Jones, a veteran closer to Skipper’s abilities.

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Interior offensive line​

This has quietly become one of the deepest spots on Detroit’s roster. There remains legitimate concern about how quickly the revamped interior can come together. Still, the competition for reserve jobs is promising.

Let’s focus on the starting situation first. Early in camp, the Lions ran a practice focusing on third downs. What stood out was the wide array of blitzes the defense ran and the success they had sending extra rushers. I don’t think it was a coincidence that the team shifted rookie Tate Ratledge to guard the next practice, earlier than originally planned.

Physically, Ratledge is doing fine. Many of the traits that showed up on his college tape are translating, particularly his ability to work his hands to adjust and reanchor in the middle of a pass protection rep. But it’s hardly a surprise that the mental aspects of center are coming more slowly. That’s a demanding position, and one where the Lions have routinely eased in early-round draft picks into the starting job, including Frank Ragnow, who played guard his rookie year.

I said it after Ragnow’s retirement, and I still believe it now: Graham Glasgow is the better option in 2025. The versatile veteran looks healthy and rejuvenated after laboring across the finish line a year ago. Even in one-on-one work, the way he’s handled matchups with DJ Reader and Tyleik Williams has been encouraging.

Equally encouraging has been the steady performance of Christian Mahogany at left guard. I cautioned against setting the bar too high based on the small sample size of two starts as a rookie. However, he’s arguably been Detroit’s most consistent lineman this camp. He marries violence, nasty demeanor and technique very well.

Flipping back to the depth, Detroit is going to have some difficult roster decisions. Netane Muti picked up where he left off last offseason, before his year was prematurely ended by a torn pec. Kayode Awosika has been performing at a consistently high level. Michael Niese and Kingsley Eguakun have taken steps forward in their development. And newcomer Trystn Colon, a vet with some experience at multiple spots, is quickly forcing his way into the mix.

That group’s collective performance has left Colby Sorsdal pinned into reps with the third-team offense, making it difficult to see a path to a roster spot for the third-year lineman.
 

Thoughts on the Detroit Lions' defense after watching a week of camp practices​



Allen Park — Through the first week of Detroit Lions training camp, it’s felt like a relatively seamless transition from former coordinator Aaron Glenn to Kelvin Sheppard calling the shots.

Following up on Sunday morning’s thoughts on the team’s offense, here’s a deep dive into what I’ve seen from Sheppard’s group through six practices.

Edge​

Through the first few camp observation posts, I didn’t mention Aidan Hutchinson. For several of you in the chat and comments, this unintentionally served as some sort of red flag. In reality, there wasn’t much to add from OTAs, where Hutchinson looked to be moving fine. It felt best to wait until the pads came on at the end of the week before providing fresh insight on Detroit's whirling dervish.

It didn’t take long into the first of two padded days for Hutchinson to do something worthy of sharing with the masses. By now, you've read the stories and likely seen the clip of the defender putting All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell in a blender with a wicked inside spin move.

Of course, a single rep rarely tells a story. However, in this case, it was emblematic of where Hutchinson is in his recovery from last season’s broken leg. A few minutes later, Hutchinson lined up on the opposite side of the line and blew past Dan Skipper with equal ease. Carrying that into team drills, Hutchinson has spent enough time in the backfield to merit paying local taxes. If he’s not all the way back, he’s only a fraction of a percentage away.

Opposite Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport has also hit the ground running. Last year, the former first-rounder had rust to knock off after being held out of the offseason program. That’s not the case this camp, and it shows. Davenport’s power has been an asset for the defensive front, resulting in the big-framed defensive end making several plays in the backfield.

Your skepticism with Davenport is understood. I have no counterargument. He has to prove he can stay healthy. Regardless, at this moment, it’s easy to see why the Lions were willing to make the bet.

Further down the depth chart, there’s not a ton cooking with Josh Paschal on the non-football injury list and Al-Quadin Muhammad just returning to action after missing several days with an unknown ailment.

Detroit has several young options vying for jobs. Returning from last year are Isaac Ukwu, Mitchell Agude and Nate Lynn. Of the three, Agude and Lynn have flashed a little more frequently in the pass-rushing department. Beyond Hutchinson, those two probably offer the best combination of burst and bend on the roster. The key for both will be steadily improving their consistency, demonstrating they can do it in the preseason games, and showing they can be trusted to set an edge in run support. Lynn has unquestionably caused some problems for Detroit's third-string offensive tackles. I'd like to see him do the same against a better level of competition.

The last piece to the puzzle is rookie Ahmed Hassanein. I’d say the adjustment period is going about how you might imagine. He’s not a bender, so he relies on his power and relentless effort to win reps. He’s had a few decent ones, but it’s not as if he’s ahead of expectation or making me rethink his potential to have an early impact on defense.

I still think he's earmarked for a spot on the 53, but Hassanein really needs to make major strides with his special teams assignments if he’s going to carve out a game-day role. He didn’t do a lot of it at Boise State, and his technique had been shaky when working kickoff coverage and kickoff return/block drills.

One thing is for certain: You don’t lose track of Hassanein for long. About every 10 minutes, he lets out a primal scream. It’s just his way of getting himself pumped up.

Defensive tackle​

Speaking of formerly injured veterans not having to shake off rust like they did last season, DJ Reader looks rejuvenated two years removed from tearing his quad. For a man on the wrong side of 30, on a defense full of young studs, he looks like he could give the unit a surprisingly big boost.

And let’s be honest, the defensive interior will need it with Alim McNeill on the shelf until midseason and Levi Onwuzurike done for the year.

Also holding down the fort for older dudes is Pat O’Connor. Before the Onwuzurike news broke, I wasn't sure where O’Connor fit. Now, the value of his versatility is apparent. He’s seen snaps at nose tackle, 3-technique and on the edge, and even though most of the workload has come with the second-team defense, he’s provided the most consistent backfield disruption for his position group.

It’s been more difficult to see Tyleik Williams’ impact. The first-round pick did have some rust after sitting out OTAs, making sure his hamstring was fully healed. He got up over 340 pounds during the spring, but is back down to 325 as of last week. That's his normal playing weight.

Williams has been eating space and clogging lanes in the run game, which is a strong foundation, but he hasn’t been much of a pocket disruptor. Even in one-on-one pass rush work, he’s consistently stalled out against Detroit’s projected starters along the interior of the offensive line.

Similarly, I expected a little more out of Chris Smith, the local product returning for his third season. He’s taking some first-team reps, particularly the day Williams was absent to attend to a personal matter, but didn’t stand out. Smith has also struggled in individual pass-rush drills.

So has Brodric Martin, who has flashed a pretty good first step, but can’t seem to build off of it as he stays pinned to the bottom of the depth chart.

If there’s been a standout with the young players on the inside, it’s undrafted rookie Keith Cooper. O’Connor called Cooper a dawg and praised the 280-pound rookie’s pass-rush ability, which has been readily apparent to those watching practice. His suddenness at the snap allows him to get edges on guards and affect the quarterback and redirect running backs. But O’Connor also noted Cooper needs more rocks in his pocket against the run. That’s the downside of playing inside with such a light frame.

Linebacker​

No one in the room can consistently cover Sam LaPorta, but I’m not sure that’s a problem exclusive to Detroit’s corps. When coming downhill, the group looks good. Still, it’s a little difficult to assign meaning because the linebackers have flourished in segments where it’s known the offense is running and they can trigger downhill without consequence.

It’s too early to have a read on what kind of strides Jack Campbell has made in coverage. He clearly has command of the defense, his gap-filling and stack-and-shed ability are outstanding, and he never shies away from delivering a thumping hit. I simply want to see more evidence of improved stickiness in man-to-man and with his zone drop positioning before I’m ready to shout “break out” from the rooftop.

We’ve already written about Zach Cunningham, the former NFL tackle king, attempting to get his career back on track. I love the way he moves coming forward, both against the run and on passes to the flat. He has effortless sideline-to-sideline range in that regard. However, he’s had some major coverage issues that extend beyond the expected problems posed by LaPorta.

It highlights the continued importance of Alex Anzalone to the defense. He returned Saturday, so I expect to see him replace Cunningham in full-team reps soon. But I still think the newcomer has put himself in a good position to win a job. Cunningham could be a fine addition to goal-line and short-yardage packages, plus he has some special teams prowess.

Speaking of special teams, Grant Stuard is delivering as expected in those roles. Defensively, he’s so sudden with his downhill trigger, which has made him one of the more effective blitzers in the early stages of camp. Derrick Barens has also flashed some ability to find an unblocked lane on his way to the quarterback. Collectively, the unit is doing a good job disguising its pressure looks pre-snap.

Among Detroit’s other special-teams-first linebackers lower on the depth chart, Trevor Nowaske has been making the most plays. He’s been particularly effective hunting down running backs on perimeter runs, regularly drawing praise from coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
 

Cornerback​

One of the biggest stories from the first week of camp has been the play of second-year man Terrion Arnold. Never lacking confidence, his cup now runneth over. He’s smothering receivers on short and intermediate routes with vastly improved technique, relying on his feet, not his hands, and playing the ball, not the man. He’s regularly forcing incompletions and had a brilliant interception working against Amon-Ra St. Brown in one-on-ones.

If there’s a deficiency, if we can even call it that, given the opposing talent, it’s conceding a steep on vertical routes when covering the likes of Jameson Williams. Arnold has good, not elite speed, and hasn’t found a way to match it consistently in coverage, often giving up separation on go balls. That said, there’s a recognition that most NFL cornerbacks will struggle to turn and run with Williams, which will only become more challenging as he increases his reliability with comeback patterns.

On the opposite side, DJ Reed is delivering on early expectations. Obviously, he’s getting beaten his fair share in one-on-one battles with St. Brown. That’s to be expected. But Reed gets his wins, too, and has been particularly sticky downfield.

Nothing new to add on Amik Robertson. He remains physical, shows good anticipation on routes as they develop in front of him, but can struggle with longer developing horizontal routes. He had a nice interception toward the end of the week, which should provide a jolt of confidence after he missed one by jumping too early earlier in the week — something he did a frustrating number of times last season.

I wish we had a chance to see more of Ennis Rakestraw. Still, it’s good news that his chest injury wasn’t something more serious, like a torn pec. He should be back to a full workload to start the second week of camp. In the meantime, veteran Rock Ya-Sin looks like he might be solid depth on the outside.

I’m intrigued by Erick Hallett, who entered camp listed as a safety, but has mixed it up at nickel and outside corner. He has the only pick off Jared Goff in a team segment so far in camp, plus he's been playing tight coverage and fitting the run well from nickel alignments, tapping into some schematic overlap from his time at Pitt, playing for former Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi.

Safety​

To be transparent, safety is my toughest evaluation in camp, because my eyes start at the line of scrimmage on most snaps, and I work my way back. That means I’m often catching the safeties' positioning and movements in the latter stages of the reps.

There’s a clearer picture with the safeties who regularly align closer to the line of scrimmage, so it’s been particularly difficult to miss Brian Branch, who has been another defender having early success when asked to blitz the quarterback. Branch rushed the passer 37 times last season. My early read is that number will be higher in 2025.

Another safety who has caught my eye for their play in the box is Morice Norris. He’s been flying to the ball and has been in on a higher-than-expected number of stops. His aggressiveness got him in trouble last week when he twice hit receivers on a non-padded day, leading to his ejection from practice, but I have to believe his intensity and effort are viewed as a positive, overall.

Rookie Dan Jackson’s range has stood out on occasion. He can get across the field in a hurry. Plus, he's pretty assertive in run support. That’ll play with this coaching staff. On the flip side, he’s had a few alignment issues that have netted post-play corrections from the staff. Typical rookie stuff.

I wish I had more to offer on Avonte Maddox, Loren Strickland and Ian Kennelly, but I don’t want to force analysis from limited observations. I'll look to the preseason games to get a better read on the group, particularly the team's younger options, who are likely battling for a single roster spot.
 
BobbyLayne said:
Physically, Ratledge is doing fine. Many of the traits that showed up on his college tape are translating, particularly his ability to work his hands to adjust and reanchor in the middle of a pass protection rep. But it’s hardly a surprise that the mental aspects of center are coming more slowly. That’s a demanding position, and one where the Lions have routinely eased in early-round draft picks into the starting job, including Frank Ragnow, who played guard his rookie year.
Click to expand...
I forgot that Ragnow played guard as a rookie before making the switch. I'm guessing we see something similar this year and next.
 
Leroy Hoard said:
BobbyLayne said:
Physically, Ratledge is doing fine. Many of the traits that showed up on his college tape are translating, particularly his ability to work his hands to adjust and reanchor in the middle of a pass protection rep. But it’s hardly a surprise that the mental aspects of center are coming more slowly. That’s a demanding position, and one where the Lions have routinely eased in early-round draft picks into the starting job, including Frank Ragnow, who played guard his rookie year.
Click to expand...
I forgot that Ragnow played guard as a rookie before making the switch. I'm guessing we see something similar this year and next.
Click to expand...
Loved this guy coming out. I'm going to be watching this guy's development, I think he can be a top tier OG in this league, but the switch to C is a tough one. I think he's still going to be very very good as a floor though. Just bummed it was the Lions that got him haha nice draft pick IMO
 
John Morton morning press conference

OC filled in for Campbell’s today

first practice open to the general public, always high energy sessions

Jon Gruden is at Allen Park today & tomorrow - Morton played for him, was hired by him in first NFL coaching job, and worked with him again when he returned to the Raiders

cited Gruden as his biggest influence in offensive philosophy
 

Lions camp observations: Jaw-dropping Williams route, DB performance highlight team's first red zone work​



Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Monday morning training camp practice.

● As usual, let’s start with a participation report.

The Lions got back two injured players on Monday, with running back Sione Vaki (hamstring) and rookie safety Ian Kennelly returning to action. Additionally, linebacker Alex Anzalone and defensive end Al-Quadian Muhammad competed in team drills for the first time after returning to practice over the weekend.

In terms of absences, Kerby Joseph missed a second straight. Slot cornerback Amik Robertson was also sidelined. Joseph declined interview requests after practice, so we’ll need to wait until Tuesday for an update from coach Dan Campbell. Robertson told reporters his issue wasn’t a big deal. Additionally, with the starting secondary, DJ Reed continues to be limited to individual drills.

Veteran Avonte Maddox continued to rep in place of Joseph. Rock-Ya Sin and Eric Hallett snagged first-team reps in place of Reed and Robertson, respectively.

Finally, running back Kyle Robichaux suffered an injury early in practice and didn’t return.

● The padded practice, the team's third of camp, opened up with a second batch of one-on-one tackling. It was a much better showing for the defense this go-around, except for linebacker Jack Campbell, who twice whiffed when running back David Montgomery juked inside.

Among the defenders to win both of their reps: Linebacker Derrick Barnes, linebacker Grant Stuard, cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and safety Loren Strickland. Ya-Sin had a vicious tackle on rookie receiver Jackson Meeks, essentially lifting the runner off the ground and suplexing him. It probably would have drawn a flag in a game situation, but it looked cool. Strickland, meanwhile, not only scored two stops but also forced Meeks to fumble.

● The one-on-one work continued with the receivers and defensive backs matching up in the red zone, with the snaps coming from the 10-yard line.

Things kicked off with Amon-Ra St. Brown pulling down a fade in the back corner of the end zone against Terrion Arnold, with the two bickering after the play about whether St. Brown finished the grab in bounds. I didn't have an angle on it, so I can't offer a tie-breaking opinion.

Whether it was a score or not, Arnold rebounded with a vengeance. On two more attempted fades, to Tim Patrick and rookie Isaac TeSlaa, the young defender batted both away.

The star of the drill was Ya-Sin. He broke up a pass to TeSlaa, jammed Dominic Lovett so aggressively the coaches blew the snap dead before the ball was thrown, then knocked away a pass to Lovett when they ran it back.

Newcomer Nick Whiteside got corrected about the importance of finishing each play on his first one-on-one rep in a Lions uniform. Message received. The young cornerback out of Auburn Hills and Saginaw Valley State snagged an interception on his next rep after receiver Jackobie Keeney-James slipped.

Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw is clearly still dealing with lingering issues with the chest contusion he suffered on the first day of camp. Rakestraw was very slow to get up after getting tangled up with Jameson Williams. To his credit, Rakestraw returned and finished the session, but there's no question he's hurting.

Safety Brian Branch had a good segment. He shut down Kalif Raymond on a slant, although the receiver will tell you he was held. Later, Branch broke up a ball to St. Brown and locked up Williams on a fade. Branch ended up giving a touchdown on his final rep, a fade to St. Brown, but the defender had great position. Quarterback Jared Goff’s throw was just that much better.

Finally, the jaw-dropping rep of the segment belonged to Williams. He looked like he was running a fade to the back corner, but stopped on a dime, cutting to the front pylon to best Ya-Sin. It was a play that epitomized Williams’ remarkable improvement as a route runner. This was advanced, and I’m not sure many cornerbacks in the league could have stopped it.

● Practice transitioned to full-team work where Aidan Hutchinson quickly made his presence known with two quick sacks, getting the best of Penei Sewell for the second.

● Running back Craig Reynolds, who has put in quiet, quality work all camp, popped today. He had a couple of excellent runs, demonstrating both power up the gut and the speed to get an edge, while also locking up his assignments during special teams drills.

I didn’t mention Reynolds in the recap of camp’s first week, but the Lions are lucky to have such a reliable depth piece.

● Stuard continues to validate why the Lions targeted him in free agency. His first-step burst is impressive and he hits like a ton of bricks. He scored back-to-back tackles in full-team work, building on his pair of stops in one-on-ones.

● Al-Quadin celebrated his return to team drills by bending the edge around offensive tackle Giovanni Manu for a would-be sack.

● Ya-Sin also showed up impressively in special team work, winning reps as both a gunner and jammer.

● For the first time this camp, the Lions did team work in the red zone, starting with seven-on-sevens. Goff connected for four touchdowns on seven snaps, starting with a crossing pattern along the back line to Williams. Maddox was in coverage at the start of the snap, but looked as if he expected help that didn’t arrive as the pattern carried across the middle of the field.

Goff followed that up with two misfires, including putting one behind running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who wasn’t able to adjust. The quarterback rebounded with three straight scoring strikes, including two to LaPorta. The second one was a beautiful bullet, threaded between Arnold and linebacker Zach Cunningham.

The first team ended with an incompletion after the coverage smothered Goff’s options, with Hallett ultimately forcing an incompletion on a dump-off intended for Gibbs.

● The second team, led by Kyle Allen, got off to a shaky start when the quarterback missed Morice Norris sitting in a zone across the middle, resulting in an easy interception for the second-year safety. Allen recognized the mistake just as the ball was leaving his hand.

The QB responded to the miscue with a pretty fade to Meeks in the back corner of the end zone.

Hendon Hooker stepped in and found Shane Zylstra in the flat. The tight end snuck it across the goal line before he was driven out of bounds by safety Dan Jackson.

Hooker also found Meeks for paydirt on a slant, beating the coverage of Dicaprio Bootle.

● The offense and defense continued to battle in the red zone, with the offensive and defensive lines being added to the mix. With the snaps now coming from inside the 5-yard line, Gibbs took a handoff on the first and jetted around the left edge untouched for an easy score.

Arnold netted two consecutive stops for the defense, first stopping St. Brown shy of the goal line on a short throw before breaking up a fade to Williams. But the ground game got things back on track, with Graham Glasgow pushing back Tyleik Williams to pave the path for David Montgomery’s 3-yard scoring run.

The top group ended with one more score when the defense bit hard on play-action, allowing Patrick to leak across the formation uncovered for the easiest touchdown of his life.

The second offensive group was marred by some snap issues, as Allen put two on the ground from backup center Kingsley Eguakun. The defensive interior put an exclamation on things with Raequan Williams stuffing a run up the gut short of the goal line.

The Hooker-led third group had more success with Zylstra tipping an errant throw to himself for a score, the quarterback running a well-executed designed boot for another, and center Trystan Colon driving back Chris Smith to help running back Jabari Small get into the painted grass for a third touchdown in four snaps.

● Practice wrapped with two situational series.

The first-team offense faced an end-of-half scenario, starting at their own 30-yard line with 1:12 remaining. The defense won the series, but largely because of missed opportunities.

Goff started the series by overshooting Gibbs, who had beaten Anzalone down the right sideline on a wheel route. The drive continued when Sam LaPorta converted a fourth-and-4 on a slant, only for Goff to overshoot another deep ball to an open receiver. This time it was Williams who had a step down the left sideline on Ya-Sin.

Things fell apart from there with Branch getting home clean for a sack on a blitz and DJ Reader forcing an incompletion on third-and-16 with his second quarterback pressure of the short series.

● The second-team offense came on needing to drive 70 yards for a game-winning touchdown, down four with 1:28 on the clock. Allen led the drive, starting with two throws to Zylstra to move the chain. The veteran QB then found Tom Kennedy on an out route to move the ball across midfield.

The offense got into some trouble after Norris dropped Montgomery for a loss of a yard, setting up 3-and-11 as the clock ticked well under a minute, only for Allen to salvage the series with a 22-yard catch-and-run slant toss to TeSlaa.

Another botched snap temporarily slowed momentum, but a big screen call to Montgomery got the offense to the 9-yard line with nine seconds remaining. After a timeout, Allen squeezed an out route to Tom Kennedy, who got both feet in bounds for the game-winning and practice-ending score.
 
Terpman22 said:
Leroy Hoard said:
BobbyLayne said:
Physically, Ratledge is doing fine. Many of the traits that showed up on his college tape are translating, particularly his ability to work his hands to adjust and reanchor in the middle of a pass protection rep. But it’s hardly a surprise that the mental aspects of center are coming more slowly. That’s a demanding position, and one where the Lions have routinely eased in early-round draft picks into the starting job, including Frank Ragnow, who played guard his rookie year.
Click to expand...
I forgot that Ragnow played guard as a rookie before making the switch. I'm guessing we see something similar this year and next.
Click to expand...
Loved this guy coming out. I'm going to be watching this guy's development, I think he can be a top tier OG in this league, but the switch to C is a tough one. I think he's still going to be very very good as a floor though. Just bummed it was the Lions that got him haha nice draft pick IMO
Click to expand...
Being 6'7" and just a little over 300 seems like an odd build for a C/G. Sounds more like an OT build but he's extremely athletic and I think he could have a bright future. I do worry in the interior that shorter more powerful DTs wil be able to get leverage on him and push him around.
 

Pressers and scrums: Gruden visit, deep balls, trick plays, Patrick's sluggish start and a CB signing​



Allen Park — Ahead of Monday’s practice, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton met with the media for the first time this training camp. Then, after practice, former head coach and visitor Jon Gruden, wide receiver Tim Patrick and defensive back Brian Branch talked with reporters. Here are the highlights from those conversations.

Mentor in town​

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden, who has been out of the league since resigning his post with the Raiders in 2021, was in attendance for Monday morning's practice. Normally, that wouldn’t move the needle. However, it’s relevant because of his ties to Lions’ first-year offensive coordinator John Morton. Remember, it was Gruden who provided Morton, a former college and NFL receiver, with his coaching start as an offensive assistant with the Raiders in 1998.

“When I got cut as a rookie on the Raiders, I went to Green Bay for about three months, and Jon was the receivers coach there,” Morton explained. “That’s how I got to know him. “…Five years later, when Jon gets hired at the Raiders, I was actually working in personnel. So, he asked me to come over, ‘Hey, do you want to come over on the coaching side?’ So, yeah, me and (passing game coordinator) David Shaw, we shared an office together. That’s kind of how it started, man. I’m really thankful that he wanted me to come over, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

Morton’s offensive philosophy, which is intertwined with Detroit’s scheme that he helped construct with former coordinator Ben Johnson ahead of the 2022 season, is rooted in Gruden’s evolved West Coast system.

“He’s the first one who kind of ventured off, still running the West Coast type of principles, but different formations, shifts, and motions and things like that,” Morton explained. “I thought I knew football, but, man, I mean he just put me in a room, ‘Go do this, go do that.’ It was projects, one after another, and all of a sudden you start learning football, so it was really cool.”

Gruden talked briefly with local media after practice and offered some insight into his former pupil’s personality and what fans might expect to see this year, schematically.

“He is a hard-working guy,” Gruden said. “For all the Detroit fans, what you don't see is the work ethic that you're getting. This guy is nuts. People thought I was nuts. This guy is freaking nuts, man. He loves it, he's a creative guy, he's a great competitor, and I can't wait to see the Lions open up the season.

As for the X’s and O’s.

"A lot of compressed formations,” Gruden explained. “I mean, he was here. He was here with Ben Johnson before. He helped put the offense in initially. Jared (Goff) is going to do a lot at the line of scrimmage. You're going to hear ‘RCE’ a lot. I used to have hats made. Recognition leads to communication, and if we can do that, we're going to execute at a high level. I think RCE is the slogan that you're going to hear a lot around here and probably feel like you're seeing a lot.

“You're going to see a lot of pre-snap movement, where you're trying to recognize what's going on, and you're going to see communication,” Gruden continued. “Then you'll (Jahmyr) Gibbs and you'll see (Amon-Ra) St. Brown and (Sam) LaPorta execute at a high level, I have a feeling."

It’s hardly a surprise that Gruden is optimistic about and supportive of a branch of his coaching tree. Still, there might be an ulterior motive: Gruden is on the hunt for a path back into coaching.

"Well, you know, hopefully I'm not done,” he said. “I'm about to make a comeback. I'm working hard to get one more shot. Hopefully, some of these guys that have fallen off my branch, if you say it that way, maybe they can hire me, because I'm looking for a job.”

Gruden resigned in the fourth year of a ten-year contract he signed with the Raiders after the New York Times, during an unrelated investigation, unearthed a batch of emails sent by Gruden that used homophobic and misogynistic language. There was a separate email that used racist terminology when criticizing the former NFLPA president, DeMaurice Smith.

Gruden, a popular broadcaster in between coaching stints, has been out of the public eye much of the past few years but recently started working for Barstool Sports.

Anxiety free​

Morton is taking over a record-breaking offense that set the franchise record for points scored last season and has finished top-five in production each of the past three seasons. There’s little question that fans are curious if he’ll be able to keep that momentum going, particularly with some changes to the offensive line.

Morton was asked if he was feeling pressure to uphold the established standard.

“I don’t feel pressure,” he said. “The good thing is, I was here a few years ago, so that helps a lot. A lot of these players knew who I am, and we’re all still getting to know each other. This is my 27th year. You should always feel pressure, but I don’t feel anxious or anything like that. I feel very confident. We’ll see how this goes. We’re still in the process of all learning each other. Every day, I’m learning about this guy, (Lions QB) Jared (Goff), me and him, we’re very close, we’re talking. I want exactly what he wants. I want to make sure, when the season does start, we’re not really thinking about a lot of stuff. So lets fix all the little problems right now.”

As noted, the offensive line is the biggest concern. Morton likes where the group is headed, specifically rookie Tate Ratledge, who was recently shifted from center to his college position, right guard.

“I love how smart he is,” Morton said. “He’s just going to continue to grow. I thought he did an exceptional job when he was at center, I mean, that’s a lot mentally. Different snap counts and audibles. It was a lot. I thought he did a pretty good job. I’m real happy where he’s at.”

As for the change to the veteran Graham Glasgow handling the snaps, it was done with Goff in mind.

“The quarterback has got to feel right right there,” Morton said.

Vet still acclimating​

One veteran who has been performing below expectations during the first week of training camp has been wide receiver Tim Patrick. His timing has been off on a couple of routes, he’s put some passes on the ground he’d normally catch, and he’s absorbed some big hits that were probably more physical than anticipated.

On the whole, he’s a little frustrated with himself. Still, he’s chalking the struggles up to an adjustment period he hadn’t fully anticipated after not going through a training camp with the Lions previously.

“It’s just not something I was accustomed to in my years of playing, so it’s just something I gotta pick up on,” Patrick said. “It’s taken me a minute. No excuses. Like I said, it’s my first camp with the team. Obviously, I was here last year, but camp is where you really find who you have, (when) you bond with your teammates. You go to war with them every day, because camp is hard. This is my first time going through a camp like this.

“Yeah, starting off a little slow, but I promise you by the time the season comes, I’m gonna be firing on all cylinders.”

Patrick said the most frustrating part is feeling like he’s not seeing results from the work he’s put in this offseason.

“I feel great,” Patrick said. “That’s why I’m just frustrated that it’s not showing right now, because in OTA’s it did. Training camp is a little different. I just gotta pick this **** up.”

Looking deep​

Chicks dig the long ball and so does John Morton. The OC said he’s been focused on taking plenty of shots downfield during camp because he wants to get a comprehensive evaluation on the roster’s most capable deep threats.

“I’m isolating guys,” Morton said. “I want to give them the chance, so I’m taking more shots. Plus, I want to see who can do it and then make the corrections, whether it’s a technique error, something like that. I’m all about that, because we have the guys that can do it. So, if you got them, utilize them.”

Goff ranked 22nd in the league in throws 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage last season, so there’s definitely untapped potential there.

“He’s definitely going deep,” Branch said. “For one, get y’all popcorn ready for Jamo (Jameson Williams), man. It’s going to be fun to watch him this year. I feel like that’s exactly what he needed.”

Saddle up​

There’s been a lot of chatter about two-back sets with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs this offseason. Morton explained, in the simpliest terms, why he’s excited about utilizing more of the “pony package looks.”

"Go ask a defensive coordinator when you’ve got your five best players on the field,” Morton said. “So we can throw it, we can run it, we can do whatever we want. I’m all about making the defense uneasy. Then, maybe, I might get an automatic defensive front coverage, or a blitz, or something like that. I’m always looking to put our best players on the field at all times.

“I come from the school, multiple packages of personnel groupings. In and out of the huddle, trying to keep the defense uneasy,” Morton continued. “That’s the school I come from.”

​

 

Trick plays still in play​

A couple more nuggets from Morton. First, he intends to call plays from the booth, not the field, on game days.

“I’m going to be upstairs, so I can see it all the way from all the chaos,” he said.

Secondly, he’s committed to upholding Detroit’s reputation for running trick plays, which is something fans grew accustomed to when Johnson was calling the shots.

“I’m going to do what (coach) Dan (Campbell) — whatever he wants,” Morton said. “We’re going to have everything. We’re going to have everything, so, we’re going to continue to do those things, because it has worked. We’re going to run things, whatever was working, we’re going to continue to do that.”

New addition​

The Lions added another local standout to the roster on Monday, signing cornerback Nick Whiteside. The Auburn Hills Avondale and Saginaw Valley State product signed with Washington as an undrafted rookie in 2023.

More recently, the six-foot, 200-pounder was with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL.
 
Detroit Football Network

Loving his return to center, Lions' Glasgow entering second potential redemption arc​


Allen Park — We’ve already gone through one redemption arc with Graham Glasgow. Entering his tenth season, things are teed up for a sequel for the Detroit Lions’ offensive lineman.

Popular with both teammates and fans for his immediate on-field contributions and quirky personality, Glasgow became a sympathetic figure for the way he was treated at the end of his first four-year run with the franchise.

The team's former regime, which miserably failed in their efforts to bring the “Patriot Way” to Detroit, inexplicably put Glasgow in a guard rotation with journeyman Kenny Wiggins, declaring they didn’t value Glasgow or intend to re-sign the 2016 third-round pick when his rookie contract expired, despite four years of solid play.

When he hit the market that offseason, Glasgow had no issues finding a team that valued him. The Denver Broncos stepped up with a four-year, $44 million offer.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out with the Broncos. After an impressive run of durability with the Lions, injury issues hit hard. He had shoulder, toe, ankle and leg injuries, the latter a fracture, which derailed his career’s trajectory. After three seasons, he was released by the club.

That unexpectedly led Glasgow back to Detroit, the start of his first redemption. In his re-introductory press conference, he talked about how genuinely excited he was to come back home to play with his friends, namely Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow, but the team's expectations were modest. They viewed him more as a versatile reserve than a starter. Even though he played his way into the conversation during training camp that year, he was initially passed over for the job.

Injuries quickly changed the picture. Glasgow ended up starting the final 15 games of the 2023 season at three different positions. And he was good. Really good. He looked more like the guy who earned a big contract from the Broncos than the guy they let go.

The Lions liked what they saw so much that they signed him for three more seasons in the offseason.

You already know, things didn’t go according to plan last year. It started with a shift to left guard to make room for Kevin Zeitler. Then, the injury bug bit again, in more ways than one. The reliable Decker missed time with shoulder and knee injuries, weakening the support system around Glasgow. And he battled his own woes, starting with a knee injury in the team’s Week 15 matchup against Buffalo.

Prior to the Bills game, Glasgow was reasonably effective. In 11 of his first 13 starts, he allowed two or fewer quarterback pressures and just two sacks. But on a bum wheel against Buffalo, things fell apart. He surrendered a career-worst 11 pressures in that contest, 50% of what he had allowed all season to that point.

Glasgow was shut down the following week. When he returned, he was back to normal. He allowed two pressures against San Francisco in Week 17 and one in the division-clinching win against Minnesota.

The nightmare against Buffalo could be chalked up to a bad day at the office. Until it happened again, at the worst possible time.

In the first quarter of the team’s playoff game against Washington, Glasgow suffered a high ankle sprain. He was obviously in trouble, limping between snaps. In hindsight, he admits he should have come out of the game, but with Kevin Zeitler already out with injury, Glasgow put pressure on himself to fight through the pain.

It backfired. Glasgow ended up allowing nine pressures, the second-most in his career. Subsequently, the fanbase, for the first time, turned on him. Many wanted to see him cut in the offseason. If nothing else, the expectation was that the team would draft a challenger for his job. And they did, selecting Tate Ratledge in the second round.

But then Ragnow abruptly retired. OK, maybe it wasn’t as abrupt as it felt from the outside looking in. Still, those at the top of the organization were in denial that it would happen until Ragnow started making the calls to let them know his decision.

Perception of what Glasgow might mean to the roster drastically shifted with the Ragnow news. Glasgow went from hypothetically having to fend off two young studs — Ratledge and Christian Mahogany — to needing to be the glue that would hold Detroit’s remodeled line together.

After initially conceding the center workload to Ratledge to begin the offseason program, Glasgow has shifted over from guard, putting him on track to serve as Ragnow’s replacement for the upcoming season.

“I think that’s more natural for him,” offensive coordinator John Morton said. “Because that center and quarterback, that needs to be right. The quarterback has got to feel right right there. I do like the way it’s going right now.”

And while we’re still in the early stages of training camp, Glasgow unquestionably looks healthy and rejuvenated, ready to help the organization traverse choppy waters up front.

“I think things are going pretty well right now, to be honest,” Glasgow said after Monday’s practice, his fourth back at center. “There’s a couple of little things to work out out there. I probably could’ve changed the protection today a couple of times maybe in the two-minute, but other than that, today was a good day.”

Glasgow didn’t love the move from right to left guard last season, but there’s a perception he doesn’t like center, either. That’s not true. It stems from a postgame conversation the previous year, where he expressed how difficult it is to switch to center in the middle of a game.

On the contrary, he’s thrilled to be back in the role.

“I do like playing center,” Glasgow said. “Center’s fun. I like the mental load that comes with it. I think there’s — it’s a challenge, but I think that’s something that I’m pretty good at, so i like to do it. If it came to me having to play center and make the calls or me be a guard and then think about the calls anyways, just to make sure that the calls were right, I’d probably rather just play center.”

Glasgow was reluctant to talk about his injuries from last season. NFL players, especially offensive linemen, loathe making excuses. It’s viewed as weakness, and there’s little room for weakness in this physically and mentally demanding game. Still, he acknowledged it took two months after the season before everything felt normal with his knee and ankle.

In the Netflix show “Quarterback,” which followed Jared Goff through last season, the documentary crew captures a poignant exchange between Glasgow and Goff as the two go up the tunnel after the loss to Washington. In a tone dripping with sorrow, Glasgow tells Goff, “I’m so f______ sorry.”

Without hesitation, Goff pats Glasgow on the backside and responds, “You’re good, buddy.”

Glasgow never asked for the public’s sympathy, not when he was run out of town by management in 2020, or when the fanbase wanted to do the same this offseason. That was a private conversation between two teammates made public. But now that the anger of the playoff loss has subsided, maybe it's easier to appreciate Glasgow trying to fight through the pain to help his team, the way his quarterback did.

And so we enter the second potential redemption arc of Graham Glasgow. The Lions' Super Bowl hopes could hinge on it.
 
First scrimmage today; will be mostly the 1st & 2nd stringers who won’t be playing in the HoF game v the Chargers.

Sounds like they’re leaning towards GG being the starting C and rookie Tate Ratledge at RG. Mahogany as expected will be the LG.

Campbell spoke at length about Antonio Gates today (in this years HoF class.)


Terrion pulled up after a long route this morning. Being evaluated for a hamstring.
 
[Rogers]

Asked about Paschal. Campbell said the defensive lineman is still on track to get back to practice in early September, but will probably need a couple of weeks of practice before he's game-ready.
 
[Baumgardner]

First time out to Lions camp this month:

No one in Detroit need worry about Aidan Hutchinson. He’s back. Like all the way.

Had 4 sacks in today’s scrimmage including as dominant a practice rep vs. Penei Sewell as I’ve seen from anyone in four years.


Arnold has left practice for medical evaluation (possible hammy.)
 
Defense dominated the scrimmage. Zero points first 3 drives, Hutch had 3 sacks & a QB hit in 6 drives. Gibbs, Monty & ARSB had big gainers in the 2nd half of the scrimmage. Day ended with Tim Patrick catching a 12 yard TD.

Oh, and Jake Bates hit a 60 yarder.
 

Lions camp observations: Defense keeps humming with dominant showing in scrimmage​


Here are some notes and observations from the Lions' Tuesday morning training camp practice
Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Tuesday morning training camp practice.

● It was scrimmage day at the Meijer Performance Center. It provided a good day of work for the players who aren’t expected to play in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In terms of injuries, All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph was out a third straight day. He’s dealing with minor knee irritation, according to coach Dan Campbell. Additionally, slot cornerback Amik Robertson was sidelined for a second consecutive day. According to the player, that's also not a major concern.

Avonte Maddox continued to fill in for Joseph, while Erick Hallett took the nickel reps with the first-team offense, just as he did Monday.

In positive news, outside cornerback DJ Reed was back to full strength after being held out of full-team work the past few practices. For what it's worth, he delivered a few hits on Tuesday that proved he's feeling good.

Finally, with running back Kyle Robichaux getting banged up a day earlier, the Lions added Jacob Saylors to the room ahead of practice, waiving tight end Luke Deal to clear the roster spot.

Undrafted out of East Tennessee State in 2023, Saylors led the UFL in rushing yards and scoring last season as a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks.

● We’re going to go through the day, drive-by-drive, which had a heavy emphasis on the top offensive group matching up with the starting defense. A spoiler: The day belonged to the defense.

● On the opening possession, the offense went three-and-out. After a short run by Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell blitzed through the running back for a sack on second down, followed by the first of three sacks for Aidan Hutchinson, who easily got the best of stand-in left tackle Dan Skipper.

An aside, and something I probably should have noted earlier this camp, but it appears there’s been a shift in the backfield timeshare. Clearly, the Lions will continue to lean on both Gibbs and David Montgomery, but Gibbs now looks to be the starter.

● On the next series, still between the starters, Montgomery netted a first down with a 15-yard run, avoiding DJ Reader in the backfield and taking a lane opened by rookie Tate Ratledge, who authoritatively walled off defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.

A short throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown set up 2nd-and-2, but Alex Anzalone stood up Montgomery in the hole on second down, followed by a false start. Now facing third-and-long, the defense muddied the pocket as quarterback Jared Goff failed to connect with Tim Patrick across the middle, setting up a 54-yard field goal try that Jake Bates mishit, sending it a dozen or so yards wide left.

The miss was a continuation of Bates’ struggles in warmups, where he missed several of his longer efforts wide to the left side.

● The second-team units came on for a series, but the results were the same. Hendon Hooker got the group off to a strong start with a play-action rollout to tight end Shane Zylstra for 20 yards. And the young QB kept the drive afloat on an ensuing third down with a dart to rookie Issac TeSlaa, who held on to the 12-yard dig in the middle of the field despite taking a punishing hit from safety Dan Jackson.

But another sack, split between Pat O’Connor and rookie Keith Cooper, squashed the drive’s momentum. And Bates once again failed to convert, missing a 51-yarder just outside the left upright.

● The starters returned just in time for the defense to force another three-and-out. Brian Branch blanketed St. Brown to force an incompletion on first down, then stopped a Gibbs’ carry after 4 yards on second.

On third down, Goff took a deep shot to tight end Sam LaPorta, running a corner pattern toward the left sideline. It never had a shot, as it was both overthrown and well covered by cornerback Terrion Arnold.

Unfortunately, Arnold pulled up limping after the snap, clutching the back of his right leg. That ended his day, and he’s being evaluated for a hamstring injury.

● The top units stayed on the field with Rock-Ya Sin replacing Arnold. Still, the offense could do little, as the defense netted a fifth straight stop. On a key snap, Branch came on a blitz, forcing an incompletion. He would have had a free shot on Goff, but was grabbed and blatantly held out of desperation by LaPorta.

On third down, Hutchinson put the finishing touches on the series stop, beating Skipper for his second drive-ending sack of the morning.

● Kyle Allen checked in at quarterback and also failed to lead the offense to points. He picked up a first down with a play-action pass to receiver Jakobie Keeney-James, but that was the extent of the damage.

Jackson fired downhill for an impressive run stop on the ensuing first down. Then, after Jackson Meeks couldn’t handle an errant throw from Allen on second down, linebacker Anthony Pittman ended the drive with a sack on a third-down blitz.

● The offense finally broke through with a nine-play, 80-yard drive led by Goff. The unit faced an early 3-and-2 before getting a chain-moving grab from St. Brown on a slick, sit-and-go crossing pattern that got the better of Hallett.

A 20-yard Gibbs run, around a soft left edge set by linebacker Derrick Barnes, followed by a tackling-breaking romp by Montgomery, set up first-and-goal. From there, Montgomery hauled in a touchdown pass from Goff to cap the series.

● The offense was given the ball on the opponent’s 40-yard line for the next three series. The first team didn’t do much, stalling out thanks to Hutchinson’s third sack, again on third down.

The difference is that this drive ended in points, as Bates drilled a 60-yarder down the middle with several yards to spare.

● The second-team offense, led by Hooker, was moving well until tight end Kenny Yeboah dropped a play-action pass in the red zone. That was followed by a sack for Trevor Nowaske on third down after the blitzing linebacker plowed through two blocks.

The Lions went for it on fourth-and-long, which was shortened after Hooker successfully drew the defense offside with a hard count. However, defensive end Nate Lynn ended the threat with another sack for the defense.

● Despite a day filled with struggles, the offense did end on a high note. Again, starting from the opposing 40, the Goff-led grouping got first downs from LaPorta and Montgomery. A short throw to St. Brown set up third-and-1 from the 6, which Gibbs converted with a 2-yard run up the gut.

Then, on first-and-goal from the 4, Goff found Tim Patrick with a tight-window throw in the back of the end zone, putting it just out of reach of diving safety Morice Norris.

https://www.detroitfootball.net/
 
BobbyLayne said:
[Baumgardner]

First time out to Lions camp this month:

No one in Detroit need worry about Aidan Hutchinson. He’s back. Like all the way.

Had 4 sacks in today’s scrimmage including as dominant a practice rep vs. Penei Sewell as I’ve seen from anyone in four years.


Arnold has left practice for medical evaluation (possible hammy.)
Click to expand...
They better sign him soon because the price will keep going up.
 

Lions' Rakestraw pushing through pain to not lose positive momentum: 'I'm going to always fight until my body tells me no'​


Rakestraw suffered a nasty chest contusion during the first day of camp. It's clearly still troubling him after recently returning to practice.

Allen Park — On the long walk from the field to the locker room inside the Detroit Lions practice facility, Ennis Rakestraw’s right hand never moved. It was slid under his jersey from the bottom, hidden from view, putting pressure on his opposite pec.

Rakestraw is unmistakably hurting, but the second-year cornerback is pushing through the pain. Eyeing a breakout mirroring the one teammate and close friend Terrion Arnold is experiencing entering his second season, Rakestraw didn’t even make it through the first practice of training camp before suffering an injury.

It was a freak play, a midfield collision, which left Rakestraw on the ground in agony. You fear the worst in those moments, cycling through amateur medical diagnoses from a distance. A separated shoulder? An AC joint sprain? A torn pec?

Each of those scenarios, and probably a few others, could have been season-ending. Those same fears hit Rakestraw like a second ton of bricks.

“I definitely felt it and it was a scary feeling,” Rakestraw said. “I just want to be player. I just want to make plays. I'm seeing everyone else make plays and I want to be a part of that. I love this team and want to do everything I can. When you go through something like that, it's like, 'Man, not again. I don't need a setback.'“

Rakestraw has clearly been mentally worn down by his body betraying him. He suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and missed four games his senior season at Missouri with a groin injury. Then, during his rookie year with the Lions, he suffered a hamstring strain during pre-game warmups of a contest he was slated to start. That issue lingered and was the primary factor that limited him to 46 defensive snaps in 2024.

Fortunately, imagining performed in the hours after his recent collision temporarily lifted the dark cloud. No breaks or tears, only a nasty contusion. Still, it was enough to keep Rakestraw out of practice for four days, and he’s been largely limited to individual drills since returning to action.

And even those have proven challenging, at times. In the early stages of Monday’s practice, Rakestraw got tangled up with Jameson Williams during a one-on-one red zone rep. The defender went to the ground hard, clutching at his chest. He got up gingerly and stiffly walked off the sting, at least as much as he could, before rejoining the drill minutes later.

Rakestraw had been on the upswing during the spring. After working both outside and in the slot as a rookie, the coaching staff committed to pinning him to the outside this season, hoping the concentrated focus could accelerate his development. The chest injury paused that process, inducing anxiety.

“What drives me is the blood, sweat and tears I'm putting into this,” Rakestraw said. “I've been playing football since I was five, six years old. A lot of people didn't expect me to get to this point, so I'm going to always fight until my body tells me, ‘No.’”

During the four days Rakestraw was out, you could sense a different pain than his bruised chest. He stood on the sideline, watching Arnold and some of the other cornerbacks making plays on the ball with an unmistakable sadness in his eyes. He was missing out like a sick kid with a fever, watching from his bedroom window as his neighborhood friends rode their bikes up and down the street.

For both, summer doesn’t stop moving just because they're unable to participate.

Rakestraw has had to fill the void with Arnold’s red-hot start to camp.

“The joy I take in that is watching him early on to the end of last year,” Rakestraw said. “In the beginning, there were a lot of PI (pass interference) calls. I used to tell him, ‘You're (in) perfect (position). You're right there. Just turn around and do what you did in college. They drafted you for a reason.’ Game by game, he just kept getting better. You could see the maturity in his game, how confident he is and how he reads concepts. He's just very fluid.”

Maybe a dash of hyperbole, but Rakestraw feels Arnold is practicing at an All-Pro level.

Rakestraw, meanwhile, estimates he's operating somewhere around 75%. He should catch a breather the next few days, with the Lions traveling to Canton, Ohio, to play in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game, before a couple of light days of practice after the contest. Hopefully, by the start of next week, that percentage will be near 100.

Maybe then things can get back on track and people can start talking about Rakestraw's second-year jump in similar terms to Arnold's.

“I felt like I was showing it during OTAs, but that's not enough for me,” Rakestraw said. “I just want to show it out here. This is where the cameras come out, and the people can really see. Right now, I have to get back right so I can do what I was doing in the spring.”
 

Comprehensive Hall of Fame Game viewing guide: Detroit Lions players to watch at every position​


The Detroit Lions will open the preseason on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

The game kicks off at 8 p.m. and will be simulcast on NBC and the network’s streaming platform, Peacock.

Below is our position-by-position viewing guide for the contest.

Quarterback​

Who likely sits: Jared Goff

Who to watch: Hendon Hooker (No. 2)

Hooker was effective enough during last year’s preseason slate to secure the team’s backup job. In those three contests, he completed 65.9% of his throws for 300 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while rushing for another 138 yards and a score on 19 carries/scrambles.

Whether his statistics this preseason are able to paint the picture, Hooker has undeniably demonstrated on the practice field that he’s graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the Lions’ scheme and begun work on his Master’s.

Hooker has shown outstanding drive and accuracy on his throws throughout camp, but, more importantly, has been his improved processing. He’s working through his progressions more rapidly and getting the ball out in a timely fashion.

It’s understandably not perfect. There are still times when he holds on to the ball too long or prematurely bails from the pocket. Still, fans should get a chance to see his overall improvements against the Chargers, as long as the team’s reserve offensive linemen hold up their end of the bargain.

Running back​

Who likely sits: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds

Who to watch: Jabari Small (No. 42)

Sione Vaki’s status for this one is up in the air. I’d lean toward the Lions taking the cautious approach with the second-year runner after he missed several days with a hamstring injury. He needs work, but not at the risk of a physical setback.

Vaki’s likely absence opens the door for two of the roster’s newest additions, Small and Jacob Saylors, to be prominently featured. The latter, who signed earlier this week, carries intrigue after leading the UFL in rushing and scoring last season. However, Small has been here since the start of camp, repeatedly flashing while working with the third-team offense.

Athletically, the 5-foot-11, 213-pound Small showcases exceptional burst with his ability to stick his foot in the dirt and blast through the line of scrimmage. On top of that, he runs with good physicality and a willingness to lower his shoulder into a defender at the end of a carry.

Hooker’s former Tennessee teammate is a little less dynamic in the passing game, catching just 32 passes across four college seasons and dropping a perfectly placed wheel route during an early camp practice.

Wide receiver​

Who likely sits: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond

Who to watch: Isaac TeSlaa (No. 18), Dominic Lovett (No. 19) and Jackson Meeks (No. 83)

Detroit has a trio of rookie wideouts who have made positive impressions during their inaugural NFL camp.

TeSlaa, as Detroit's highest draft pick expected to play in the preseason opener, figures to be featured prominently during the broadcast. He's been working through some knee pain, which has hampered his ability to change directions as smoothly as he'd like. Still, he's been able to showcase an ability to threaten a defense vertically and reliable hands when working across the middle.

Lovett, a seventh-round pick out of Georgia, does a little bit of everything. He's seen reps both outside and in the slot, is often put in motion, and has the potential to have an impact on special teams. It wouldn't be surprising to see him take snaps as a punt returner and gunner on punt coverage in this matchup.

Meeks, who teamed with Lovett at Georgia before transferring to Syracuse for a breakout senior season, has carried his two standout traits to the NFL: The ability to make contested catches and premium contributions on multiple special teams units. As a receiver, he reminds me a little of former Lion Quintez Cephus.

Tight end​

Who likely sits: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright

Who to watch: Shane Zylstra (No. 84) and Kenny Yeboah (No. 88)

The competition for Detroit’s third tight end job behind LaPorta and Wright remains open. However, it’s fair to say Zylstra has opened up a nice lead in the battle for the role.

Going off contract numbers alone, it was Yeboah’s job to lose. It wasn’t like he got a massive payday to come to Detroit, but his one-year, $1.34 million deal includes a healthy $482,500 in guarantees. Meanwhile, the returning Zylstra, who has logged more than 400 offensive snaps with the Lions across the past three seasons, is on a veteran minimum pact with no guaranteed money.

Those figures aren't enough to prohibit this race from being based strictly on merit. Zylstra, the former receiver, has used that aspect of his skill set, paired with schematic familiarity, to deliver more impressive results so far. Yeboah, the block-first option, hasn’t stood out in the race in his specialty, plus he’s put a couple of catchable balls on the ground the past week.

There’s a lot of time left for the scale to rebalance. The competition will be decided by the entire body of work, not 10 days in July. That said, the preseason games tend to carry a little extra weight in the evaluation.

Offensive line​

Who likely sits: Penei Sewell, Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Taylor Decker, Dan Skipper

Who to watch: Giovani Manu (No. 59)

There was some thought to giving Ratledge work in this game. However, coach Dan Campbell reversed course earlier in the week, opting to wait until the second preseason game before debuting the rookie and projected starter.

With Ratledge glued to the sideline, we can turn our attention to the ever-popular topic of Manu’s development.

Manu's first camp was rough. The jump from the Canadian collegiate ranks proved to be predictably overwhelming for the tackle prospect. He still made the roster, as expected, but spent his rookie season refining his fundamentals behind the scenes. That work then carried into the offseason, when he partnered with LeCharles Bentley’s O-Line Performance group to train.

The improvements have been noticeable, not drastic, through the first week and a half of camp. If we judge a lineman’s pass protecting skills on their win rate, he’s gone from hovering around 50% a year ago to something closer to 75-80% this camp. There are still too many losses, some ugly, to suggest Manu is currently ready to slot into a game-day role this year. Maybe he turns a corner during the next month. These reps — and he should get a lot of them — will be critical to his continued growth.

​

​

 

Defensive line​

Who likely sits: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez, Pat O’Connor, Al-Quadin Muhammad

Who to watch: Keith Cooper (No. 64) and Nate Lynn (No. 57)

It’s the time for the young guys to shine. Unfortunately, that won’t include Williams, who like Ratledge, will be held out of this matchup.

That expands the opportunity for players a little further down the depth chart. For most Lions fans, it will be the first time they get eyes on Cooper, who has been repeatedly mentioned in camp observations for his ability to be disruptive in a hybrid edge/interior role.

At 280 pounds, Cooper is lean for the inside. But that frame, combined with good length, allows him to burst out of his stance and routinely disrupt the pocket. After earning a spot on the offseason roster via a rookie minicamp tryout, he’s continued to climb the depth chart, logging most of his recent work with the second-team defense, with a sprinkling of reps with the starters. If he's able to carry his early momentum into the preseason games, he’ll strengthen his case to keep Detroit’s streak of rostering an undrafted rookie on the initial 53-man roster alive.

With Lynn, it’s a reintroduction. However, the last meeting was so brief that no one would fault you if you didn’t remember the William & Mary product who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in last year’s preseason opener. The reason the name might ring a bell is that he had five pressures, two QB hits and a sack in the contest against the Giants.

The 6-foot-3, 252-pound Lynn has some juice as a rusher. He explodes from his stance and can bend the edge like few players on Detroit’s roster. Affecting the quarterback is a quick way to command the attention of decision-makers. If Lynn can pair that with some reliability in the run game, a job on the 53-man isn’t out of the question.

Linebackers​

Who likely sits: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes

Who to watch: Trevor Nowaske (No. 53)

I wanted to put Zach Cunningham in his space, but it’s a little unclear how the Lions view the nine-year veteran heading into the matchup. It’s entirely possible the team sees him similarly to defensive tackle Kyle Peko a year ago, when he was held out of the preseason because he was part of the main-roster plan, even if it took a couple weeks of shifting around pieces to get the vet from the practice squad to the 53.

Instead, we’ll highlight Nowaske, a local product who was lost to Arizona via waivers as a rookie in 2023, but returned via the path he departed ahead of last season. A standout special teamer, he was pushed into a bigger defensive role with Barnes’ injury in 2024.

With that experience, you can see a more confident player in Nowaske’s second camp with the Lions, routinely drawing praise from defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for being in the right position to make the play.

Cornerbacks​

Who likely sits: DJ Reed, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Ennie Rakestraw (injury-related)

Who to watch: Erick Hallett (No. 36)

Rock-Ya Sin is in the same bucket as Cunningham. The journeyman could absolutely end up playing on Thursday, but is also enough of a known commodity that the team might feel the reps are better served going to the roster’s younger, unproven options.

With Rakestraw still battling a nasty chest contusion, Hallett is the guy you should be watching. The versatile defensive back was a sixth-round pick for Jacksonville in 2023, yet didn’t appear in a game for the franchise before he was waived after his second training camp. Two days after that exit, he signed with the Lions’ practice squad, where he spent most of last season.

Hallett was initially viewed as part of the competition for the fourth safety job. However, he’s seen far more work at nickel corner this camp, including a recent batch of first-team reps in place of Robertson. Hallett has held his own defending the slot and even snagged a pick off the arm of Jared Goff in seven-on-sevens.

Hallett has put himself in the mix for a roster spot with his versatility and execution. Keep an eye not only on how he performs on defense, but also on what kind of roles he has on special teams.

Safeties​

Who likely sits: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Avonte Maddox

Who to watch: Dan Jackson (No. 28), Loren Strickland (No. 24) and Morice Norris (No. 26)

With Hallett seemingly moved out of the safety competition, the contenders are down to four. We left local standout Ian Kennelly off the watch list for this one because he’s fallen a little behind the other three after missing several practices with a minor injury. He only recently returned to practice and might be held out of the game as a precautionary measure.

Jackson, Strickland and Norris all play with a similar ferociousness. Each has been responsible for delivering some big hits in camp. Plus, all three have promise on special teams, although Jackson and Strickland are a little ahead of Norris in that facet.

The biggest difference might be their typical defensive alignments. Jackson most frequently lines up deep, as a free safety. Strickland will bounce around from deeper alignments to in the box, while Norris is more of a box-heavy defender.

The Lions know that energy and effort won’t be an issue from the trio. Instead, they’ll be looking for who can capably channel their motor into consistent execution.
 
Looking forward to watching Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett. Both rookies have been having excellent camps.

Hoping the backup OL gives HH a chance. Last year the starters resting all 3 g and ranked 23rd in pass blocking (9th in run blocking.) Tough to evaluate the skill players when you cannot control the LoS.

Hoping Manu had a good confidence building game. Up and down camp, he’s purportedly much improved but then he has off days where Hutch & Davenport overwhelm him.

There are some interesting camp battles for bottom of the roster spots at LB & S. Fully expecting Martin & Sorsdal to not make the 53-man; at some point you have to accept they just never developed and there are probably more deserving candidates. I have a couple UDFAs in mind + Z Cunningham has looked great filling in for Alex.
 
Leroy Hoard said:
www.si.com

Lions Adjust Alex Anzalone's Contract For 2025 Season

Lions add money, incentives to final year of Anzalone's deal.
www.si.com www.si.com

AA gets a little more.
Click to expand...

[Justin Rogers]

The adjustment to Anzalone's contract not only fully guaranteed the $6 million but also adds a $250,000 sweetener to his salary. The final adjustment to the contract was the inclusion of up to another $750,000 in playing-time incentives.

Given Anzalone was almost certain to earn at least $6 million in 2025 — given veteran salaries are guaranteed if they’re on the roster for Week 1 — his maximum additional earnings would cost the Lions a little more than 0.3% of the $279.2 million salary cap this season.

The appeasement isn’t nothing, but also not the extension Anzalone is still hoping to earn from the Lions. At the very least, this will allow him to give everything he has through the remainder of training camp, without worry that an injury could jeopardize his short-term financial security.


Seems like a good compromise. I understand the club not wanting to invest too much in a 30 year old who has had numerous injuries. Missed 26 g in his 4 years with the Saints, 11 more since he came to Detroit. He has missed time in 5 of his 8 seasons.

Pretty good player who is the soul of their defense, but come on, we’re not talking Fred Warner here.
 
On the Pat McAfee Show, McAfee revealed that the Detroit Lions plan to have Kyle Allen start as quarterback for the Hall of Fame game. He added that Hooker will get some play time in the game, but seeing this decision made by Dan Campbell shows that he’s considering Allen their Q2 under Jared Goff.

This isn’t a very surprising development. So far, in camp, it’s been reported that Hooker wasn’t doing what needed to be done to get the Q2 job over Allen. Plus, Allen is just more experienced. He’s been in the NFL for seven years and has started in 19 games.
 
Hadn’t been to football guys most of the offseason and saw this thread with its title and 23,000 replies and thought it was the game thread.

And thought to myself, holy hell… FBG has really made it big time getting 23,000 comments on a preseason game.
 
Nobody got hurt, so that’s a positive (Yeboah walked off after getting bent awkwardly at the end of the game.

Only saw the first couple series so relying on Reddit & Substack game threads here…
  • TeSlaa was outstanding. 2-46, enthusiastic downfield blocker, great gunner rep getting out of the double team & forcing a fair catch.
  • Stuard tied for the team lead with 7 tackles including a sack (after getting flipped? wut?) I know he ran the 400 in h.s. but let’s just have him cover kicks not return them.
  • rookie S Don Jackson (7 tackles) & CB Rock Ya-Sin showed out, S Loren Strickland not so much. Thinking they keep four S and that seems like an interesting battle.
  • I know Reynolds & Skipper started bc that’s where that are at in the depth chart but would have preferred to see RB Jabari Small and Manu Giovanni. But maybe there’s some 3-D chess going on there, use the joint practices to evaluate them and keep the PS games vanilla & use known entities.
  • Kyle Allen is horrible but Hooker is slipping into Martin/Sorsdal territory. Obviously he’ll make the team but looking like they’ll never leverage any value out of that pick Oh well, it is what it is, not that important bc if JG goes down it’d be a lost season anyways.
 
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Locker room buzz: Injury updates, backup QBs slump and Hassanein's emotional debut​

JUSTIN ROGERS
Canton, Ohio — If you can believe it, the postgame operation at Tom Benson Stadium might have somehow been worse than the Detroit Lions’ performance in a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game.

For starters, the lone elevator to the basement broke down after the game, and there wasn’t a direct staircase to reach the locker rooms. After a lot of trial and error, exiting the stadium, going back in another entrance, going down the stands, onto the field and through the tunnel, a small group of Detroit reporters finally reached our destination long after we intended. Unfortunately, we arrived after coach Dan Campbell had wrapped his postgame press conference and half the locker room had cleared out.

On top of that, the stadium announced it would close the pressbox two hours after the final whistle, leaving a trip back to the hotel as the only choice to continue writing.

C'est la vie.

So apologies for a truncated recap of locker room happenings. Circumstances were what they were. We were able to catch up with both backup quarterbacks, rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa, linebacker Grant Stuard and defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. I also pulled injury updates from offensive tackle Dan Skipper and tight end Kenny Yeboah, who both exited Thursday’s contest.

So the trip to Canton wasn’t a total loss.

Here’s what I learned:

● First, the injuries.

Skipper exited in the first half after he got rolled up on while blocking on a 10-yard run for Craig Reynolds. Following the game, the offensive tackle was wearing a walking boot on his left leg.

His early understanding is that it’s a low-ankle sprain, the preferable outcome if you’re going to roll it. That pushed Giovanni Manu into action a little sooner than expected Thursday night, and will bump him up the depth chart temporarily. However, Taylor Decker’s initial timeline to return to action was set for early August.

As for Yeboah, his legs got pinned while blocking, and he got bent back at an awkward angle. The hyperextension looked ugly. The trainers looked at his right leg for a couple of minutes before he eventually limped off the field.

After the game, Yeboah was moving better. He said he probably wouldn’t know until the morning how sore things would be and whether it would cost him practice time.

Yeboah is currently locked in a roster battle for the third tight end job with Shane Zylstra. Both players were on the field for Detroit’s first offensive snap against the Chargers.

● Campbell said there was a concentrated effort to get TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett the ball against the Chargers. Lovett played all four quarters and saw nine targets, while TeSlaa paced the Lions with 46 yards on two second-quarter catches.

“It comes down to coaching and everything else that needs to happen for me to catch the ball,” TeSlaa said. “Obviously, on those plays that ended up happening, I mean, it's easy to catch the ball when you're wide open like that. Obviously, it's great to get my feet wet a bit, first couple of plays, get those rookie jitters, first plays out.”

TeSlaa was particularly amped to be able to deliver a hit to a defender after one of his two catches.

“It kinda felt good to drop my shoulder a bit on that DB,” TeSlaa said. “Definitely got hyped up about that one, and then, I don't know, football's an emotional game. But you've gotta be able to tame those emotions, so when you're making plays, don't let the highs be too high, the lows be too low.”

● TeSlaa wasn’t the only rookie trying to tame his emotions. The ever-grateful Hassanein acknowledged he was fighting back tears throughout his debut.

“I cried at the beginning of the game, just because I couldn't believe someone like me, that came so far and to just be here,” Hassanein said. “To soak this moment in and, man, just looking at the field, I'm like, 'Wow, I'm really playing an NFL football game.' It's just unreal to me. I take pride in that. Just going to do the best I can for my team. Whatever it takes. I love this team. This team really, really works hard and believes in me. My teammates believe in me. They push me.”

Hassanein said he was proud of the way he showed up in the run game, making multiple tackles. He noted the coaching staff constantly emphasizes that you need to be able to stop the run to earn the right to rush the passer, which isn’t something he takes for granted.

With that opportunity to pass rush on Thursday, Hassanein nearly secured his first sack, but he let the QB escape his grasp.

“He slipped away from me and I almost got there again in the backfield,” he said. “But the pass was just so fast. The one thing that I'm proud of is that I'm playing free. I'm not thinking about mistakes and I just want to grow. I want to learn. I want the game-to-game experience.”

Hassanein said he was constantly looking for feedback from teammate Aidan Hutchinson and position coach Kacy Rodgers during the contest. But the biggest thing the rookie learned is you don’t get to review and learn from your film on the sideline the way you do in college.

“On the sideline in the NFL, you just (look at) the pictures,” Hassanein said. “I'm like, 'Wait, what? I can't watch the film?' And they're like, 'No.' I'm like, 'That's weird.' But just learning and adjusting and just be like, 'OK, what do I need to do better here, coach?'"

● After a strong start to each of their training camps, both of Detroit’s backup quarterbacks were frustrated by how they performed in the preseason opener.

Kyle Allen got the start and bemoaned his costly interceptions.

“I think there are a couple throws that I wish I had back,” Allen said. “Both picks, obviously. Other than that, we moved the ball good. I just hurt us on those two third downs. We were moving it, I threw a pick, they (returned it) down to the 5-yard line. And I threw a pick in the end zone. So, it just really stalls your drives, and then gave them good field position, too. Just stuff to learn from.”

Allen was asked if the conditions were a factor after it had rained all day leading up to the game, but he rejected that excuse.

Hendon Hooker, who checked in to start the third quarter, attempted just six passes and completed only three. Campbell praised the young backup’s ability to check into the right plays to counter the Chargers’ defensive looks. Still, Hooker was frustrated by his overall execution.

“It makes me hungry just to get back to work,” Hooker said. “I wish we had practice tomorrow. I’m just very disappointed in myself, as far as — like I was saying earlier — just leading the troops down the field and making more plays.”

● There were hints during recent practices that linebacker Grant Stuard might get a shot to return kicks. He was out there to open the game, but unfortunately fumbled the return.

Stuard, a former high school sprinter, only returned one kick in college and hadn’t previously done it as a pro. He admitted he’s been ultra-focused on fielding the ball cleanly during practice.

He hopes the team will continue to give him a chance to do it this preseason and said he intends to shift his focus to ball security and absorbing contact by getting extra work with Detroit’s running backs.

“I think that moving forward, spending more times with the running backs after practice and stuff like that, that's something I can apply to make sure that my body, the muscle memory is there when it comes to being tackled, going to the ground, not reaching out and bracing with the ball in my hand, which ended up being the cause of that (fumble),” Stuard said. “It wasn't even a guy hitting the ball of me. I just went to brace.”
 
Zeppelin said:
Based on what I've read and heard, I'm glad I couldn't watch this debacle.
Click to expand...

TeSlaa and Lovett flashed (& also had mistakes)

fumbled the opening kickoff, 3 INTs, muffed punt, 0-5 in turnovers is the takeaway

who cares, Rod Marinelli went 4-0 in the 2008 preseason

It’s never too early to get better. I gotta coach ‘em better, they need to practice better, and we need to play better next week. Grade the tape, grow from it, learn something, next one.

- Coach Campbell
 

Stock report: TeSlaa and Reynolds among those trending up, backup QBs going the other way after Hall of Fame game​


Here’s who is trending up, down and staying level after the Detroit Lions’ 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game.

Canton, Ohio — Here’s who is trending up, down and staying level after the Detroit Lions’ 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game.

Stock up: Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa​

You try to be careful with overreacting to a single preseason performance. Still, after watching TeSlaa practice for a couple of weeks, followed by his showing in his preseason debut, I’m ready to invest in the rookie receiver’s stock. He’s fast, physical, tough, high effort, and possesses exceptional hands.

Sure, there’s some development that needs to take place with the fundamentals of the position, from his releases to his route running, but the learning curve might be flatter than originally anticipated.

TeSlaa checked a lot of boxes in this game. He hauled in two downfield throws, including one where he hung on through contact across the middle. He also flashed his aggressiveness as a blocker in the run game and blew by the jammers as a gunner on punt coverage.

I still don’t know how big a role he can carve out on offense as a rookie, with a depth chart chock full of proven veterans. Regardless, we’re not looking at a player who is going to be a healthy scratch on Sundays like some of the other developmental players the Lions have drafted in recent years.

Stock down: Quarterbacks not named Jared Goff​

I didn’t intend to sell you a false bill of goods, but that’s exactly how it feels, given what Kyle Allen and Hendon Hooker put on tape against the Chargers.

Let’s start with Thursday’s starter, Allen. He actually moved the offense decently well, and it probably looks better if his target doesn’t drop a perfectly placed throw across the middle that would have gained around 15 yards.

Of course, it doesn’t matter how well you run the offense if it ends in turnovers. That’s what happened to Allen, who was picked twice. The first was more egregious than the second, with the cornerback sitting on the out route and Allen leaving it a little inside to make it that much more elementary for the defender.

It’s a little easier to excuse the second, when TeSlaa was knocked off his deep route with late contact that justified a flag for illegal contact. Instead, the rookie was nowhere in the vicinity as the ball sailed over his head into the end zone and into the waiting arms of safety Tony Jefferson.

Allen finished a respectable 9-for-14, and, as noted, it should have been 10-for-14, or even 10-for-13 with one interception if the ref throws a flag. But that’s not what the boxscore reads or what people will remember.

As for Hendon Hooker, he was worse, going 3-for-6 for 18 yards and an interception. The turnover was actually a pretty well-throw deep ball by the QB, which landed in the hands of its intended target, only to be ripped away by the defender in coverage. That’s hardly all on the QB, even if that’s how it’s recorded.

Still, this was not the confident, smooth operator we’ve seen on the practice field. Playing behind the team’s third-string offensive line, the Chargers' pressure sped up Hooker’s clock, and he didn’t counter as well as hoped or anticipated.

Despite the struggles, it’s hardly time to sound any alarms.

Treading water: Wide receiver Dominic Lovett​

Lovett’s night started with a drop and ended with the defender wanting the ball more than him on a deep throw. In between, he slipped on one route, bobbled and had to double catch another, and drew a penalty on special teams for willingly running out of bounds and being the first player to touch the ball. That’s what you call a rookie mistake.

On the plus side, Lovett ran a lot of nice routes, making himself available to his quarterbacks throughout the night. That resulted in five receptions, including one that moved the chains on fourth-and-2.

There will be plenty for the seventh-round draft pick to learn from his tape after this one. Still, there’s enough there that you’re confident he'll be able to grow into a solid contributor.

Stock up: Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin​

Ya-Sin wasn’t targeted during his three defensive series, in part because he played tight, physical coverage. Where the veteran cornerback did have an impact was in the run game. He had two impressive stops on the perimeter, showcasing his toughness and tackling skills in space.

Stock down: Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw​

Not that he or the team would accept it, but I feel compelled to make excuses for the second-year cornerback. As noted in a story earlier this week, he hasn’t practiced much after suffering a chest injury on the first day of camp. Since returning to action, he’s clearly battling through a lot of discomfort with the contusion.

That showed up in the early-going, when he grabbed at his chest after whiffing on a run stop in the box. Things didn’t get better from there as Rakestraw was easily beaten on a deep ball down the right side. And the punctuation to his struggles was an illegal hands to the face penalty that moved the chains for the Chargers on third down.

Rakestraw clearly needs to get right physically. Until he does, Ya-Sin is showing he's the better No. 3 option on the outside.

Treading water: Linebacker Grant Stuard​

Defensively, Stuard is a wrecking ball coming downhill. Getting upended by the running back’s block on a blitz pickup, only to scramble to his feet and chase down quarterback Trey Lance for Detroit’s lone sack on the night, epitomizes Stuard’s athleticism and relentless effort.

The Lions have been so intrigued by his downhill burst that they plugged the former high school sprinter into the kick return mix. It’s unquestionably unconventional to consider a linebacker in that role. However, Stuard has the speed, acceleration, and a fearless, hair-on-fire approach that you can wrap your head around the logic.

Unfortunately, Stuard got out of control with his first effort, running into his blocker and getting sloppy with his ball security, losing a fumble. With a second try later in the first quarter, you got to see what the Lions have on the practice field, as he knifed through the middle of the field for a 36-yard return.

It’s fair to suggest he merits at least a little longer look in the role. In the locker room after the game, he offered a specific plan to improve his ball security. I'd like to see how it plays out.

Stock up: Running back Craig Reynolds​

Ten carries for 38 yards isn’t a stat line that merits a parade or even a headline. Regardless, Detroit’s No. 3 back looked confident and capable with a heavy first-half workload. He ran hard, showed some burst, and found the lanes blocked for him with gains of 10 and 13 yards, which paired nicely with a 3-yard touchdown.

Reynolds is an underrated piece of the roster, both as depth behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and as a versatile and effective special teams contributor.

Stock down: Linebacker Trevor Nowaske​

Nowaske has had a good start to training camp, but he was all over the place, in a bad way, after earning a start in this contest. He was drawn out of position on play-action and was flagged twice for lining up offside.

Another challenger for the backup SAM job, Anthony Pittman, was also a little hit or miss with his workload, but was the better performer overall Thursday night.

Stock up: Defensive end Ahmed Hassanein​

The first thing that jumps out when seeing Hassanein in pads is that he has a frame that should work at this level. He doesn’t look like someone who can be easily displaced on the edge. And those thoughts are quickly confirmed once the ball is snapped. Against the Chargers, he showed physicality in the ground game. He was rewarded with four tackles, including two solo stops near the line of scrimmage, where he capably shed a blocker.

The pass rush, as expected, is still the bigger work in progress. But he was able to at least generate a little bit of pressure off the edge.

Finally, he continues to throw his full effort behind making rapid improvements on special teams, which he understands are critical to earning early playing time. He didn’t do much in that department while at Boise State, but saw 12 reps with the units in his preseason debut with the Lions.

Stock down: Cornerback Dicaprio Bootle​

Bootle’s camp isn’t without a few positive flashes. However, I’d contend he’s been the team’s least effective cornerback option on the practice field.

Those struggles ported to the preseason when he was toasted for a 15-yard touchdown on a slant pattern and flagged for an egregious defensive pass interference infraction on a third-and-3 that resulted in a 27-yard gain, setting the Chargers up inside the 10-yard line. That drive ended in the opposition’s final touchdown of the night.
 

Stock up: Offensive tackle Giovanni Manu​

Likely coming into the game a little earlier than expected after starter Dan Skipper rolled his ankle. Overall, I thought Manu was steady, with some particularly impressive down blocks in the run game that caved in his side of the formation.

Stock down: Wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James​

Keeney-James only saw one target on offense, an underthrown deep ball off the arm of Hooker in the first minute of the fourth quarter that harmlessly fell incomplete.

The undrafted rookie’s main contributions were on special teams, specifically as a returner. Handling three kickoffs, he had an adequate showing, averaging 24.3 yards on those efforts with a long of 29. Unfortunately, Keeney-James couldn't locate the one punt he was asked to field, muffing the effort in the early stages of the third quarter. This gave the ball back to the Chargers deep in Lions territory after the defense had earned a stop to open the second half.
 

What I learned reviewing the All-22 tape from the Detroit Lions' Hall of Fame Game performance​


Allen Park — After a longer-than-anticipated drive home from the Akron/Canton area Friday, I decided to review the All-22 film from the Detroit Lions’ Hall of Fame loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, eager to see what I might have missed during the live viewing the previous night.

Here are my observations from that study.

● Almost always, the biggest revelations are what occurred in the trenches. Obviously, it’s easy to process what went wrong when an edge rusher blows past the offensive tackle for a sack. However, much of the nuance of interior line play is lost during a live game, especially when consuming the action from the bird’s eye view of the press box.

Starting with Detroit's offensive line, a few guys stood out, both good and bad. Let’s start with the positive.

Where was this version of Colby Sorsdal last season? The former fifth-round draft pick got lost in the shuffle in 2024 after being flipped from guard back to offensive tackle, the position he played in college. Back at guard, Sorsdal had an effective showing after replacing Kayode Awosida on the right side late in the second quarter.

Sorsdal was fundamentally sound in both pass protection and as a run blocker. His most impressive rep came in combination with second-unit center Trystan Colon, as the pair re-established the line of scrimmage with authority on a second-half run play.

The downside for Sorsdal, who currently appears to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble, is that the backup guards ahead of him on the depth chart, Awosika and Netane Muti, were also two of the front’s better performers. And they had starting roles in the contest, meaning they faced a higher caliber of competition.

In terms of disappointments, Kingsley Eguakun missed an opportunity to secure an early lead in the backup center competition. He was shaky from the jump, missing a pair of run blocks on the opening series, which limited running back Craig Reynolds’ production on the carries.

Michael Niese, who is also in the backup center mix, struggled while playing left guard in the second half. That opens the door for Colon, a late offseason addition, to keep climbing the depth chart after working himself into the second-team rotation during the last week of camp practice.

At offensive tackle, undrafted rookie Mason Miller looked out of his depth. That’s to be expected as he makes a big jump in competition from North Dakota State. It was more troubling to see veteran Jamarco Jones struggle as much or more while working as the starting right tackle in the contest. He had an outstanding down block on Reynolds’ second-quarter touchdown run, but that was contrasted against some clear struggles in pass protection.

Meanwhile, my positive opinion of Giovanni Manu’s performance held up on a second watch. His only notable breakdown came on Detroit’s final offensive snap, when he took on the edge rusher’s spin move deep in the pocket and was driven into quarterback Hendon Hooker as he released a deep ball.

To Hooker’s credit, he still delivered an impressively accurate ball despite getting bumped on the release.

● Along the defensive front, I didn’t feel I missed nearly as much. Rookie edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein was as much a standout on film as he was live. I love the passion with which he plays the run, and he was fundamentally sound in executing those assignments in most instances.

His pass-rush still hinges on motor. There’s nothing wrong with that while you develop your toolbox and a go-to move or two.

Nate Lynn had a couple of decent rushes. Also, Isaac Ukwu utilized an impressive long arm, driving the left tackle into the lap of the quarterback on a third-down play that resulted in a punt. Like Hassanein, there isn't a lot of sex appeal to his pass-rush ability, but his power, paired with leverage, can be an asset.

On the inside, the big fellas did a nice job eating space, outside of a shaky drive in the second quarter. There weren’t too many positives from the blowout loss. Still, you should feel good about the opposition averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

● I wanted a closer look at the quarterback play. I felt better about Kyle Allen’s performance and a little worse about Hooker’s evening. Allen’s glaring error was his first interception, and his average arm strength was a contributing factor. The lack of drive to complete those tight-window throws to the sideline has been evident on the practice field. He's demonstrated great accuracy this offseason, but doesn't have anywhere near the same velocity as Hooker.

What I liked otherwise was Allen’s command of the pocket. A second viewing, from the end zone angle, gave me a greater appreciation of his second completion to Isaac TesSlaa. With excess traffic underneath, Allen bought time by drifting to his right, allowing TeSlaa to clear the underneath layer of the defense, then put an accurate ball on the receiver while on the move.

As for Hooker, he’s been so accurate during camp, but that abandoned him much of this game. I thought the pass he sailed for Dominic Lovett might have been a miscommunication, but the tape proved it was just a bad throw. The tape wasn’t needed to confirm as much on the deep shot Hooker underthrew to Jakobie Keeney-James down the right sideline.

At least Hooker went out on a high note, which seems like a weird thing to say about an interception. Regardless, that deep ball was beautiful, getting to a small window where Lovett could make the grab, all while being hit in the pocket. Maybe that throw will be confidence-building going into next week’s game against Atlanta.

● Lovett’s night included some chaotic moments, from the early drop to slipping on another route to double-catching a third throw his direction. But what wasn’t discussed was his effort and execution as a blocker. He was much better than I anticipated, especially given his size. He really does project as a Kalif Raymond replacement in 2026.

● I like the way the battle for the third tight end job is shaping up. Obviously, it wasn’t great to see Kenny Yeboah get bent backward at an awkward angle, prematurely ending his night. Still, before that, I thought he was doing in the game what he hadn’t in practice, showcasing his prowess as an inline blocker. He proved he can be a difference-maker on the perimeter.

And I’m not ready to rule out undrafted rookie Zach Horton. He blocked from a number of alignments and executed most of his assignments, sans a whiff when he got too wide when pulling across the formation. If nothing else, he looks like he’ll be a fine addition to the team’s practice squad.

● Dan Skipper’s night ended early when he got stepped on by Yeboah. Adrenaline and two-dollar-steak toughness allowed him to stay in the game and finish a lengthy, 15-play drive after suffering the injury on the first snap of the series. That’s encouraging.

● I’ll readily admit I didn’t notice Erick Hallett much last night, but the starting nickel’s tape showed he was able to build on his strong start to camp. I liked his positioning in the run game and the way he tackled in the open field, allowing no yards after the catch on a couple of passes completed in front of him.

Another defensive back who caught my eye was Tyson Russell, who competed to the final whistle in both run support and coverage.

And how can you not love the physicality of Ian Kennelly, who had a tackle that looked like a professional wrestling choke slam? The young, athletic safety overran one play, but, overall, it was a good debut for the undrafted rookie who has missed a few camp practices with a minor injury.
 

Detroit Lions' 2025 roster projection 1.0: Six receivers, six corners and an extra o-lineman​


Allen Park — With two weeks of training camp and the preseason opener in the books, the Detroit Lions’ depth chart has started to take shape.

Let’s set the table for the remainder of camp with our first 53-man roster projection of the summer.

Quarterback (2)​

In: Jared Goff, Hendon Hooker

Work to do: Kyle Allen

Thoughts: Despite the collective performance in Thursday’s Hall of Fame game, this truly is one of the best backup situations the Lions have had since Shaun Hill and Kellen Moore were backstopping Matthew Stafford in 2013.

Hooker, the incumbent, conceded the start in the Hall of Fame game to the veteran Allen, not too different than Nate Sudfeld drawing the first two starts ahead of Hooker last preseason. That’s a combination of Allen performing just as well, if not slightly better than Hooker in practice, and the team forcing the 2022 third-round pick to prove himself in the face of adversity and earn the job.

Hooker did no such thing against the Chargers, looking out of sorts with his pocket presence and accuracy to all levels. That was incongruent with what we’ve seen through the first two weeks of training camp.

Still, despite Allen’s veteran poise and processing, we’re going to continue to give Hooker the edge for the job because he’s unquestionably improved from last year, has a notable edge in arm strength and upside Allen can’t come close to matching.

However, if Allen continues to outperform Hooker by a significant margin through the remaining preseason games, the journeyman veteran can make a case as the better option to navigate troubled waters in a pinch, which is the primary role of a backup, particularly for a contender.

Running back (4)​

In: Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki

Work to do: Jabari Small, Kye Robichaux, Jacob Saylors

Thoughts: This is about as cut and dry as any position on the roster. Vaki’s been battling a strained hamstring, limiting his availability this offseason. Still, no one is threatening to overtake him or Reynolds, who are both outstanding special teams contributors on top of their potential offensive roles.

Reynolds, the primary backup to Gibbs and Montgomery, looks more reliable than ever after effectively shouldering the workload in the first half against the Chargers. Meanwhile, the Lions have shown interest in increasing Vaki’s offensive role. Still, until he can prove it on the practice field, that remains hypothetical.

Small has practice squad potential. On the practice field, he’s shown good first-step quickness, contact balance and physicality when running between the tackles. Unfortunately for him, his offseason production translated poorly against the Chargers.

Saylors, the UFL’s leading rusher and scorer in 2024, is still introducing himself to the coaching staff after signing with the team last week. In his first game action, he netted just two carries for 6 yards and caught his lone target for another 6 yards.

Wide receiver (6)​

In: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, Isaac TeSlaa, Dominic Lovett

Work to do: Tom Kennedy, Ronnie Bell, Jackson Meeks, Jakobie Keeney-James, Malik Taylor

Thoughts: Entering training camp, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find room for a sixth receiver on the 53-man. Lovett’s usage in camp and the Hall of Fame game has forced my hand.

The other five are essentially roster locks. Patrick hasn’t had a great camp. However, his contract is fully guaranteed. Plus, it's premature to think TeSlaa is ready to replace the veteran now, despite a promising start ot the rookie’s career.

Meanwhile, Raymond is ol' reliable. He’s as tough a cover as anyone for Detroit’s defensive backs in one-on-one drills, can competently play reps at all three receiver spots, and remains an All-Pro-caliber punt returner.

Lovett, meanwhile, looks more and more like a long-term replacement for Raymond by the day. The rookie has lofty special teams upside and can do a lot of different things well on offense, even though he lacks a defining skill or Raymond’s field-stretching ability. Among the things to love is the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder’s willingness to get after defenders in the run game, playing with the ferocity of a man four inches taller and 30 pounds heavier.

Tight end (3)​

In: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra

Work to do: Kenny Yeboah, Zach Horton

Thoughts: This competition for the third tight end job is among the roster’s tightest as we enter August. Zylstra has been the better practice performer, but Yeboah’s in-line run blocking showed up in the preseason opener, prior to an early exit with a leg injury. It’s close to a coin flip.

Horton remains in the mix, as well, even if he’ll need a summer surge to jump the veterans on the depth chart. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound undrafted rookie out of Indiana is a good blocker who can operate attached to the offensive tackle or in the backfield as an H-back or lead blocker in an I-formation.

Special teams will clearly be a factor in Detroit's decision. All three have experience with those groups.

Offensive line (10)​

In: Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Tate Rateledge, Christian Mahogany, Dan Skipper, Giovanni Manu, Kayode Awosika, Netane Muti, Kingsley Eguakun

Work to do: Jamarco Jones, Trystan Colon, Michael Niese, Colby Sorsdal, Mason Miller,

Injured: Miles Frazier

Thoughts: As previously noted, Detroit’s interior depth is looking pretty good, even with the rookie Frazier temporarily on the shelf with a knee injury. Awosika and Muti both performed well in the preseason opener. If the Lions only keep one, my lean is currently Awosika, but I think both deserve a job.

The backup center spot is more interesting. Eguakun had taken a small lead in the three-horse race, earning the start in the Hall of Fame game. However, he wasn’t able to solidify that edge, giving up some ground to Colon, a June addition who has 15 career starts under his belt. That's a spot to watch the next few weeks, with Niese still in the mix, as well.

At tackle, Jones got the start at right tackle on Thursday, but only because the Lions have concentrated Manu’s focus on left tackle. Last year’s fourth-round draft pick is roster-bound, and it's difficult to justify room for a fifth tackle, especially if the Lions keep four guards.

Sorsdal is coming off a solid showing in the preseason opener. Still, the math hasn’t changed with his situation. He remains on the outside looking in with Awosika and Muti refusing to cede ground.
 

Defensive line (9)​

In: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ahmed Hassanein, DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams, Pat O'Connor, Roy Lopez, Keith Cooper

Work to do: Myles Adams, Mitchell Agude, Brodric Martin, Chris Smith, Raequan Williams, Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu

Injured: Alim McNeill, Josh Paschal, Mekhi Wingo, Levi Onwuzurike

Thoughts: That injury list is tough to stomach, but it’s Detroit’s reality. The good news is that at least three of the four are expected back in the coming weeks and months.

Even though coach Dan Campbell noted Paschal is on track to return to practice from the non-football injury list in early September, the fourth-year lineman will need an acclimation ramp-up. For the construction of this 53, we’re going to keep him on NFI for the first four games. The same goes for Wingo, who is on the physically unable to perform list and figures to stay there to start the season.

That opens at least one spot, which we’re awarding to Cooper, the undrafted rookie out of Houston. That’s far from a given, but he has two things working in his favor. First, he’s unquestionably made plays on the practice field, steadily climbing up the depth chart. Secondly, at 280 pounds and possessing good length, he shares Paschal’s inside/outside versatility, making Cooper a natural fit as a stopgap.

And while it’s not guaranteed, if a team likes a player on the roster fringes, it can be easier to get them through waivers and back to the practice squad a few weeks into the season than during the initial cutdowns.

One thing I’m sure some of you are monitoring is Martin’s status. The former third-rounder hasn’t taken a step forward this offseason. He's been unable to rise above reps with the third-team defense, and I’d contend he’s been less effective than Raequan Williams as a run-stuffer, which is Martin’s primary function in the scheme.

Linebackers (6)​

In: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Grant Stuard, Trevor Nowaske, Zach Cunningham,

Work to do: DaRon Gilbert, Anthony Pittman, Ezekiel Turner

Injured: Malcolm Rodriguez

Thoughts: I feel really good about the top four backers, which includes the trio of returning starters and Stuard, a high-motor special teams ace. And the strength of my conviction only dips slightly with Nowaske, who had a rough night against the Chargers, which ran counter to his strong start to camp. He’s both a logical backup to Barnes as the SAM linebacker and someone who can be counted on to play significant special teams reps.

But Cunningham? That’s where I’m waffling. The veteran saw a ton of first-team reps when Alex Anzalone was out with contract issues and a hamstring strain. Cunningham performed well, too, especially in run support. Still, now that Anzalone’s contract is guaranteed for 2025, Cunningham could end up being expendable. He does play special teams, which helps, but I’m not sure he’s better than Pittman or Turner in that department.

The Lions could also keep seven linebackers again, trimming from another spot. I opted not to go that route for this project, but not with any confidence. With the kickoff adjustments encouraging more returns this year, going lighter on linebackers admittedly feels like a mistake.

Cornerbacks (6)​

In: Terrion Arnold, DJ Reed, Amik Robertson, Rock-Ya Sin, Ennis Rakestraw, Erick Hallett

Work to do: Dicaprio Bootle, Tyson Russell, Nick Whiteside

Injured: Khalil Dorsey

Thoughts: Dorsey, like Paschal and Wingo, feels on track to start the season on the injured list, even if it ends up being a minimal, four-game stay.

The question is how many reserves will Detroit retain? I leaned a little aggressive with three, in large part due to camp rotations and performances.

Obviously, things haven’t gone the way the team hoped or expected with Rakestraw, due to another injury. A chest contusion has limited his practice time and his effectiveness since returning to action. Still, the former second-round pick’s job is safe. The team isn't going to throw away his development or upside because of a few unfortunate bumps in the road.

While Rakestraw has been down, Ya-Sin has stepped up, both defensively and on special teams. Playing for his fifth team in five seasons, the veteran plays with impressive physicality, from his jams to his support in the ground game on the perimeter. His style of play is very much on brand for the franchise.

As for Hallett, he’s come a little bit out of nowhere. Originally in the mix for the final safety job, he’s logged most of his playing time at nickel and impressed in coverage, run support and with the reliability of his open-field tackling. He could stand to show a little more on special teams the next few weeks to secure the spot.

Safeties (4)​

In: Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Avonte Maddox, Dan Jackson

Work to do: Morice Norris, Loren Strickland, Ian Kennelly

Thoughts: The competition for the final safety job remains unsettled. Strickland got the start against the Chargers, but a couple of blown coverage assignments, including one that resulted in a touchdown, didn't bolster his cause.

Kennelly, the undrafted rookie, had some eye-catching moments in that contest. He's athletic and an extremely physical tackler. Regardless, he also has the biggest learning curve coming out of Grand Valley State. There are similarities to when the Lions signed Nowaske as a UDFA out of Saginaw Valley State a couple of years back. He started his rookie year on the practice squad, benefitting from some additional developmental time before earning a main roster spot.

We're still leaning toward Jackson for the job. He came off the bench, but logged plenty of snaps in the preseason opener, splitting his time between playing deep and in the box. He showcased his nose for the ball, tallying five tackles without a miss.

Jackson's grit, special teams experience and football IQ give him the slightest of edges over Strickland. Keeping both isn't out of the question. It would likely come at the expense of Hallett if we reworked this projection.

Specialists (3)​

In: Jack Fox, Jake Bates, Hogan Hatten

Work to do: None

Thoughts: The Lions opted not to waste a roster spot on a backup specialist this offseason. Fox is coming off a record-setting season, Hatten is a premium athlete at the long snapper spot, and Bates, despite some camp struggles from long distance, has the coaching staff’s trust after making 26 of his 29 field-goal attempts in 2024.
 
Guess Skipper had sprained an ankle Thursday night. Lions made a move this afternoon to address that.

Detroit Lions sign veteran offensive tackle​

The Detroit Lions added an offensive tackle, raising questions about Dan Skipper’s injury situation.

On Saturday afternoon, the Detroit Lions announced that they have signed offensive tackle Justin Herron. In order to make room for Herron, the Lions have waived defensive tackle Raequan Williams

Herron was a sixth-round pick for the New England Patriots back in 2020. He would end up starting 10 games for the Patriots in his first two NFL seasons. However, in his third year, he was traded the the Las Vegas Raiders along with a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick in return. Two weeks later, he tore his ACL.

In 2023, he made six game appearances and one start for the Raiders. He was eventually released in December.

Herron was given another shot with the New Orleans Saints last year, but he suffered a knee injury early in training camp and spent the entire year on injured reserve.

Obviously, injuries have plagued Herron’s short career, but he brings to the Lions experience and great character. In 2021, he rescued a woman from an attempted sexual assault.

Herron’s addition raises questions about the health of backup tackle Dan Skipper, who suffered an injury in Detroit’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. After the game, Skipper was in a boot and told reporters it was a low-ankle sprain.

Herron will now enter a competition for the backup offensive tackle job with Skipper, Giovanni Manu, Jamarco Jones, and Mason Miller. Time will tell whether Herron will be legitimate competition or someone who will help a potentially short-handed Lions offensive line during training camp.
 
dueling 53-man projections! woohoo

posted Justin Rogers' (Detroit Football Network) 3 and 4 posts up

here is another one from Pride of Detroit (Eric Schlitt & Jeremy Reisman)

2025 Detroit Lions 53-man roster projection: Post-preseason Hall of Fame game edition​


Erik Schlitt and Jeremy Reisman put their heads together for an updated Lions 53-man roster projection.
The Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Chargers opened up the 2025 preseason on Thursday, and that means it’s time for another installment of our 53-man roster projection.

As has become tradition, Jeremy Reisman and I collaborate on this projection in an attempt to give you a balanced look at where the roster sits coming out of the summer break. We come together to debate the roster, fight for our favorites, and compromise when possible. We will publish updated collaborative editions of the 53-man projection throughout training camp. Then, at cutdowns, we will each publish our own projections.

Let’s get started.

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes the player is a rookie

Quarterbacks (2)​

Jared Goff
Hendon Hooker
Kyle Allen

Jeremy:

Despite Kyle Allen starting the preseason game and looking much better on Thursday, we’re sticking with Hendon Hooker as the backup. It was a disappointing night for the third-year quarterback, but just one piece of the scouting puzzing, and coach Dan Campbell even found some positives from Hooker’s performance. I’m eager to see how much better Hooker will look when he plays with the second-team offense rather than the third-team.

Running back (4)​

Jahmyr Gibbs
David Montgomery
Craig Reynolds
Sione Vaki
Kye Robichaux*
Jabari Small
Jacob Saylors
Erik: This competition continues to be very straightforward, as most expect the Lions to roll with the same four running backs from last season. With the changes we’ve seen in the last few seasons on special teams, players like Reynolds and Vaki have become extremely valuable.

Wide receiver (6)​

Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Tim Patrick
Kalif Raymond
Isaac TeSlaa*
Dominic Lovett*
Jackson Meeks*
Tom Kennedy
Jakobie Keeney-James*
Ronnie Bell
Malik Taylor

Jeremy:

Despite a couple of errors, Lovett seemed to create some distance from the depth receivers on the team for the final roster spot. Of the five players we’re cutting here, only one made a catch in Thursday’s preseason game: Jackson Meeks. Lovett, on the other hand, was consistently open and hauled in five catches on nine targets. The competition isn’t over, but he’s got a commanding lead, in my mind.

Tight end (3)​

Sam LaPorta
Brock Wright
Shane Zylstra
Kenny Yeboah
Zach Horton*


Erik: Yeboah showed off his blocking prowess against the Chargers, and Horton displayed his range to play multiple positions, but Zylstra remains the most complete tight end amongst the reserves and is firmly holding onto the TE3 spot.

Offensive tackle (4)​

Penei Sewell
Taylor Decker (Active/PUP)
Dan Skipper
Giovanni Manu
Jamarco Jones
Mason Miller*

Jeremy:

I’ll admit I’m starting to wonder if Dan Skipper is on shaky ground, considering he essentially played all of the first half of the preseason opener. Additionally, he suffered a low-ankle sprain and his availability is currently unknown. That could give Jamarco Jones a shot for the roster, but we’re not there yet.

Interior offensive line (5 + 1 PUP)​

Graham Glasgow
Christian Mahogany
Tate Ratledge*
Kayode Awosika
Kingsley Eguakun
Trystan Colon
Netane Muti
Michael Niese
Colby Sorsdal

Active/PUP: Miles Frazier*

Erik: The only real debate between Jeremy and I in this entire discussion ended up being between Kingsley Eguakun versus Trystan Colon. In the end, we landed on upside over experience, and have put some weight into the fact that the Lions have consistently started their rotations with Eguakun over Colon in the pecking order.

Defensive end (5)​

Aidan Hutchinson
Marcus Davenport
Josh Paschal (Active/NFI)
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Ahmed Hassanein*
Nate Lynn
Mitchell Agude
Isaac Ukwu

Jeremy:

While I liked some things I saw from Lynn and Ukwu in the preseason game, Hassanein was brilliant for his first NFL action. His ability to defend the run was much better than advertised, giving me a little extra hope in this unit.

That being said, the Lions face an interesting decision with Paschal. Campbell said this week that he could return to practice early September but would need a couple weeks to be football ready. Could he start the year on the Non-Football Injury list, miss the first four games, and open up a roster spot? We’re sticking with no, because being on the NFI list would also mean no practicing during September. But if the roster gets tight, this could be an option.

Defensive tackle (5 + 1 PUP)​

DJ Reader
Tyleik Williams*
Roy Lopez
Mekhi Wingo (Active/PUP)
Pat O’Connor
Keith Cooper*
Chris Smith
Myles Adams
Raequan Williams
Brodric Martin

Active/PUP: Alim McNeill
Reserve/PUP: Levi Onwuzurike (Season is over)

Erik: With Wingo expected to remain on the PUP until September, there’s a chance he could start the season on the PUP, which could open the door for another interior defender. However, at this time, we are anticipating his return ahead of the season and have included him as “in” our 53-man roster.

Linebacker (6 + 1 PUP)​

Alex Anzalone
Jack Campbell
Derrick Barnes
Grant Stuard
Trevor Nowaske
Zach Cunningham
Anthony Pittman
Ezekiel Turner
DaRon Gilbert

Active/PUP: Malcolm Rodriguez

Jeremy:

It was a disappointing night for both Nowaske and Cunningham in the preseason game, but no one in Detroit’s depth did much of anything to jump them in the depth chart. Pittman made a case with two tackles for loss, but PFF also credited him with three missed tackles on the night.

Cornerback (6)​

Terrion Arnold
D.J. Reed
Amik Robertson
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Khalil Dorsey (Active/PUP)
Rock Ya-Sin
Erick Hallett
DiCaprio Bootle
Tyson Russell
Nick Whiteside

Erik: Rock Ya-Sin has consistently improved over his time in Detroit, and his performance against the Chargers illustrated that he has the physical mentality to fit this team’s culture and approach to defense. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Dorsey’s PUP status over the next few weeks.

Safety (4)​

Brian Branch
Kerby Joseph
Avonte Maddox
Dan Jackson*
Morice Norris
Loren Strickland
Ian Kennelly*

Jeremy: The final safety spot remains one of the most competitive. Jackson still gets the nod for his special teams work, but we’ve admittedly seen more on defense from guys like Norris and Kennelly. I fully expect at least two depth safeties to stick around on the practice squad.

Specialists (3)​

Jack Fox (P)
Jake Bates (K)
Hogan Hatten (LS)

Erik: With no competition, this is the easiest section on our docket.
 
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