ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I still think they have to bring someone else in, and I'm not sure there's anyone else out there right now who would be better than Smith
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2025 Detroit Lions: 4-1 Lions win battle of the big cats. (47 Viewers)
- Thread starter Da Guru
- Start date
I tend to agree but I'm not overly worried right now because it's early. There is a possibility Holmes wants to wait because contracts aren't guaranteed after week one.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I had the same thought. I just hope Davenport can make it through Week 1 healthy. That's no guarantee given his history!
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
I thought Smith played well last year. All Lions need is 15-20 snaps a game from him to get after the passer.
Cost should not be much on a 1 year deal as he is sitting at home right now. Right now though it looks like he is not returning as they would have had him in this week to get some practice reps in but who knows?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Looking at John Clayton’s updated position group rankings this morning post-trade:
(scale 1-10):
Green Bay is NFC North favorite?
Oh, OK - let’s play the games and see how that works out, eh.
MCDC NFC North record:
Lions vs Packers
Detroit has won 6 of the last 7 meetings, including the last 3 at Lambeau Field.
Have to beat the best to be the best.
(scale 1-10):
Position | Detroit | Green Bay |
QB | 7 | 6 |
RB | 10 | 8 |
WR | 8 | 6 |
TE | 8 | 6 |
OL | 5 | 7 |
DI | 5 | 3 |
ED | 7 | 9 |
LB | 8 | 6 |
CB | 7 | 4 |
S | 9 | 9 |
ST (PFF) | 86.8 7th | 53.0 32nd |
Green Bay is NFC North favorite?
Oh, OK - let’s play the games and see how that works out, eh.
MCDC NFC North record:
- 3-3
- 5-1
- 4-2
- 6-0
Lions vs Packers
- 1-1
- 2-0
- 1-1
- 2-0
Detroit has won 6 of the last 7 meetings, including the last 3 at Lambeau Field.
Have to beat the best to be the best.
I'm still more concerned about the Vikings than the Packers.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Vikings are a real wildcard to me, depending how well McCarthy develops at QB.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I really do hope it's just a matter of waiting until after Week 1 so his contract isn't guaranteed. (To be clear, I don't care one way or another whether his contract is guaranteed. I'm just saying I want them to sign Smith, and I hope this is the reason it hasn't happened yet)
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
Looking at that those rankings, Packers won't be able to stop the run or the pass.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Ahhh yes Andre Carter, I think I mocked him to the Lions a bunch back in 2023. I forgot about him and didn't follow his career. Looks like he hasn't quite been able to fire but definitely a guy I like Detroit giving a shot. Though as you point out, when the combine came, he tested quite poorly not just in the bench for pretty much all the drills.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Biggest weaknesses for them last year were WR drops (& mistakes), consistent pass rush - 24 sacks in 4 g against weak/deleted OL, 21 in the other 13 g - and incredibly poor ST play.
Golden will help #1, though C Watson will miss most if not all of the year.
Micah puts them on an elite level but losing Kenny Clark means they simply don’t have a two-gap run stopper. How you gonna win the division when you are not built to stop Montgomery and Gibbs or Aaron Jones & Jordan Mason?
Talented team, young, good depth, excellent HC. But they need Love to play better (injuries affected his play in 2024) and Golden has to prove he’s their long sought after #1. Maybe he can but it’s not very common blue chip players - true difference makers - emerge outside the first 15 picks.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Mailbag, Part II: Giovanni Manu, Brad Holmes' projects, TeSlaa as a Jameson Williams replacement and more
Hopefully, you enjoyed Part I of the mailbag this morning. We’re back with an even longer second batch of questions.
Question: What does the Lions’ current salary cap look like? I've heard differing assessments. — Michael Murphy
Justin: The simple answer is they have a lot of cap space. I haven’t updated my personal spreadsheet to provide a solid estimation, but OverTheCap has it pegged at $35.27 million, which is a good starting point for this conversation.
During the offseason, only the top-51 salaries count toward the cap. Once the regular season starts, it’s all 53 roster spots, the practice squad, and the salaries of all the players on injured lists. That’s several million more in financial obligations.
Now, some of you are probably thinking, ‘Wait, the team has $35 million. What in the hell? Why didn’t Brad Holmes spend more in free agency?’ Or maybe it’s, ‘Um, what’s the hold up with Za’Darius Smith?’ Well, the bigger picture is more complicated.
First of all, the team operates under the idea that it will need about $20 million for additional expenditures during the season. That’s for injury replacements, practice squad elevations and performance/playing time bonuses. Also, you want the wiggle room to add a more significant player at the deadline, like, say, Smith last year.
The larger consideration, and something I wrote about earlier this offseason, is that the Lions are presently over the cap next season.
You should read it. It explains how the team needs to roll over as much as it can to address future bills, most notably the still-to-come extensions for several star players like Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams.
Question: How long will the Lions give Giovani Manu? They’ve ditched Brodric Martin and Hendon Hooker, who were projects. Is Manu’s freakish athleticism a pass for this year only, or next year, too? — Simon Platford
Question: If we pretended that this was Manu's rookie camp, how would you judge him, and would it change your projection for the future? — Scott Hawkins
Justin: I have a longstanding belief that sports fans care more about what can be than what is. The outsized interest in Giovanni Manu validates that opinion.
I get it, there’s allure to the unknown. And, when it comes to the NFL, a freakishly large and athletic offensive tackle from Canada via Tonga is about as unknown as it gets.
Look, Manu’s developmental arc isn’t comparable to the other players that were mentioned. There was a clear understanding, given the background and level of college competition, that this one would take a bit longer. It’s been 16 months.
Manu improved considerably year-to-year. He did. To answer the second question, he looked like a Day 3 rookie in his second season.
His inaugural camp was a mess, even if that was predictable. This year, he still lagged behind the veteran offensive linemen, but there was undeniable progress. Maybe not enough to justify a game-day role in 2025, but if he takes a similar step forward between now and next offseason, we’re talking about a legitimate swing tackle backup, replacing the Dan Skipper/Jamarco Jones role.
Will that be enough to satisfy fans? Probably not. But a reliable backup offensive tackle, one of the game’s premium positions, is pretty good value for a fourth-round pick. And there would still be growth and upside on the table. What needs to stop is comparing Manu to and expecting him to become Jordan Mailata, the former rugby player who has developed into an All-Pro lineman. That’s an anomaly and shouldn’t be an expectation.
Question: Who do you see taking the next big step in their play? — Brian
Justin: The problem with this answer is I’m going to be regurgitating all the names I’ve been writing about all camp. Imagine if I had an inkling that an under-the-radar player was about to take off and wasn’t reporting what I was seeing. In that case, I’d be doing a disservice to the audience.
But since you asked, I’ll pretend you’ve not read anything all offseason and the information is new to you.
Jameson Williams: He closed camp with some drop issues that he’ll need to clean up, but the fourth-year receiver has taken his route running to new levels this offseason. Having more variety with his tree, including a lethal comeback route, should further unlock the speedster’s production potential.
Christian Mahogany: There were legitimate sample-size questions regarding how much we could reasonably glean from his two starts as a rookie. Well, I’d contend Mahogany was the most consistent lineman in this year’s camp.
Terrion Arnold: If the number of pass breakups he's had the past six weeks is any indication, last year’s first-round pick is primed to make a massive second-year jump. He cleaned up his early-season penalty issues in the second half of the 2024 campaign. Now it’s time to start snagging interceptions.
Question: Did you think the Lions might trade Tim Patrick? —Paul Van Randwyk
Justin: As you may remember from my roster assessment, I dropped Patrick from the lock column late in camp. With about a week to go, I put his odds of making the team at 85%, drawing parallels to how Marvin Jones' performance had sharply declined during his final year with the Lions.
Did I believe that would lead to trade? Not really. Mostly because I wasn’t sure if a team would be willing to give up a draft asset for an aging receiver who had a number of articles written about his struggles. It wasn't a secret.
Still, given how many teams were reportedly looking for veteran help at the position, it's not shocking the Lions found a taker. Apparently, there were multiple suitors, so being able to net a sixth-rounder instead of a seventh was more interesting.
Question: Do you have a guess as to why Dan Skipper or his agent leaked his release a day early? — Jeff Guynn
Justin: Skipper told me directly. I'm sharing that because it wasn't an off-the-record conversation. I didn’t ask him why, because it didn’t feel like a relevant question. However, when I launched this publication, he was one of several players and Lions staffers who took the time to stop me and offer some positive feedback about the decision. That dialogue opened the door for me to suggest our ice bath interview.
Even before any of that, we’ve been having good, honest conversations in the locker room for years. I’ve enjoyed covering Skipper, one of many players I can say that about, both current and past.
I would like to believe I’ve cultivated strong professional respect with a number of members in the organization, from ownership down to the players. Sometimes, being able to break news is the way that respect pays off, even if I take zero joy in being the first to report a player has lost their job.
Question: Have any of Brad Holmes’ project draft picks ever amounted to anything of value? — Tim Harding
Justin: I know I answered this directly in the chat, but yes, several.
Kerby Joseph was a converted receiver and one-year starting safety at Illinois. Now, he’s an All-Pro. That's the epitome of a project working out in unimaginably successful ways.
Then there’s Malcolm Rodriguez. Here’s what Kelvin Sheppard told me in 2023: “Most of his time at Oklahoma State, he's spitting out in the slot, like an overhang. Then you look at his stature, he's 5-11, 225, short arms. How is that going to translate to the NFL?”
Pretty damn well, actually. Rodriguez is the first linebacker off the bench, but he's more than capable when asked to start. Plus, he's stellar on special teams. It doesn’t matter how productive he was in college; his role and body type didn't translate. That's a project.
Same with Derrick Barnes, a college edge rusher. It took a minute, but he’s a solid NFL linebacker now who just earned a hefty extension, validating how the team feels about his development and production.
Even guys like James Houston delivered more than could have reasonably been expected, even if it didn’t work out long-term. And we’re not counting guys who have wildly outperformed their draft slots, like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Mahogany.
People need to stop being so fixated on Brodric Martin. Not every pick works out. Holmes’ hit rate is wild.
Question: What does the Lions’ current salary cap look like? I've heard differing assessments. — Michael Murphy
Justin: The simple answer is they have a lot of cap space. I haven’t updated my personal spreadsheet to provide a solid estimation, but OverTheCap has it pegged at $35.27 million, which is a good starting point for this conversation.
During the offseason, only the top-51 salaries count toward the cap. Once the regular season starts, it’s all 53 roster spots, the practice squad, and the salaries of all the players on injured lists. That’s several million more in financial obligations.
Now, some of you are probably thinking, ‘Wait, the team has $35 million. What in the hell? Why didn’t Brad Holmes spend more in free agency?’ Or maybe it’s, ‘Um, what’s the hold up with Za’Darius Smith?’ Well, the bigger picture is more complicated.
First of all, the team operates under the idea that it will need about $20 million for additional expenditures during the season. That’s for injury replacements, practice squad elevations and performance/playing time bonuses. Also, you want the wiggle room to add a more significant player at the deadline, like, say, Smith last year.
The larger consideration, and something I wrote about earlier this offseason, is that the Lions are presently over the cap next season.
You should read it. It explains how the team needs to roll over as much as it can to address future bills, most notably the still-to-come extensions for several star players like Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams.
Question: How long will the Lions give Giovani Manu? They’ve ditched Brodric Martin and Hendon Hooker, who were projects. Is Manu’s freakish athleticism a pass for this year only, or next year, too? — Simon Platford
Question: If we pretended that this was Manu's rookie camp, how would you judge him, and would it change your projection for the future? — Scott Hawkins
Justin: I have a longstanding belief that sports fans care more about what can be than what is. The outsized interest in Giovanni Manu validates that opinion.
I get it, there’s allure to the unknown. And, when it comes to the NFL, a freakishly large and athletic offensive tackle from Canada via Tonga is about as unknown as it gets.
Look, Manu’s developmental arc isn’t comparable to the other players that were mentioned. There was a clear understanding, given the background and level of college competition, that this one would take a bit longer. It’s been 16 months.
Manu improved considerably year-to-year. He did. To answer the second question, he looked like a Day 3 rookie in his second season.
His inaugural camp was a mess, even if that was predictable. This year, he still lagged behind the veteran offensive linemen, but there was undeniable progress. Maybe not enough to justify a game-day role in 2025, but if he takes a similar step forward between now and next offseason, we’re talking about a legitimate swing tackle backup, replacing the Dan Skipper/Jamarco Jones role.
Will that be enough to satisfy fans? Probably not. But a reliable backup offensive tackle, one of the game’s premium positions, is pretty good value for a fourth-round pick. And there would still be growth and upside on the table. What needs to stop is comparing Manu to and expecting him to become Jordan Mailata, the former rugby player who has developed into an All-Pro lineman. That’s an anomaly and shouldn’t be an expectation.
Question: Who do you see taking the next big step in their play? — Brian
Justin: The problem with this answer is I’m going to be regurgitating all the names I’ve been writing about all camp. Imagine if I had an inkling that an under-the-radar player was about to take off and wasn’t reporting what I was seeing. In that case, I’d be doing a disservice to the audience.
But since you asked, I’ll pretend you’ve not read anything all offseason and the information is new to you.
Jameson Williams: He closed camp with some drop issues that he’ll need to clean up, but the fourth-year receiver has taken his route running to new levels this offseason. Having more variety with his tree, including a lethal comeback route, should further unlock the speedster’s production potential.
Christian Mahogany: There were legitimate sample-size questions regarding how much we could reasonably glean from his two starts as a rookie. Well, I’d contend Mahogany was the most consistent lineman in this year’s camp.
Terrion Arnold: If the number of pass breakups he's had the past six weeks is any indication, last year’s first-round pick is primed to make a massive second-year jump. He cleaned up his early-season penalty issues in the second half of the 2024 campaign. Now it’s time to start snagging interceptions.
Question: Did you think the Lions might trade Tim Patrick? —Paul Van Randwyk
Justin: As you may remember from my roster assessment, I dropped Patrick from the lock column late in camp. With about a week to go, I put his odds of making the team at 85%, drawing parallels to how Marvin Jones' performance had sharply declined during his final year with the Lions.
Did I believe that would lead to trade? Not really. Mostly because I wasn’t sure if a team would be willing to give up a draft asset for an aging receiver who had a number of articles written about his struggles. It wasn't a secret.
Still, given how many teams were reportedly looking for veteran help at the position, it's not shocking the Lions found a taker. Apparently, there were multiple suitors, so being able to net a sixth-rounder instead of a seventh was more interesting.
Question: Do you have a guess as to why Dan Skipper or his agent leaked his release a day early? — Jeff Guynn
Justin: Skipper told me directly. I'm sharing that because it wasn't an off-the-record conversation. I didn’t ask him why, because it didn’t feel like a relevant question. However, when I launched this publication, he was one of several players and Lions staffers who took the time to stop me and offer some positive feedback about the decision. That dialogue opened the door for me to suggest our ice bath interview.
Even before any of that, we’ve been having good, honest conversations in the locker room for years. I’ve enjoyed covering Skipper, one of many players I can say that about, both current and past.
I would like to believe I’ve cultivated strong professional respect with a number of members in the organization, from ownership down to the players. Sometimes, being able to break news is the way that respect pays off, even if I take zero joy in being the first to report a player has lost their job.
Question: Have any of Brad Holmes’ project draft picks ever amounted to anything of value? — Tim Harding
Justin: I know I answered this directly in the chat, but yes, several.
Kerby Joseph was a converted receiver and one-year starting safety at Illinois. Now, he’s an All-Pro. That's the epitome of a project working out in unimaginably successful ways.
Then there’s Malcolm Rodriguez. Here’s what Kelvin Sheppard told me in 2023: “Most of his time at Oklahoma State, he's spitting out in the slot, like an overhang. Then you look at his stature, he's 5-11, 225, short arms. How is that going to translate to the NFL?”
Pretty damn well, actually. Rodriguez is the first linebacker off the bench, but he's more than capable when asked to start. Plus, he's stellar on special teams. It doesn’t matter how productive he was in college; his role and body type didn't translate. That's a project.
Same with Derrick Barnes, a college edge rusher. It took a minute, but he’s a solid NFL linebacker now who just earned a hefty extension, validating how the team feels about his development and production.
Even guys like James Houston delivered more than could have reasonably been expected, even if it didn’t work out long-term. And we’re not counting guys who have wildly outperformed their draft slots, like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Mahogany.
People need to stop being so fixated on Brodric Martin. Not every pick works out. Holmes’ hit rate is wild.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
ASIDE - In the 13 months since Justin Rogers launched his independent venture, he has exceeded his traffic when he wrote for the Detroit Free Press for 15 years, and carved out a sustainable career. Love it when folks bet on themselves and win.
Question: What qualities differentiate TeSlaa from Jamo? Is he Jamo's replacement for cap purposes in 2026 and beyond? — Bill Ervin
Justin: Bill, the long-term view is an astute assessment. I fully agree that while we’ve been fixated on TeSlaa as Patrick’s replacement, there is a bigger-picture view where the rookie is the solution to not being able to afford an extension for Williams. That's going to push north of $30 million per year if he delivers on expectations and tops 1,000 yards again.
It isn't easy to compare the two, athletically, since Williams’ ACL tear prevented him from participating in pre-draft testing. TeSlaa has jets, running a 4.43 40-yard dash. However, the eye test tells me Williams is probably closer to 4.3. His speed and acceleration are on a different level.
Williams is also more advanced in some of the finer details of the position, given his experience. However, TeSlaa is picking things up quickly, has great body control and hands, and could catch up to Williams in two years, when the team could be looking to swap from one for the other.
One thing that should be acknowledged is that both have tremendous football character. Williams and TeSlaa are both passionate about the game and go all out on every assignment, including blocking.
Question: What is the biggest risk to this team not achieving its goals? — Christopher Gandy
Justin: When you fall short, you make changes, and with every change, there’s an opportunity to take a step forward or a step back.
As noted above, Holmes has been great in the draft. Well, what happens if he has a couple of classes that don’t meet or exceed expectations? What happens when the Lions have to part with some of the stars they developed because they can’t fit them all under the cap? What if the retooled offensive line, which might also lose Taylor Decker in a year or two, is never as good as it was last year?
The culture is as strong as it’s ever been in Detroit. You have a smart GM and a great coach who gets the most out of his players, individually and collectively. They are built for sustained success, even if there are no guarantees, year-to-year.
But sustained success — division titles and playoff appearances — doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl. If this core doesn’t win one, I’m sure we’ll be talking about it the same way we did when the Tigers fell short with Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera and company. That will be an era remembered fondly, but marred by the lack of a title.
Question: So, no third-string quarterback, in case of emergency? — Craig Mirek
Justin: Presently, no. But they didn’t technically have an emergency quarterback, in the traditional sense, until late last season. What they did have was a practice squad QB in Jake Fromm, but he wasn’t an option on game days.
I expect the Lions will eventually add a practice squad QB. It’s not pressing, and if they ever had to play in a game, well, I hate to tell you, that one is probably a lost cause.
The role of a third-stringer is the work they do Monday through Saturday, prepping the starter and backup for Sunday. It’s what they provide in the meeting room and as an extra set of eyes scouting the upcoming opponent. They don’t even run the scout team. That task usually falls to the backup.
With two former NFL quarterbacks coaching the position in Mark Brunell and Marques Tuiasosopo, the Lions have enough experience to get by, from a preparation perspective, with just two for the time being.
And if Jared Goff and Kyle Allen both have to exit a game, it should be fun watching David Montgomery run the wildcat for the rest of that afternoon. (That's not a confirmed strategy, just a loose expectation based on what I know about the roster.)
Question: Do you believe Jared Goff will ever have a legitimate shot at winning league MVP? Or will his being a traditional pocket passer prevent that in a league where Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen currently rule the roost? — Andrew Keck
Justin: Yeah, there’s a legitimate shot, but it’s going to require some guady numbers. Goff isn’t likely to garner serious consideration without throwing for more than 5,000 yards, 40 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions.
That's not out of the realm of possibility with the weapons he has around him and the fact that he attempted significantly fewer passes in 2024. If he were 15% more productive than he was a year ago, you’re talking 5,300 yards and 42 or 43 touchdowns. The final step would be trimming the interceptions. He’d need to be closer to the seven he tossed in 2022 than the dozen he had each of the past two years.
Post that stat line, win the NFC North again, and yeah, he’s going to be a front-runner.
Question: There was some discussion early in training camp about the Lions running two-back packages during the season. Is that still something you think they’ll do and who would the backs be? — Andrew Tomlinson
Justin: Yeah, I think they’ll do it, because offensive coordinator John Morton said they’ll do it. As he noted, and I’m paraphrasing, you want to get your best players on the field as much as possible.
The Lions ran two-back looks last year, too. And the year before that and the year before that. It’s always baked into the scheme, to a degree. This is really a volume discussion. They’ve never leaned on it heavily, and with so many offensive weapons, I’m not sure you’ll rarely see it more than a handful of times in any given game plan.
When they do it, it will primarily be David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs sharing the field. However, there’s some potential with a Gibbs/Sione Vaki look, as well.
Question: What qualities differentiate TeSlaa from Jamo? Is he Jamo's replacement for cap purposes in 2026 and beyond? — Bill Ervin
Justin: Bill, the long-term view is an astute assessment. I fully agree that while we’ve been fixated on TeSlaa as Patrick’s replacement, there is a bigger-picture view where the rookie is the solution to not being able to afford an extension for Williams. That's going to push north of $30 million per year if he delivers on expectations and tops 1,000 yards again.
It isn't easy to compare the two, athletically, since Williams’ ACL tear prevented him from participating in pre-draft testing. TeSlaa has jets, running a 4.43 40-yard dash. However, the eye test tells me Williams is probably closer to 4.3. His speed and acceleration are on a different level.
Williams is also more advanced in some of the finer details of the position, given his experience. However, TeSlaa is picking things up quickly, has great body control and hands, and could catch up to Williams in two years, when the team could be looking to swap from one for the other.
One thing that should be acknowledged is that both have tremendous football character. Williams and TeSlaa are both passionate about the game and go all out on every assignment, including blocking.
Question: What is the biggest risk to this team not achieving its goals? — Christopher Gandy
Justin: When you fall short, you make changes, and with every change, there’s an opportunity to take a step forward or a step back.
As noted above, Holmes has been great in the draft. Well, what happens if he has a couple of classes that don’t meet or exceed expectations? What happens when the Lions have to part with some of the stars they developed because they can’t fit them all under the cap? What if the retooled offensive line, which might also lose Taylor Decker in a year or two, is never as good as it was last year?
The culture is as strong as it’s ever been in Detroit. You have a smart GM and a great coach who gets the most out of his players, individually and collectively. They are built for sustained success, even if there are no guarantees, year-to-year.
But sustained success — division titles and playoff appearances — doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl. If this core doesn’t win one, I’m sure we’ll be talking about it the same way we did when the Tigers fell short with Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera and company. That will be an era remembered fondly, but marred by the lack of a title.
Question: So, no third-string quarterback, in case of emergency? — Craig Mirek
Justin: Presently, no. But they didn’t technically have an emergency quarterback, in the traditional sense, until late last season. What they did have was a practice squad QB in Jake Fromm, but he wasn’t an option on game days.
I expect the Lions will eventually add a practice squad QB. It’s not pressing, and if they ever had to play in a game, well, I hate to tell you, that one is probably a lost cause.
The role of a third-stringer is the work they do Monday through Saturday, prepping the starter and backup for Sunday. It’s what they provide in the meeting room and as an extra set of eyes scouting the upcoming opponent. They don’t even run the scout team. That task usually falls to the backup.
With two former NFL quarterbacks coaching the position in Mark Brunell and Marques Tuiasosopo, the Lions have enough experience to get by, from a preparation perspective, with just two for the time being.
And if Jared Goff and Kyle Allen both have to exit a game, it should be fun watching David Montgomery run the wildcat for the rest of that afternoon. (That's not a confirmed strategy, just a loose expectation based on what I know about the roster.)
Question: Do you believe Jared Goff will ever have a legitimate shot at winning league MVP? Or will his being a traditional pocket passer prevent that in a league where Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen currently rule the roost? — Andrew Keck
Justin: Yeah, there’s a legitimate shot, but it’s going to require some guady numbers. Goff isn’t likely to garner serious consideration without throwing for more than 5,000 yards, 40 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions.
That's not out of the realm of possibility with the weapons he has around him and the fact that he attempted significantly fewer passes in 2024. If he were 15% more productive than he was a year ago, you’re talking 5,300 yards and 42 or 43 touchdowns. The final step would be trimming the interceptions. He’d need to be closer to the seven he tossed in 2022 than the dozen he had each of the past two years.
Post that stat line, win the NFC North again, and yeah, he’s going to be a front-runner.
Question: There was some discussion early in training camp about the Lions running two-back packages during the season. Is that still something you think they’ll do and who would the backs be? — Andrew Tomlinson
Justin: Yeah, I think they’ll do it, because offensive coordinator John Morton said they’ll do it. As he noted, and I’m paraphrasing, you want to get your best players on the field as much as possible.
The Lions ran two-back looks last year, too. And the year before that and the year before that. It’s always baked into the scheme, to a degree. This is really a volume discussion. They’ve never leaned on it heavily, and with so many offensive weapons, I’m not sure you’ll rarely see it more than a handful of times in any given game plan.
When they do it, it will primarily be David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs sharing the field. However, there’s some potential with a Gibbs/Sione Vaki look, as well.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Detroit Lions fill final roster spot, claiming former Raiders safety off waivers
Allen Park — Then there were 53.
After trimming the team's initial roster to 50 before freeing up a fourth spot by shipping wide receiver Tim Patrick to Jacksonville for a 2026 draft pick, the Detroit Lions filled their final opening on Friday, claiming former Las Vegas Raiders safety Thomas Harper off waivers.
After going undrafted a year ago out of Notre Dame, via Oklahoma State, Harper initially signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He appeared in two preseason games for the franchise, but was waived as part of the team’s final cuts.
After trimming the team's initial roster to 50 before freeing up a fourth spot by shipping wide receiver Tim Patrick to Jacksonville for a 2026 draft pick, the Detroit Lions filled their final opening on Friday, claiming former Las Vegas Raiders safety Thomas Harper off waivers.
After going undrafted a year ago out of Notre Dame, via Oklahoma State, Harper initially signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. He appeared in two preseason games for the franchise, but was waived as part of the team’s final cuts.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
5 storylines that should define the Detroit Lions offense in 2025
Allen Park — Training camp is in the books and the regular season has arrived. Here are five major storylines that figure to define the Detroit Lions offense in 2025.
Goff took efficiency to new levels last season, completing 72.4% of his passes and posting a 111.8 passer rating, both personal bests and team records. Under the guidance of former coordinator Ben Johnson, Goff’s career experienced a remarkable resurgence, resulting in two Pro Bowl appearances over the past three years, back-to-back division titles and record-setting offensive production in 2024.
After three seasons of success, Johnson took his talents to a suburb of Gary, Indiana, where he’ll try to replicate his high-octane attack with the Bears. He was replaced in Detroit by John Morton, a coaching veteran who was on staff as a senior assistant when Johnson initially implemented his multi-layered scheme.
That means there’s going to be plenty of continuity, just a different voice in Goff’s ear on game day. That relationship between the quarterback and coordinator is one of the most important for an NFL team. They need to see the game through each other’s eyes and have the highest level of trust through each step of the week, from game planning to in-game adjustments.
All offseason, the two have spoken glowingly of each other. However, the strength of the bond isn't revealed in the offseason. We won’t know if it will be Johnson-like for the quarterback until we get into the regular season, seeing how their trust and communication carry them through critical decisions and crunch-time situations.
Can Goff be as good as he was last year? He continues to have one of the league’s best arsenals around him. More importantly, we’ll be watching how the veteran passer and his new coordinator connect.
Williams put those concerns to bed last year with his first 1,000-yard season, which remarkably included only two drops. He still didn’t feel like a potential No. 1 receiver — not that he needed to be in Detroit — but he was undeniably a key cog in the attack as a big-play threat.
This offseason, it’s been something different entirely. I can’t definitively tell you what clicked — although I suspect new position coach Scottie Montgomery deserves some of the credit — but Williams is operating on a different level. The explosiveness remains, but the details of his route running have sharply improved. He’s where he needs to be, when he needs to be there, while running a greater variety of routes.
It might not sound like much, but Williams now possesses a lethal comeback route. He can stop as quickly as he accelerates, putting cornerbacks in conflict every snap. They have to decide whether to sit on the hitch or stay on their heels to avoid getting burned deep.
Williams’ ceiling is only capped by Detroit’s other offensive talent. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery all command touches. Still, it’s difficult to imagine Williams failing to outperform his 2024 season, while being more efficient in the process after hauling in just 63.7% of his targets last year.
In terms of touches, it was much closer. No, scratch that, it was identical. Both had 212 carries/receptions through those 13 contests. Montgomery ran the ball two more times, while Gibbs caught two more passes.
Of course, we know Gibbs was more effective, averaging 5.7 yards per carry to Montgomery’s 4.3, raising legitimate questions about whether the balance needed to be recalibrated a little more in Gibbs’ favor.
The timeshare will unquestionably persist. And it should. Splitting the workload reduces strain on both players, increasing their per-snap productivity and reducing wear and tear. Still, there were hints during camp that the Lions might turn to Gibbs as the starter more frequently in 2025.
We may start to see a drift in touches from 50/50 to 60/40, more closely mirroring their snap counts. Gibbs has shown he can shoulder more of the load when Montgomery was out. A slight increase shouldn't impact the goal of keeping him healthy and productive for the full season.
The biggest intrigue might be how often Morton can get the pair on the field together. The “Pony Package” was part of the scheme last year, but the Lions only utilized it for 10 snaps. By sharing the field just three times per game, it would mark more than a 400% increase of the wrinkle, adding a new layer of stress for opposing defenses.
That, above all else, is the most significant change the Lions offense is navigating this offseason. Paired with the departure of veteran guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency, Detroit’s powerhouse group — which Johnson regularly referred to as the engine of the offense — has undergone a remodel this offseason, with an emphasis on injecting fresh blood into the unit.
Opposite the incoming youth, 33-year-old Graham Glasgow shifts from left guard to center, reprising a role he last filled for the Lions in 2018. He’s undoubtedly coming off a rough year, with injuries partially to blame. Still, the Lions are lucky to have his veteran experience to shepherd them through the transition.
Off Glasgow’s shoulders will be Christian Mahogany and rookie Tate Ratledge, who have 75 regular-season snaps between them. Both are ultra-talented, figuring to anchor the middle of Detroit’s line for years to come. Regardless, there will likely be some bumps in the road due to their lack of experience and the unit needing some time to forge chemistry.
Statistically, the blocking numbers from last season aren’t as dominant as you might think. Detroit’s ground game averaged 2.6 yards before contact. That’s good, not great, ranking 10th in the NFL. In terms of pass protection, the Lions allowed pressure on 21.0% of snaps, which checked in at 13th. Despite that, the team scored the most points in franchise history.
While those figures show there’s room for regression, they also highlight room for improvement. Maybe that doesn’t happen immediately, but once Mahogany and Ratledge get a little more seasoning, and as long as Glasgow can stay healthy, it’s possible the unit could perform at a similar level to a year ago.
TeSlaa has quickly captured the imaginations of Lions fans. However, general manager Brad Holmes was quick to point out that TeSlaa is still a young player with plenty of development ahead, whether he’s blocked by Patrick or not.
So what can we reasonably expect from the Michigan native who snagged 10 of 13 targets for 146 yards and three scores in the preseason? Well, probably not 1,000 yards. Like we mentioned with Williams, there are too many mouths to feed on Detroit’s offense, including Kalif Raymond, who figures to see a good chunk of Patrick’s snaps to start the season.
Patrick and Raymond, Detroit’s No. 3 and No. 4 receivers last season, combined for a little more than 600 yards. If we assume the Lions are primed to throw a little more because of a tougher schedule, that back-end receiver production figures to tick up as well.
Patrick fell just shy of 400 yards last year. I could see a world where TeSlaa tops that. I’m setting an optimistic bar at 450 yards and 4.5 scores. Knowing the outside world's vibes regarding the kid out of Hudsonville, I anticipate many of you will be taking the over(s).
New voice from above
Matthew Stafford might still hold the three most prolific passing seasons in franchise history — including the lone 5,000-yard campaign — but I’d contend Jared Goff’s 2024 was better than anything we’ve previously seen from a Lions quarterback.Goff took efficiency to new levels last season, completing 72.4% of his passes and posting a 111.8 passer rating, both personal bests and team records. Under the guidance of former coordinator Ben Johnson, Goff’s career experienced a remarkable resurgence, resulting in two Pro Bowl appearances over the past three years, back-to-back division titles and record-setting offensive production in 2024.
After three seasons of success, Johnson took his talents to a suburb of Gary, Indiana, where he’ll try to replicate his high-octane attack with the Bears. He was replaced in Detroit by John Morton, a coaching veteran who was on staff as a senior assistant when Johnson initially implemented his multi-layered scheme.
That means there’s going to be plenty of continuity, just a different voice in Goff’s ear on game day. That relationship between the quarterback and coordinator is one of the most important for an NFL team. They need to see the game through each other’s eyes and have the highest level of trust through each step of the week, from game planning to in-game adjustments.
All offseason, the two have spoken glowingly of each other. However, the strength of the bond isn't revealed in the offseason. We won’t know if it will be Johnson-like for the quarterback until we get into the regular season, seeing how their trust and communication carry them through critical decisions and crunch-time situations.
Can Goff be as good as he was last year? He continues to have one of the league’s best arsenals around him. More importantly, we’ll be watching how the veteran passer and his new coordinator connect.
Leveling up
Generally speaking, I’m an advocate for patience. Regardless, when Jameson Williams was dropping soft-toss passes from former position coach Antwaan Randle El during a pre-practice warm-up in 2023, I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to come together for the speedy receiver the Lions traded up 20 spots to snag in the first round two years earlier.Williams put those concerns to bed last year with his first 1,000-yard season, which remarkably included only two drops. He still didn’t feel like a potential No. 1 receiver — not that he needed to be in Detroit — but he was undeniably a key cog in the attack as a big-play threat.
This offseason, it’s been something different entirely. I can’t definitively tell you what clicked — although I suspect new position coach Scottie Montgomery deserves some of the credit — but Williams is operating on a different level. The explosiveness remains, but the details of his route running have sharply improved. He’s where he needs to be, when he needs to be there, while running a greater variety of routes.
It might not sound like much, but Williams now possesses a lethal comeback route. He can stop as quickly as he accelerates, putting cornerbacks in conflict every snap. They have to decide whether to sit on the hitch or stay on their heels to avoid getting burned deep.
Williams’ ceiling is only capped by Detroit’s other offensive talent. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery all command touches. Still, it’s difficult to imagine Williams failing to outperform his 2024 season, while being more efficient in the process after hauling in just 63.7% of his targets last year.
A timeshare shift or more sharing?
Since overhauling the team’s backfield two years ago, the Lions have operated with a true timeshare. Montgomery remained the starter last season, taking the first snap in each of the first 13 games before he suffered a knee injury, but was actually outsnapped by Gibbs during that stretch, 453-366.In terms of touches, it was much closer. No, scratch that, it was identical. Both had 212 carries/receptions through those 13 contests. Montgomery ran the ball two more times, while Gibbs caught two more passes.
Of course, we know Gibbs was more effective, averaging 5.7 yards per carry to Montgomery’s 4.3, raising legitimate questions about whether the balance needed to be recalibrated a little more in Gibbs’ favor.
The timeshare will unquestionably persist. And it should. Splitting the workload reduces strain on both players, increasing their per-snap productivity and reducing wear and tear. Still, there were hints during camp that the Lions might turn to Gibbs as the starter more frequently in 2025.
We may start to see a drift in touches from 50/50 to 60/40, more closely mirroring their snap counts. Gibbs has shown he can shoulder more of the load when Montgomery was out. A slight increase shouldn't impact the goal of keeping him healthy and productive for the full season.
The biggest intrigue might be how often Morton can get the pair on the field together. The “Pony Package” was part of the scheme last year, but the Lions only utilized it for 10 snaps. By sharing the field just three times per game, it would mark more than a 400% increase of the wrinkle, adding a new layer of stress for opposing defenses.
Rebuilding the engine
Hey, did you hear Frank Ragnow retired?That, above all else, is the most significant change the Lions offense is navigating this offseason. Paired with the departure of veteran guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency, Detroit’s powerhouse group — which Johnson regularly referred to as the engine of the offense — has undergone a remodel this offseason, with an emphasis on injecting fresh blood into the unit.
Opposite the incoming youth, 33-year-old Graham Glasgow shifts from left guard to center, reprising a role he last filled for the Lions in 2018. He’s undoubtedly coming off a rough year, with injuries partially to blame. Still, the Lions are lucky to have his veteran experience to shepherd them through the transition.
Off Glasgow’s shoulders will be Christian Mahogany and rookie Tate Ratledge, who have 75 regular-season snaps between them. Both are ultra-talented, figuring to anchor the middle of Detroit’s line for years to come. Regardless, there will likely be some bumps in the road due to their lack of experience and the unit needing some time to forge chemistry.
Statistically, the blocking numbers from last season aren’t as dominant as you might think. Detroit’s ground game averaged 2.6 yards before contact. That’s good, not great, ranking 10th in the NFL. In terms of pass protection, the Lions allowed pressure on 21.0% of snaps, which checked in at 13th. Despite that, the team scored the most points in franchise history.
While those figures show there’s room for regression, they also highlight room for improvement. Maybe that doesn’t happen immediately, but once Mahogany and Ratledge get a little more seasoning, and as long as Glasgow can stay healthy, it’s possible the unit could perform at a similar level to a year ago.
Rookie ceiling
With the Lions trading away Tim Patrick, the runway has been cleared for rookie Isaac TeSlaa to have a bigger-than-anticipated role, at least contrasted against what we expected when the team selected him in the third round this April.TeSlaa has quickly captured the imaginations of Lions fans. However, general manager Brad Holmes was quick to point out that TeSlaa is still a young player with plenty of development ahead, whether he’s blocked by Patrick or not.
So what can we reasonably expect from the Michigan native who snagged 10 of 13 targets for 146 yards and three scores in the preseason? Well, probably not 1,000 yards. Like we mentioned with Williams, there are too many mouths to feed on Detroit’s offense, including Kalif Raymond, who figures to see a good chunk of Patrick’s snaps to start the season.
Patrick and Raymond, Detroit’s No. 3 and No. 4 receivers last season, combined for a little more than 600 yards. If we assume the Lions are primed to throw a little more because of a tougher schedule, that back-end receiver production figures to tick up as well.
Patrick fell just shy of 400 yards last year. I could see a world where TeSlaa tops that. I’m setting an optimistic bar at 450 yards and 4.5 scores. Knowing the outside world's vibes regarding the kid out of Hudsonville, I anticipate many of you will be taking the over(s).
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
Hope its OK to pose a Lions related FF draft strategy question to make sure I am not being a homer. I have the three spot in a draft this afternoon at 3pm PST and the owner ahead of me is out of the country and on auto draft. So, depending on the first pick and how Sleeper has pre-ranked players, I may have the choice between Robinson (RB ATL) and Gibbs. Generally, Robinson is ranked right above Gibbs, but a few things I have picked up here having me leaning Gibbs. They include that he has stated he has been split out wide and this is a PPR league and the "feeling" the O Line turnover may not be as negatively impactful as it seems. Am I being a homer here?
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Personally I have to pass on almost all Lions because I draft with some real homers who draft them too early. That said, #3 isn't really a reach. I think they saw how important he is to the offense and I have heard they plan on more 2 back offenses this year, which should play into your PPR settings. Plus I think the carry ratio between Gibbs and Monty will continue to get higher. I really wish Ben Johnson would have leaned on him harder in that last playoff game.
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
GREAT point about Ben, but overall I am 100% certain that Detroit as an organization is run far superior to Atlanta. Its a work league and I am currently based in CA working with folks from all over the country, so it'll be interesting to see how homer picks pan out. There is a KC homer who will no down over reach for Chiefs.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
OC John Morton was in Cabo on vacation early last offseason when he took a poolside call from Dan Campbell. Wanted to gauge interest, they'd worked together a few times. For sure, let's talk when I get back.
Next incoming call, within the hour, was from Ben Johnson wanting to know if he'd like to join his new staff in Chicago.
Called some mentors that evening and then slept on it. In the morning he decided to take this advice from someone he respects:
"Hold on...Dan Campbell asked if you want to run the number 1 offense in the NFL? And you didn't say yes immediately?"
Next incoming call, within the hour, was from Ben Johnson wanting to know if he'd like to join his new staff in Chicago.
Called some mentors that evening and then slept on it. In the morning he decided to take this advice from someone he respects:
"Hold on...Dan Campbell asked if you want to run the number 1 offense in the NFL? And you didn't say yes immediately?"
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
[Freep]
John Morton was checking into his hotel in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, ready for some much-needed rest and relaxation after last season when his cell phone buzzed with a familiar number.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell was calling.
Ben Johnson had just left to become coach of the Chicago Bears, the Lions needed a new play caller and Campbell wanted to gauge Morton’s interest in returning to his staff as offensive coordinator.
Campbell held Morton in high regard from the season they spent working together with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 – and the success they had six years later when Morton joined the Lions as senior offensive assistant ahead of the 2022 season.
Morton helped Johnson put the Lions’ offense together in 2022 and worked closely with Jared Goff that fall. He was so instrumental in the Lions’ offensive turnaround that Campbell considered him a leading candidate to replace Johnson when Johnson emerged as a hot name in coaching searches after that season.
Campbell and Morton spent 10 or 15 minutes on the phone talking ball as Morton and his girlfriend milled about the lobby. When Morton hung up, his phone buzzed with another familiar number – Johnson’s.
Eight years after he got his one and only chance to call plays in the NFL – 16 games with the New York Jets in the 2017 season – Morton was suddenly the most in-demand offensive mind in coaching.
Johnson wanted Morton to join his staff in Chicago, and after Morton hung up and eventually made his way to his room, he spent the night tossing and turning and debating his future. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton also was vacationing in Cabo at the time and trying to convince Morton to stay on his staff, so Morton called some of his closest confidants in coaching for advice.
“I talked to some people and they’re like, ‘Dude, if (Campbell) offers you the job, you freaking take it. What are you, an idiot?’ ” Morton said.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell was calling.
Ben Johnson had just left to become coach of the Chicago Bears, the Lions needed a new play caller and Campbell wanted to gauge Morton’s interest in returning to his staff as offensive coordinator.
Campbell held Morton in high regard from the season they spent working together with the New Orleans Saints in 2016 – and the success they had six years later when Morton joined the Lions as senior offensive assistant ahead of the 2022 season.
Morton helped Johnson put the Lions’ offense together in 2022 and worked closely with Jared Goff that fall. He was so instrumental in the Lions’ offensive turnaround that Campbell considered him a leading candidate to replace Johnson when Johnson emerged as a hot name in coaching searches after that season.
Campbell and Morton spent 10 or 15 minutes on the phone talking ball as Morton and his girlfriend milled about the lobby. When Morton hung up, his phone buzzed with another familiar number – Johnson’s.
Eight years after he got his one and only chance to call plays in the NFL – 16 games with the New York Jets in the 2017 season – Morton was suddenly the most in-demand offensive mind in coaching.
Johnson wanted Morton to join his staff in Chicago, and after Morton hung up and eventually made his way to his room, he spent the night tossing and turning and debating his future. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton also was vacationing in Cabo at the time and trying to convince Morton to stay on his staff, so Morton called some of his closest confidants in coaching for advice.
“I talked to some people and they’re like, ‘Dude, if (Campbell) offers you the job, you freaking take it. What are you, an idiot?’ ” Morton said.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
It's fine to post here, but my advice is not to take fantasy advice on a team from a bunch of homers
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
I went to my son in laws draft to watch and have a couple beers. 12 teams with a bunch on local guys between 25-30 years old.It's fine to post here, but my advice is not to take fantasy advice on a team from a bunch of homers
Gibbs went 2nd overall , St Brown 5th. Then LaPorta, Goff, Williams and Monty were all taken in 2 and 3. Tessla went in the 5th. Bates was first kicker drafted.
Surprised they did not start taking guys off the practice squad.
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
I've been in just about every Team Thread and you all are the best Homers IMO. Draft went Chase, Barkley (???) and I ended up taking Robinson afterall; with the too many mouths to feed on the Lions being my final, in the moment, deciding factor. Gibbs then made it all the way to 7th before being picked.It's fine to post here, but my advice is not to take fantasy advice on a team from a bunch of homers
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
While true, 99% of that is due to @BobbyLayne. Dude is basically Lions Wikipedia
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
Btw,my all-time favorite moment in this thread was when BL brought up some fairly esoteric point and was dumb enough to ask for my opinion on it. My response was basically “Me not sure, Lions run ball good” and then he proceeded to answer his own question at an astonishing level of detail
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
So basically I’m incredibly boorish?
I appreciate the support & encouragement. I know folks in the thread appreciate the team thread functioning as a repository of everything going on with the team.
Super grateful to be rooting for a team that is in the upper echelon after six decades of irrelevance. Waited literally my whole life for such a time as this.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions have named their captains. Five repeats from last year in Goff, St. Brown, Sewell, Anzalone and Hutchinson. Stuard replaces Reeves-Maybin as the special teams selection. Easy choice.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
How the Green Bay Packers retooled after getting swept by the Detroit Lions in 2024
Allen Park — For the longest time — frankly, an uncomfortable stretch — the Green Bay Packers were more boogeymen than rivals for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions couldn’t beat the Packers on the road for more than two decades, dropping 24 consecutive matchups in the state of Wisconsin. And after the Lions won the first meeting following the turn of the century, the Packers rattled off a 23-3 head-to-head record from Oct. 2000 until Nov. 2013.
Even though that’s allowed the Packers to open a massive lead in the all-time series, the tide has shifted in recent years. The Lions have won six of the past seven, including a sweep of the season series in 2024, which played a critical role in a second straight division crown for Detroit.
Green Bay has a big advantage there, too. They’ve won the NFC North a dozen times since its formation in 2002. Meanwhile, it’s well-known around these parts that those were Detroit’s first two titles during that period.
Most franchises don’t take losing well, but Green Bay, with its pedigree of success, can be less tolerant of failure and more aggressive in its efforts to right the ship. Coach Matt LaFleur won 13 games each of his first three seasons. It’s been tougher sledding in the three years since. Still, he got the Pack back to 11 wins a year ago.
Nonetheless, that's not good enough. The Packers understand there’s a new king of the North, and at the risk of continued genuflection, they needed to be bold this offseason.
They were, to an extent, during free agency and the draft. They did the always-smart thing and invested in the offensive line, even if they overpaid to do it, signing 49ers guard Aaron Banks to a hefty four-year, $77 million deal. Maybe it's significantly less risky than it looks, with just $27 million guaranteed.
Regardless, the move allowed the Packers to part with last season's weak link, center Josh Myers, shifting two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins to that spot.
Additionally, Green Bay did something they never would for longtime starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, using a first-round pick on a wide receiver. With the No. 23 choice, the team selected blazing-fast Matthew Golden out of Texas, elevating a corps that has felt like a collection of No. 2s since trading Davante Adams ahead of the 2022 season.
Defensively, the Packers’ biggest change came at cornerback. Sure, they left longtime nose tackle T.J. Slaton walk. That wasn’t a particularly difficult decision after he struggled in 2024. However, after missing most of three of the past four seasons with injury, the team finally said goodbye to former All-Pro defensive back Jaire Alexander, replacing him with Nate Hobbs, who has battled his own injury issues in Las Vegas the past couple of seasons.
It was easy to see how the Packers got better in March and April, even if the improvements felt modest. That was until last week, when the franchise’s front office swung for the fences, making a move reminiscent of the franchise-altering signing of Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White in 1993.
On Thursday, the Packers agreed to ship two first-round picks and former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys for superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Parsons is only the second player in NFL history to record at least 12.0 sacks in his first four seasons. The other is White.
Packers fans will see the addition as paving the path back to Super Bowl glory. Supporters of the opposition, most notably the three foes in the North, are trying to downplay the move.
They shouldn’t.
Sure, one non-QB is rarely enough to put a team over the top, but Parsons is a game-wrecker, the same way Aidan Hutchinson can be for the Lions. And Parsons is joining a defense that was already on the rise under second-year coordinator Jeff Hafley. The unit finished fifth in total defense and sixth in points allowed a year ago. Now his attacking front has one of the dominant attackers of this generation of edge rushers.
It’s the type of move that can stem the Packers' bleeding, even if they still have to get through Detroit to secure the bandages.
The Lions couldn’t beat the Packers on the road for more than two decades, dropping 24 consecutive matchups in the state of Wisconsin. And after the Lions won the first meeting following the turn of the century, the Packers rattled off a 23-3 head-to-head record from Oct. 2000 until Nov. 2013.
Even though that’s allowed the Packers to open a massive lead in the all-time series, the tide has shifted in recent years. The Lions have won six of the past seven, including a sweep of the season series in 2024, which played a critical role in a second straight division crown for Detroit.
Green Bay has a big advantage there, too. They’ve won the NFC North a dozen times since its formation in 2002. Meanwhile, it’s well-known around these parts that those were Detroit’s first two titles during that period.
Most franchises don’t take losing well, but Green Bay, with its pedigree of success, can be less tolerant of failure and more aggressive in its efforts to right the ship. Coach Matt LaFleur won 13 games each of his first three seasons. It’s been tougher sledding in the three years since. Still, he got the Pack back to 11 wins a year ago.
Nonetheless, that's not good enough. The Packers understand there’s a new king of the North, and at the risk of continued genuflection, they needed to be bold this offseason.
They were, to an extent, during free agency and the draft. They did the always-smart thing and invested in the offensive line, even if they overpaid to do it, signing 49ers guard Aaron Banks to a hefty four-year, $77 million deal. Maybe it's significantly less risky than it looks, with just $27 million guaranteed.
Regardless, the move allowed the Packers to part with last season's weak link, center Josh Myers, shifting two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins to that spot.
Additionally, Green Bay did something they never would for longtime starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, using a first-round pick on a wide receiver. With the No. 23 choice, the team selected blazing-fast Matthew Golden out of Texas, elevating a corps that has felt like a collection of No. 2s since trading Davante Adams ahead of the 2022 season.
Defensively, the Packers’ biggest change came at cornerback. Sure, they left longtime nose tackle T.J. Slaton walk. That wasn’t a particularly difficult decision after he struggled in 2024. However, after missing most of three of the past four seasons with injury, the team finally said goodbye to former All-Pro defensive back Jaire Alexander, replacing him with Nate Hobbs, who has battled his own injury issues in Las Vegas the past couple of seasons.
It was easy to see how the Packers got better in March and April, even if the improvements felt modest. That was until last week, when the franchise’s front office swung for the fences, making a move reminiscent of the franchise-altering signing of Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White in 1993.
On Thursday, the Packers agreed to ship two first-round picks and former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys for superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Parsons is only the second player in NFL history to record at least 12.0 sacks in his first four seasons. The other is White.
Packers fans will see the addition as paving the path back to Super Bowl glory. Supporters of the opposition, most notably the three foes in the North, are trying to downplay the move.
They shouldn’t.
Sure, one non-QB is rarely enough to put a team over the top, but Parsons is a game-wrecker, the same way Aidan Hutchinson can be for the Lions. And Parsons is joining a defense that was already on the rise under second-year coordinator Jeff Hafley. The unit finished fifth in total defense and sixth in points allowed a year ago. Now his attacking front has one of the dominant attackers of this generation of edge rushers.
It’s the type of move that can stem the Packers' bleeding, even if they still have to get through Detroit to secure the bandages.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions' Campbell talks Packers' Parsons addition, third QB preference and confidence in first-year coordinators
Allen Park — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell met with the media on Monday, the first day of preparation for the team’s season-opening matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
Here are the highlights from that session.
● Following a trade for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Persons last week, the Packers have vaulted the Lions as the favorites to win the NFC North this season.
Asked if he intended to use shifting opinion as a source of bulletin board material, it might not have been possible for Campbell to sound more disinterested in the manufactured narrative.
“Vegas has done what, again?” Campbell asked flatly. “Oh, OK. Yeah, no, listen, that’s all good. To each their own. We haven’t talked about any of that.”
Campbell also didn’t have a ton to say about Parsons, given the team wasn’t too deeply into its game-planning yet. He did quip that they’ll probably transfer the plan they had in place for defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who the Packers shipped out as part of the return package for Parsons.
“I don’t know how much (the game plan will) change necessarily yet,” Campbell said. “We’re not even into third down, so we’ll get more into that in the next couple of days, but certainly, we’ll have our eyes on that. We know what kind of player he is. He’s a really good player. We’ll have a plan.”
“…Look, you’ve got to be prepared, and they’re going to find plays that they can use him where he can excel,” Campbell said. “Like I said, we’ll have a plan.”
● After filling out the team’s 53-player roster and 16-man practice squad late last week, the Lions are sitting tight with just two quarterbacks for the time being.
General manager Brad Holmes has said he’d like to eventually add a third QB to the mix. Campbell was asked Monday if the team would prefer a veteran for that spot, or a developmental option to pair with starter Jared Goff and backup Kyle Allen.
“I would say we're looking for somebody (that) if we need them, we know they can run the show,” Campbell said. “You know, they can run the offense, they can process the information. I think (we need that) more than can we find a guy to develop, that's unknown, all those (things)? I'd rather have a guy, certainly, we're familiar with, or somebody you just know that they get in the game, they'll get you in the right play, be smart with the football and all those things.”
OK, that narrows things down.
Obviously, one of the first available names that jumps out is Nate Sudfeld, Detroit’s former backup, who was recently with the San Francisco 49ers. If familiarity is valued, he's a possible solution.
Other veteran backups who are available include Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Trask, Mike White, C.J. Beathard and John Wolford, Goff’s former backup in Los Angeles.
● Most of the outside concern suggesting the Lions could take a step back this season is tied to one of two things: First, the team’s brutal schedule, which is front-loaded with Super Bowl contenders and MVP-caliber quarterbacks.
Secondly, there’s skepticism that the ship will continue to sail smoothly after significant alterations to the coaching staff, in particular, changes at both coordinator spots.
Campbell expressed confidence in the preparedness of both Kevlin Sheppard and John Morton to meet the moment on Monday.
“Yeah, it’s high,” Campbell said. “I have a lot of confidence in both of those guys. I think they’re going to do a really good job. I think our players are going to pick up the slack and make us right when we’re not. That’s the beauty of our roster. …They put in the work, are pretty detailed, they’re smart, they work at it, and they’ll find a way to make it right. That’s always going to give you a chance.”
One additional change with the switch from Ben Johnson to Morton is that the new OC plans to call plays from the booth. Some fans have questioned that approach, but Campbell expected it and doesn’t share the outside worry.
“I’m good with that,” Campbell said. “Between myself and (quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell) Bru and (wide receivers Coach) Scottie (Montgomery), we’ll be down there. And (passing game coordinator) David Shaw. We’ll be good down there, so I have no problem with that.
“He likes it up there,” Campbell continued. “He feels like he can see everything, and that’s the environment that I know he’s liked, he’s always liked and so that won’t be a problem. Like I said, we’re on the headsets, I can still communicate up there.”
● Campbell also likes where the team’s new-look offensive line is at after six weeks of training camp.
“I think they’ve come a long way, that’s for sure,” he said. “You see a ton of growth with those five. Really, we’ve had them together now since, call it a week into training camp, when we went and made the move with Graham (Glasgow) back to center and then pushed him (Tate Ratledge) out (to guard). So they’ve been working together now for over a month.
“You do see the growth,” Campbell said. “There’s that communication that takes place that is big with those guys. So it’s good, I feel really good about it. I also know we’re not done, they’re not done, and that’s encouraging. I see that in a good way, like, there’s so much growth left to take place with not only those two, but them collectively, as a unit. So that’s pretty exciting.”
Here are the highlights from that session.
● Following a trade for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Persons last week, the Packers have vaulted the Lions as the favorites to win the NFC North this season.
Asked if he intended to use shifting opinion as a source of bulletin board material, it might not have been possible for Campbell to sound more disinterested in the manufactured narrative.
“Vegas has done what, again?” Campbell asked flatly. “Oh, OK. Yeah, no, listen, that’s all good. To each their own. We haven’t talked about any of that.”
Campbell also didn’t have a ton to say about Parsons, given the team wasn’t too deeply into its game-planning yet. He did quip that they’ll probably transfer the plan they had in place for defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who the Packers shipped out as part of the return package for Parsons.
“I don’t know how much (the game plan will) change necessarily yet,” Campbell said. “We’re not even into third down, so we’ll get more into that in the next couple of days, but certainly, we’ll have our eyes on that. We know what kind of player he is. He’s a really good player. We’ll have a plan.”
“…Look, you’ve got to be prepared, and they’re going to find plays that they can use him where he can excel,” Campbell said. “Like I said, we’ll have a plan.”
● After filling out the team’s 53-player roster and 16-man practice squad late last week, the Lions are sitting tight with just two quarterbacks for the time being.
General manager Brad Holmes has said he’d like to eventually add a third QB to the mix. Campbell was asked Monday if the team would prefer a veteran for that spot, or a developmental option to pair with starter Jared Goff and backup Kyle Allen.
“I would say we're looking for somebody (that) if we need them, we know they can run the show,” Campbell said. “You know, they can run the offense, they can process the information. I think (we need that) more than can we find a guy to develop, that's unknown, all those (things)? I'd rather have a guy, certainly, we're familiar with, or somebody you just know that they get in the game, they'll get you in the right play, be smart with the football and all those things.”
OK, that narrows things down.
Obviously, one of the first available names that jumps out is Nate Sudfeld, Detroit’s former backup, who was recently with the San Francisco 49ers. If familiarity is valued, he's a possible solution.
Other veteran backups who are available include Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Trask, Mike White, C.J. Beathard and John Wolford, Goff’s former backup in Los Angeles.
● Most of the outside concern suggesting the Lions could take a step back this season is tied to one of two things: First, the team’s brutal schedule, which is front-loaded with Super Bowl contenders and MVP-caliber quarterbacks.
Secondly, there’s skepticism that the ship will continue to sail smoothly after significant alterations to the coaching staff, in particular, changes at both coordinator spots.
Campbell expressed confidence in the preparedness of both Kevlin Sheppard and John Morton to meet the moment on Monday.
“Yeah, it’s high,” Campbell said. “I have a lot of confidence in both of those guys. I think they’re going to do a really good job. I think our players are going to pick up the slack and make us right when we’re not. That’s the beauty of our roster. …They put in the work, are pretty detailed, they’re smart, they work at it, and they’ll find a way to make it right. That’s always going to give you a chance.”
One additional change with the switch from Ben Johnson to Morton is that the new OC plans to call plays from the booth. Some fans have questioned that approach, but Campbell expected it and doesn’t share the outside worry.
“I’m good with that,” Campbell said. “Between myself and (quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell) Bru and (wide receivers Coach) Scottie (Montgomery), we’ll be down there. And (passing game coordinator) David Shaw. We’ll be good down there, so I have no problem with that.
“He likes it up there,” Campbell continued. “He feels like he can see everything, and that’s the environment that I know he’s liked, he’s always liked and so that won’t be a problem. Like I said, we’re on the headsets, I can still communicate up there.”
● Campbell also likes where the team’s new-look offensive line is at after six weeks of training camp.
“I think they’ve come a long way, that’s for sure,” he said. “You see a ton of growth with those five. Really, we’ve had them together now since, call it a week into training camp, when we went and made the move with Graham (Glasgow) back to center and then pushed him (Tate Ratledge) out (to guard). So they’ve been working together now for over a month.
“You do see the growth,” Campbell said. “There’s that communication that takes place that is big with those guys. So it’s good, I feel really good about it. I also know we’re not done, they’re not done, and that’s encouraging. I see that in a good way, like, there’s so much growth left to take place with not only those two, but them collectively, as a unit. So that’s pretty exciting.”
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Ope, missed this story Sunday…
5 storylines that should define the Detroit Lions defense in 2025
Allen Park — After Saturday’s season-preview look at the Detroit Lions’ offense, we turn our attention to the team’s defense. Here are five storylines that have our attention heading into the 2025 campaign.
Detroit’s defense took the brunt of the damage, losing Aidan Hutchinson, Derrick Barnes, Alim McNeill, Carlton Davis III, Malcolm Rodriguez, Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky to season-ending injuries.
Who could have guessed, by the time the playoffs rolled around, 30-year-old DJ Reader, who was coming off a quad tear that had him miss training camp, would be the last man standing from the team’s projected starting defensive line?
The injury bug’s infestation clearly hasn’t been eradicated heading into the 2025 campaign. Beyond McNeill and Rodriguez, with rehabs expected to carry into the middle of this season, the Lions have already lost Levi Onwuzurike and second-year cornerback Ennie Rakestraw for the year. Plus, a non-football injury for Josh Paschal has lingered longer than initially anticipated. It will sideline him at least the first four games of the regular season.
Didn’t Bobby Layne’s 50-year curse expire in 2008? Do we need to call Jeff Daniels and Peyton Manning back to Ford Field for another exorcism?
Look, Lions fans are on edge. In particular, about the edge, the one opposite Hutchinson. Davenport is a good player. In many ways, he’s a perfect, pocket-crushing schematic fit across the line from Detroit’s homegrown superstar. However, durability has undeniably been an issue for a while now. He’s four seasons removed from his peak production, requiring as many surgeries as the sacks he's recorded over the past three years.
The Lions have quality depth everywhere else on the defense, especially at linebacker and defensive tackle. Meanwhile, everyone has been giving general manager Brad Holmes’ edge-rushing plan the side eye.
What if Davenport gets hurt again? What then? To be fair, many are probably underrating Al-Quadin Muhammad, who delivered as an injury replacement last year. And Paschal will be back, eventually. Plus, there’s Tyrus Wheat, admittedly a bit of an unknown, but possessing enough upside that the Lions happily added him off waivers ahead of giving a job to one of the three young edge rushers who competed for the spot in camp.
Comforting? Not really. Adequate? Maybe. As long as Hutchinson stays healthy, Detroit's pass rush should be fine.
Injuries are largely random, year to year. The Lions dealt with an inordinate number last year. Even if it hasn't started that way, they're due for some better luck this season.
Obviously, there was a ton of football left to be played when Hutchinson went down. At the time, he was cruising toward winning Defensive Player of the Year. His 45 quarterback pressures and 7.5 sacks were dwarfing the league’s other edge rushers.
His confidence was so high that he didn’t outright reject early-season chatter about setting the league’s single-season sack record.
So if Hutchinson spent August regularly wrecking Detroit’s practices, including a fair share of wins against All-Pro teammate Penei Sewell, should we expect to see the fourth-year defender pick back up where he left off?
Forgive me for not doubting that for a second. I’ve seen enough. And Detroit’s defense could obviously use it if they’re going to take the step forward we all expect.
Even with Hutchinson playing a third of the season, the team continued to generate plenty of pressure. They finished fourth in the NFL, affecting the quarterback 26.2% of dropbacks. However, they didn’t finish the job frequently enough after losing their pass-rushing maestro, finishing bottom 10 in sacks.
Sacks are drive killers. They’re the next-best thing to a turnover for a defense. Hutchinson’s return can be a literal game-changer for the Lions.
To his credit, he did. After drawing eight in the first four games, the refs only penalized the rookie twice the rest of the way.
Playing the most man coverage snaps in the league, Arnold showed why the Lions drafted him, allowing just 49.1% of 57 targets to be completed in those situations.
Fast forward to his second offseason and he appears to be bursting at the seams with confidence. Well, that's always the case with Arnold, but it's now showing up in his play. Battling two dynamic receivers daily in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, no Detroit defensive back knocked away more passes than Arnold did during training camp. That’s despite missing more than a week with a hamstring strain.
Arnold looks primed to take the oft-discussed Year 2 jump. That should mean even better results in coverage and more playmaking, which is something that didn’t show up enough during his debut season. The 10 pass breakups were nice, but he’s still on the hunt for his first career interception after picking off five passes during his final season at Alabama.
That primarily showed up in two ways for the Lions last season. First, in their love for playing press-man coverage on the outside. Secondly, with how frequently they sent extra attackers after the quarterback. The Lions finished second in the NFL in blitz rate last season, behind only NFC North rival Minnesota.
Again, using camp as a barometer, Sheppard is going to dial up the blitz as much or more than his predecessor and mentor. Also, there are encouraging signs that it might be more effective. In those practices, Detroit’s defense brought the heat from every angle with a variety of attackers, from linebackers Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes to defensive backs Amik Robertson and Brian Branch, and the team's offensive line routinely struggled to identify the pressure and pick it up.
The difference is how well the Lions are disguising their intentions. Sheppard is emphasizing not tipping your hand pre-snap, which includes the occasional usage of an ameoba formation, where the front seven defenders all stand up and there’s some milling about, further confusing the opposition.
Despite heavily blitzing a year ago, the Lions didn’t have a defender particularly effective at doing it. None had more than a dozen pressures or two sacks coming from off the ball. There’s arguably no better area for improvement with the unit.
That slate includes a trio of perennial MVP candidates — Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow — in the first six weeks. Oh, and all those matchups will be on the road.
Things soften up a bit after that, but Detroit will still need to battle Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield. That trio ranked fifth, sixth and 10th in ESPN’s annual polling of the position with league executives, coaches and scouts.
If the Lions earn a third consecutive trip to the postseason, or better yet, a third straight NFC North crown, you know the defense will be battle-tested like never before heading into the playoffs.
On edge about the edge
The defining story from last season was injuries.Detroit’s defense took the brunt of the damage, losing Aidan Hutchinson, Derrick Barnes, Alim McNeill, Carlton Davis III, Malcolm Rodriguez, Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky to season-ending injuries.
Who could have guessed, by the time the playoffs rolled around, 30-year-old DJ Reader, who was coming off a quad tear that had him miss training camp, would be the last man standing from the team’s projected starting defensive line?
The injury bug’s infestation clearly hasn’t been eradicated heading into the 2025 campaign. Beyond McNeill and Rodriguez, with rehabs expected to carry into the middle of this season, the Lions have already lost Levi Onwuzurike and second-year cornerback Ennie Rakestraw for the year. Plus, a non-football injury for Josh Paschal has lingered longer than initially anticipated. It will sideline him at least the first four games of the regular season.
Didn’t Bobby Layne’s 50-year curse expire in 2008? Do we need to call Jeff Daniels and Peyton Manning back to Ford Field for another exorcism?
Look, Lions fans are on edge. In particular, about the edge, the one opposite Hutchinson. Davenport is a good player. In many ways, he’s a perfect, pocket-crushing schematic fit across the line from Detroit’s homegrown superstar. However, durability has undeniably been an issue for a while now. He’s four seasons removed from his peak production, requiring as many surgeries as the sacks he's recorded over the past three years.
The Lions have quality depth everywhere else on the defense, especially at linebacker and defensive tackle. Meanwhile, everyone has been giving general manager Brad Holmes’ edge-rushing plan the side eye.
What if Davenport gets hurt again? What then? To be fair, many are probably underrating Al-Quadin Muhammad, who delivered as an injury replacement last year. And Paschal will be back, eventually. Plus, there’s Tyrus Wheat, admittedly a bit of an unknown, but possessing enough upside that the Lions happily added him off waivers ahead of giving a job to one of the three young edge rushers who competed for the spot in camp.
Comforting? Not really. Adequate? Maybe. As long as Hutchinson stays healthy, Detroit's pass rush should be fine.
Injuries are largely random, year to year. The Lions dealt with an inordinate number last year. Even if it hasn't started that way, they're due for some better luck this season.
A return to wreaking havoc
All spring, everyone wanted to know whether Hutchinson would be close to the same guy he was less than a year after breaking his tibia and fibula. The movement skills looked good enough during OTAs, but it wasn't until the pads came on during training camp that he put remaining concerns to bed.Obviously, there was a ton of football left to be played when Hutchinson went down. At the time, he was cruising toward winning Defensive Player of the Year. His 45 quarterback pressures and 7.5 sacks were dwarfing the league’s other edge rushers.
His confidence was so high that he didn’t outright reject early-season chatter about setting the league’s single-season sack record.
So if Hutchinson spent August regularly wrecking Detroit’s practices, including a fair share of wins against All-Pro teammate Penei Sewell, should we expect to see the fourth-year defender pick back up where he left off?
Forgive me for not doubting that for a second. I’ve seen enough. And Detroit’s defense could obviously use it if they’re going to take the step forward we all expect.
Even with Hutchinson playing a third of the season, the team continued to generate plenty of pressure. They finished fourth in the NFL, affecting the quarterback 26.2% of dropbacks. However, they didn’t finish the job frequently enough after losing their pass-rushing maestro, finishing bottom 10 in sacks.
Sacks are drive killers. They’re the next-best thing to a turnover for a defense. Hutchinson’s return can be a literal game-changer for the Lions.
A sequel that should outshine the original
Terron Arnold initially had a rocky adjustment to the NFL. That's hardly a surprise. Defensive backs are officiated more leniently in college football, so he had to tighten up his technique to halt the avalanche of flags.To his credit, he did. After drawing eight in the first four games, the refs only penalized the rookie twice the rest of the way.
Playing the most man coverage snaps in the league, Arnold showed why the Lions drafted him, allowing just 49.1% of 57 targets to be completed in those situations.
Fast forward to his second offseason and he appears to be bursting at the seams with confidence. Well, that's always the case with Arnold, but it's now showing up in his play. Battling two dynamic receivers daily in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, no Detroit defensive back knocked away more passes than Arnold did during training camp. That’s despite missing more than a week with a hamstring strain.
Arnold looks primed to take the oft-discussed Year 2 jump. That should mean even better results in coverage and more playmaking, which is something that didn’t show up enough during his debut season. The 10 pass breakups were nice, but he’s still on the hunt for his first career interception after picking off five passes during his final season at Alabama.
Bringing the heat, more efficiently
Before the Lions promoted Kelvin Sheppard this offseason, coach Dan Campbell said he would seek someone who shared former coordinator Aaron Glenn’s penchant for aggressiveness.That primarily showed up in two ways for the Lions last season. First, in their love for playing press-man coverage on the outside. Secondly, with how frequently they sent extra attackers after the quarterback. The Lions finished second in the NFL in blitz rate last season, behind only NFC North rival Minnesota.
Again, using camp as a barometer, Sheppard is going to dial up the blitz as much or more than his predecessor and mentor. Also, there are encouraging signs that it might be more effective. In those practices, Detroit’s defense brought the heat from every angle with a variety of attackers, from linebackers Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes to defensive backs Amik Robertson and Brian Branch, and the team's offensive line routinely struggled to identify the pressure and pick it up.
The difference is how well the Lions are disguising their intentions. Sheppard is emphasizing not tipping your hand pre-snap, which includes the occasional usage of an ameoba formation, where the front seven defenders all stand up and there’s some milling about, further confusing the opposition.
Despite heavily blitzing a year ago, the Lions didn’t have a defender particularly effective at doing it. None had more than a dozen pressures or two sacks coming from off the ball. There’s arguably no better area for improvement with the unit.
The gauntlet ahead
There’s been plenty of talk about Detroit’s brutal schedule this year, which is the downside of winning your division the previous season. The guantlet is marked by the quarterbacks the Lions will face.That slate includes a trio of perennial MVP candidates — Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow — in the first six weeks. Oh, and all those matchups will be on the road.
Things soften up a bit after that, but Detroit will still need to battle Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield. That trio ranked fifth, sixth and 10th in ESPN’s annual polling of the position with league executives, coaches and scouts.
If the Lions earn a third consecutive trip to the postseason, or better yet, a third straight NFC North crown, you know the defense will be battle-tested like never before heading into the playoffs.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Campbell talks to the media today and then again on Friday
rockaction
Footballguy
Davenport is always hurt and he's twenty-nine. His knock has been that a) he doesn't care enough and b) that he's hurt all the time.
I don't like pinning my hopes on his health.
I don't like pinning my hopes on his health.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Nowaske, TeSlaa & Vaki DNP
Campbell’s presser was before practice so doubt they’ll be any updates until the report comes out Wednesday
Campbell’s presser was before practice so doubt they’ll be any updates until the report comes out Wednesday
Brad does.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Week one odds of teams in the division:
Green Bay -2.5 vs Detroit (Detroit +124 on money line)
Minnesota -1.5 @ Chicago (Chicago +105 on money line)
Green Bay -2.5 vs Detroit (Detroit +124 on money line)
Minnesota -1.5 @ Chicago (Chicago +105 on money line)
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Pressers and scrums: Strength the key to Williams' improvement, Glasgow's importance, a better Hutchinson and more
Allen Park — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell, wide receivers and assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery and offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley met with the media on Tuesday.
Here are the highlights from those sessions.
Montgomery explained how Williams has been able to take that step.
“This offseason, where I think he grew the most, is I really talked to him about strength and getting better and stronger, his lower quarters, and changing his body,” Montgomery said. “Even if you don't change weight-wise, you can change strength-wise. And he's gotten a lot stronger.
“There were a couple of carrots dangled to get stronger,” Montgomery continued. “To be able to get out of the breaks, you've got to have stronger lower quarters. And, man, he came back, and I could immediately see the difference in his body type and also his movement skills. It became not just explosive, but it became to a point where now I can go be explosive and still stop on a dime.”
Montgomery said getting stronger is something Williams has likely heard earlier in his career. Regardless, the message truly took hold this offseason, once it was made a point of emphasis.
“It’s like talking to anybody, you can maybe say it once or twice, but when you’re leading with that constantly, constantly, constantly, it’s going to have some type of effect on you,” Montgomery said.
Fraley said one of Glasgow’s best traits, no matter what new things might be thrown at Detroit’s front, is that the veteran won’t “chase ghosts,” causing the protection to unnecessarily break down.
“It settles the whole offense down, (adding) confidence,” Fraley said. “Sometimes, you see it with the quarterbacks, right? They know if somebody in front of them can control it, take charge, that’s what you want. So Goff and he are always on the same page. Anytime somebody had to go down, he always moved right back in there at center.
“…He’s a calming presence for everybody,” Fraley said. “His note-taking is one of the best I’ve been around. He really keeps all of his old notebooks from last year; they’re still stacked up there. So, all of his Green Bay notes from last year, he’s already referencing, ‘Oh, well we did this last year, are we doing this again?’ They’re so detailed, and he keeps them there for the year. That’s how him, and I would say, (Frank) Ragnow were. Their books all stayed there through the years, and they just keep it going like a library for them.”
Since someone in the chat recently asked why there isn’t more cross-training of the backup interior linemen at center — guys like Kayode Awosika and Netane Muti — I asked Fraley, a longtime NFL center, what is required to handle the transition.
He said there are mental and physical challenges. From the cognitive perspective, it’s the ability to consistently process a rapidly changing picture. Physically, it requires an agility not all guards have.
“There’s a lot of stuff body-wise,” Fraley said. “You’re closer to the ball, can you reach shades in this league? That’s one of the hardest things to do. Can you reach a 2i, can you reach a shade?”
Fraley noted that Awosika is the team’s emergency center and even played the role in a practice last year. Fraley also used the question as an opportunity to highlight why the team felt confident with Ratledge snapping the ball.
“His interview was great,” Fraley said. “He can process. Put him under pressure, how quickly he can fire it out? If you install something, how fast they get it back to you? If they’ve got to think, I joke with them all of the time, ‘Ope, delay of game. Timeout. I’ll make you guys think fast.’ That’s what centers have to be able to do.”
For those of you who didn’t have an opportunity to attend a training camp practice, you’ve likely been reading the reports about how good Hutchinson has been looking. Campbell added fuel to that fire on Tuesday, giving his perspective about why the third-year defender might be a better player coming off the injury.
“I just feel like he’s improved himself, even from last year,” Campbell said. “Just his ability to bend, his mechanics with his hands, his hips, there are tricks of the trade you learn along the way as you grow, and I do feel like from a flexibility standpoint, and then just continuing to hone his own skills, I think you can elevate yourself even a little bit more. I just feel like he’s done that, and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every play he’s out there. Every play. That’s why I’m excited, because I know the guy’s going to give us everything he’s got, no matter what it is.”
The thought of an even-better Hutchinson is scary, at least for opposing offensive tackles attempting to block him. When he went down last season, he was on a blistering pace, leading the league with 7.5 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures through five games.
Among the names who ended up on the outside looking in was undrafted rookie receiver Jackson Meeks, who had a strong training camp and two impressive preseason performances.
Still, that wasn’t enough to justify a spot in Holmes’ eyes. However, after Meeks cleared waivers, the Lions happily added the rookie back to the practice squad to continue his development.
According to Montgomery, Meeks is close. The coach expects the rookie to contribute at some point this season.
“I think he's deserving,” Montgomery said. “In this league, I think he's a player that can play (and) play at a high level. Where we are as a program, right, is probably a great determining factor for some of that. We have gotten to a point, with Dan and Brad, to where I think we've done just about as (good) a job as I've been around of creating that echelon that's so heavy at the top. …So breaking into that, for anybody, can be tough.
“But I'll say to him, though, his time is coming,” Montgomery said. “You've got to be ready when your time comes, and it is coming. I feel it. I think there's no holding him out from becoming a great player in this league. Just be ready, Meeksie, just be ready.”
After three middling seasons at Georgia, Meeks transferred to Syracuse and had a breakout season in 2024, racking up more than 1,000 yards and leading college football in contested catches.
He showed some of that prowess during his first NFL offseason, catching 11-of-14 targets for 146 yards and two scores during the preseason.
“Man, we love Lambeau,” Campbell said. “It’s awesome. That’s one of those places, on the eighth day, the good Lord made Lambeau. …First Super Bowl, Ice Bowl, the history it’s got. It’s in the same location, it’s been upgraded, all those (things).
"It’s got that deep history to it," Campbell said. "It’s the grass, man. It’s the elements, it’s just the mystique. It’s awesome. If you love football, you love going to play there. So, our guys look forward to it. It’s one of those special places to go play.”
Three wins there in four tries as Detroit’s coach probably doesn’t hurt, either.
Here are the highlights from those sessions.
If you can’t get faster, get stronger
Jameson Williams has taken his game to a different level this offseason. It’s been readily apparent, particularly in the development of his route tree, which now contains a lethal ability to slam on the brakes and sharper change-of-direction skills overall.Montgomery explained how Williams has been able to take that step.
“This offseason, where I think he grew the most, is I really talked to him about strength and getting better and stronger, his lower quarters, and changing his body,” Montgomery said. “Even if you don't change weight-wise, you can change strength-wise. And he's gotten a lot stronger.
“There were a couple of carrots dangled to get stronger,” Montgomery continued. “To be able to get out of the breaks, you've got to have stronger lower quarters. And, man, he came back, and I could immediately see the difference in his body type and also his movement skills. It became not just explosive, but it became to a point where now I can go be explosive and still stop on a dime.”
Montgomery said getting stronger is something Williams has likely heard earlier in his career. Regardless, the message truly took hold this offseason, once it was made a point of emphasis.
“It’s like talking to anybody, you can maybe say it once or twice, but when you’re leading with that constantly, constantly, constantly, it’s going to have some type of effect on you,” Montgomery said.
Ghostbuster Glasgow
The Lions continue to praise the efforts and execution of rookie Tate Ratledge from his early offseason experimentation at center. Still, the decision to turn to veteran Graham Glasgow boiled down to the veteran’s intelligence and ability to settle everything down for a group that got an injection of youth this offseason.Fraley said one of Glasgow’s best traits, no matter what new things might be thrown at Detroit’s front, is that the veteran won’t “chase ghosts,” causing the protection to unnecessarily break down.
“It settles the whole offense down, (adding) confidence,” Fraley said. “Sometimes, you see it with the quarterbacks, right? They know if somebody in front of them can control it, take charge, that’s what you want. So Goff and he are always on the same page. Anytime somebody had to go down, he always moved right back in there at center.
“…He’s a calming presence for everybody,” Fraley said. “His note-taking is one of the best I’ve been around. He really keeps all of his old notebooks from last year; they’re still stacked up there. So, all of his Green Bay notes from last year, he’s already referencing, ‘Oh, well we did this last year, are we doing this again?’ They’re so detailed, and he keeps them there for the year. That’s how him, and I would say, (Frank) Ragnow were. Their books all stayed there through the years, and they just keep it going like a library for them.”
Since someone in the chat recently asked why there isn’t more cross-training of the backup interior linemen at center — guys like Kayode Awosika and Netane Muti — I asked Fraley, a longtime NFL center, what is required to handle the transition.
He said there are mental and physical challenges. From the cognitive perspective, it’s the ability to consistently process a rapidly changing picture. Physically, it requires an agility not all guards have.
“There’s a lot of stuff body-wise,” Fraley said. “You’re closer to the ball, can you reach shades in this league? That’s one of the hardest things to do. Can you reach a 2i, can you reach a shade?”
Fraley noted that Awosika is the team’s emergency center and even played the role in a practice last year. Fraley also used the question as an opportunity to highlight why the team felt confident with Ratledge snapping the ball.
“His interview was great,” Fraley said. “He can process. Put him under pressure, how quickly he can fire it out? If you install something, how fast they get it back to you? If they’ve got to think, I joke with them all of the time, ‘Ope, delay of game. Timeout. I’ll make you guys think fast.’ That’s what centers have to be able to do.”
Ready to rock
Campbell is just as excited as the fan base to see defensive end Aidan Hutchinson take the field on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers after the Pro Bowler’s lengthy recovery from last year’s broken leg.For those of you who didn’t have an opportunity to attend a training camp practice, you’ve likely been reading the reports about how good Hutchinson has been looking. Campbell added fuel to that fire on Tuesday, giving his perspective about why the third-year defender might be a better player coming off the injury.
“I just feel like he’s improved himself, even from last year,” Campbell said. “Just his ability to bend, his mechanics with his hands, his hips, there are tricks of the trade you learn along the way as you grow, and I do feel like from a flexibility standpoint, and then just continuing to hone his own skills, I think you can elevate yourself even a little bit more. I just feel like he’s done that, and he’s going to give you everything he’s got every play he’s out there. Every play. That’s why I’m excited, because I know the guy’s going to give us everything he’s got, no matter what it is.”
The thought of an even-better Hutchinson is scary, at least for opposing offensive tackles attempting to block him. When he went down last season, he was on a blistering pace, leading the league with 7.5 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures through five games.
Knocking on the door
When it came time to trim the offseason roster to 53, general manager Brad Holmes went above and beyond, slicing to 50 before adding a few players from outside the organization later in the week.Among the names who ended up on the outside looking in was undrafted rookie receiver Jackson Meeks, who had a strong training camp and two impressive preseason performances.
Still, that wasn’t enough to justify a spot in Holmes’ eyes. However, after Meeks cleared waivers, the Lions happily added the rookie back to the practice squad to continue his development.
According to Montgomery, Meeks is close. The coach expects the rookie to contribute at some point this season.
“I think he's deserving,” Montgomery said. “In this league, I think he's a player that can play (and) play at a high level. Where we are as a program, right, is probably a great determining factor for some of that. We have gotten to a point, with Dan and Brad, to where I think we've done just about as (good) a job as I've been around of creating that echelon that's so heavy at the top. …So breaking into that, for anybody, can be tough.
“But I'll say to him, though, his time is coming,” Montgomery said. “You've got to be ready when your time comes, and it is coming. I feel it. I think there's no holding him out from becoming a great player in this league. Just be ready, Meeksie, just be ready.”
After three middling seasons at Georgia, Meeks transferred to Syracuse and had a breakout season in 2024, racking up more than 1,000 yards and leading college football in contested catches.
He showed some of that prowess during his first NFL offseason, catching 11-of-14 targets for 146 yards and two scores during the preseason.
A love letter to Lambeau
Campbell has always been something of a football romantic, but that was on full display Tuesday, when talking about the opportunity to open the season at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay.“Man, we love Lambeau,” Campbell said. “It’s awesome. That’s one of those places, on the eighth day, the good Lord made Lambeau. …First Super Bowl, Ice Bowl, the history it’s got. It’s in the same location, it’s been upgraded, all those (things).
"It’s got that deep history to it," Campbell said. "It’s the grass, man. It’s the elements, it’s just the mystique. It’s awesome. If you love football, you love going to play there. So, our guys look forward to it. It’s one of those special places to go play.”
Three wins there in four tries as Detroit’s coach probably doesn’t hurt, either.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Keep studying greatness
There was an expectation that Jahmyr Gibbs would be more involved in the passing game during his second season. However, he actually saw fewer targets than in his rookie year. On the plus side, he was much more efficient, averaging 9.9 yards per reception, compared to 6.1.Some nagging offseason injuries prohibited the Lions from doing more with Gibbs as a receiver last year. However, he stayed healthy this offseason, which could lead to that developmental jump.
Scottie Montgomery, who served as Gibbs’ position coach his first two seasons, has continued to work with the back in a receiving capacity. Plus, the coach has continued to pair the back with Amon-Ra St. Brown to foster that aspect of Gibbs' development.
“Yeah, the more he stays around Saint, the better he'll be,” Montgomery said. “Just watch Saint, do what Saint does.”
Montgomery said the most important thing for Gibbs will be reps. Experience is the only way for him to close the knowledge gap the roster’s receivers have on him, given they've played the position most of their lives.
“I think everyone here knows he's physically talented enough to do everything the receiver position can do,” Montgomery said. “Now, you have to have the knowledge and a lifelong feeling of route running — is the nickel buzzing? Is the nickel staying over the top of me? Is it Cover-2? So I have to get him thinking on the run a little quicker when he's at the receiver position, which he's done a good job of. I think that's the next point, it’s just seeing it and experiencing it enough."
Veteran standouts
Two older veterans got praised for their under-the-radar camp performances: DJ Reader and Kalif Raymond.“I think he’s one of those guys who’s just silently gotten better, too,” Campbell said about Reader. “He was coming off the quad injury and worked himself back. Rehabbed, got back. I thought he had a really good year for us last year. And he looks better, too, because he had a full offseason, right? He’s almost two years removed from the injury he had, so he’s in a good spot, and absolutely, we’re going to need him.
“He’s been one of those, I hate to say silent, but it’s kind of been this quiet, really kick-*** camp,” Campbell said. “He really has, man. He’s shown up. He’s a staple for us right now, and yes, we’re going to need him. He’s big for us.”
As for Raymond, he’s in line to start the season as the team’s No. 3 receiver after the Lions traded Tim Patrick to the Jaguars.
Raymond is coming off his least-productive campaign in four years with the Lions, catching just 17 passes in 2024. Regardless, any thought he might be slowing down was erased with his offseason performance.
“It was probably one of the more consistent springs that we’ve seen at the wide receiver position, being here and being detailed,” Montgomery said. “His catch-to-target ratio, his one-on-one wins, his ability to separate in tight coverage, his ability to make plays down the field. We’re tracking this a little bit differently than maybe everybody else. We’re just trying to make sure that we get the upper-echelon (performance) out of each player, and he is playing closer to his roof now than he was before. We really like where he is, and hopefully, he can have a tremendous role in helping us this year.”
Where rookie receiver impressed
Montgomery said one of the most endearing traits about rookie Isaac TeSlaa has been his ability to learn from and correct his mistakes."The one thing that we saw every day was that no matter what we did to him to make him understand, 'That's not good enough. That's not good enough,' he kept correcting it,” Montgomery said. “…What we would see is he would take it from the meeting room to the walkthrough to the individual drills to the practice tape. When he failed in practice, he very rarely failed again in that same detail.
“That lets us know, first of all, he cares,” Montgomery said. “It (also) lets us know he's in his playbook. When you're in your playbook, you're going to get the respect of the people in the room. And when your mental errors are low, you get the respect of the people in the room. A lot of other people on the outside, they see playmaking, and they think that's it. Well, you've got to be in the right spot, especially now, when the lights are truly on."
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
NFL Power Rankings - NFC North
| Source | Lions | Packers | Vikings | Bears |
| Yahoo | 3 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
| ESPN | 3 | 10 | 9 | 13 |
| SI | 5 | 11 | 12 | 19 |
| NFL | 5 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| The Ringer | 6 | 5 | 13 | 20 |
| Sporting News | 6 | 9 | 16 | 14 |
| The Athletic | 6 | 3 | 10 | 21 |
| CBS | 7 | 4 | 14 | 19 |
| USA Today | 9 | 4 | 15 | 21 |
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Tyrus Wheat might not be Za'Darius Smith, but he's the edge rusher the Detroit Lions picked to round out their rotation
Allen Park — Each time the Detroit Lions have signed a player to the roster or practice squad the past week — hell, each time they bring in a player for a workout — there’s inevitably someone on social media ready with a sardonic comment about that player not being an edge rusher.
It’s like Tyrus Wheat is invisible.
To some degree, that's understandable. Wheat isn’t a household name. He’s not Jadeveon Clowney, the former No. 1 pick and edge-rushing mercenary looking for his seventh team in the past eight seasons. Wheat is not Matthew Judon, the former Grand Valley State standout and four-time Pro Bowler who recently got scooped up by the Miami Dolphins. And lord knows Wheat isn’t Za’Darius Smith, who helped the Lions salvage their pass rush while Aidan Hutchinson healed up last season and has seemingly been elevated to messianic figure the longer he’s gone unsigned.
However, Wheat is here. He’s in the building. He has a locker. Of the nearly 1,200 players cut or waived by NFL teams last week, he’s the one the Lions liked enough to scoop off the waiver wire. They gave him a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of Isaac Ukwu, Nate Lynn and Mitchell Agude, who had each been with the team at least two full offseasons.
That alone should be a good enough reason to get to know what Wheat is about.
Remember Ronnell Lewis? A fourth-round pick for the Lions in 2012, the former Oklahoma standout who was nicknamed The Hammer. That’s a good comparison for Wheat’s 6-foot-2, 262-pound frame. He’s built like a brick house, with square shoulders and a wide chest.
If you’re in the same room with Wheat, he’s anything but invisible. What’s interesting is he wasn’t even 200 pounds coming out of Amite High School, located just outside Baton Rouge, where he starred on the basketball court and gridiron, playing linebacker and safety.
Some analysts thought Wheat could get selected in the early portion of the draft’s third day in 2023. Instead, he went undrafted, signing with the Cowboys. He didn’t initially make the team’s roster out of training camp as a rookie. However, he got promoted in early October and played a key role on special teams.
In his second season in Dallas, Wheat carved out a rotational role on defense, seeing nearly a third of the snaps in the eight weeks he was active. He even flashed some pass-rush potential, logging seven quarterback hurries on 71 passing snaps. That carried into this year's preseason, with eight more pressures on 70 reps.
Wheat thought he played decently last month, but knows a couple of sacks on top of those pressures might have changed Dallas’ mind about keeping him for a third season.
“I should have capped it off with some sacks, and I could have stopped the run better, too,” Wheat said.
Wheat rode an emotional rollercoaster last week, getting let go by Dallas on Tuesday and claimed by the Lions less than 24 hours later. He got off the ride and hopped on another, a plane to Detroit, where he’s thrown himself into the playbook, trying to catch up as quickly as he can.
There might not be enough time to get ready to play in Sunday’s season-opener against the Green Bay Packers, but Wheat is settling in nicely. He said he loves the scheme, which he called aggressive but with built-in freedom to make plays. He’s also been impressed with coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers.
As for his rush style, Wheat said he’s more reactive than proactive, even though his first move is to test how the offensive tackle handles his power. From there, he builds his plan on that response, deciding whether to lean into that element of his skill set or utilize a little more finesse.
His favorite move is going outside in, feigning around the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle before cutting hard between the blocker and guard to that side. He also has a lot of confidence in his cross-chop, which he credited former Cowboys teammate and four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence for helping cultivate.
His tape shows Wheat plays with active hands, making it difficult for the blocker to latch on, offsetting his reach disadvantage. In Detroit, he is looking to add even more to his tool set, working alongside former first-round picks Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport.
“I know they can teach me a bunch that I don't know, so I'm excited,” Wheat said.
Is Wheat the answer to the collective prayers of Detroit’s fans? That’s probably a leap, but there is an intriguing skill set there, at least some proven regular-season production, and little question he fits some of Detroit’s stylistic preferences. He'll fill a void while Josh Paschal continues to work his way back from the non-football injury list, simultaneously auditioning for a longer look.
Maybe you’ll even be forced to learn his name.
It’s like Tyrus Wheat is invisible.
To some degree, that's understandable. Wheat isn’t a household name. He’s not Jadeveon Clowney, the former No. 1 pick and edge-rushing mercenary looking for his seventh team in the past eight seasons. Wheat is not Matthew Judon, the former Grand Valley State standout and four-time Pro Bowler who recently got scooped up by the Miami Dolphins. And lord knows Wheat isn’t Za’Darius Smith, who helped the Lions salvage their pass rush while Aidan Hutchinson healed up last season and has seemingly been elevated to messianic figure the longer he’s gone unsigned.
However, Wheat is here. He’s in the building. He has a locker. Of the nearly 1,200 players cut or waived by NFL teams last week, he’s the one the Lions liked enough to scoop off the waiver wire. They gave him a spot on the 53-man roster ahead of Isaac Ukwu, Nate Lynn and Mitchell Agude, who had each been with the team at least two full offseasons.
That alone should be a good enough reason to get to know what Wheat is about.
Remember Ronnell Lewis? A fourth-round pick for the Lions in 2012, the former Oklahoma standout who was nicknamed The Hammer. That’s a good comparison for Wheat’s 6-foot-2, 262-pound frame. He’s built like a brick house, with square shoulders and a wide chest.
If you’re in the same room with Wheat, he’s anything but invisible. What’s interesting is he wasn’t even 200 pounds coming out of Amite High School, located just outside Baton Rouge, where he starred on the basketball court and gridiron, playing linebacker and safety.
Some analysts thought Wheat could get selected in the early portion of the draft’s third day in 2023. Instead, he went undrafted, signing with the Cowboys. He didn’t initially make the team’s roster out of training camp as a rookie. However, he got promoted in early October and played a key role on special teams.
In his second season in Dallas, Wheat carved out a rotational role on defense, seeing nearly a third of the snaps in the eight weeks he was active. He even flashed some pass-rush potential, logging seven quarterback hurries on 71 passing snaps. That carried into this year's preseason, with eight more pressures on 70 reps.
Wheat thought he played decently last month, but knows a couple of sacks on top of those pressures might have changed Dallas’ mind about keeping him for a third season.
“I should have capped it off with some sacks, and I could have stopped the run better, too,” Wheat said.
Wheat rode an emotional rollercoaster last week, getting let go by Dallas on Tuesday and claimed by the Lions less than 24 hours later. He got off the ride and hopped on another, a plane to Detroit, where he’s thrown himself into the playbook, trying to catch up as quickly as he can.
There might not be enough time to get ready to play in Sunday’s season-opener against the Green Bay Packers, but Wheat is settling in nicely. He said he loves the scheme, which he called aggressive but with built-in freedom to make plays. He’s also been impressed with coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers.
As for his rush style, Wheat said he’s more reactive than proactive, even though his first move is to test how the offensive tackle handles his power. From there, he builds his plan on that response, deciding whether to lean into that element of his skill set or utilize a little more finesse.
His favorite move is going outside in, feigning around the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle before cutting hard between the blocker and guard to that side. He also has a lot of confidence in his cross-chop, which he credited former Cowboys teammate and four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence for helping cultivate.
His tape shows Wheat plays with active hands, making it difficult for the blocker to latch on, offsetting his reach disadvantage. In Detroit, he is looking to add even more to his tool set, working alongside former first-round picks Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport.
“I know they can teach me a bunch that I don't know, so I'm excited,” Wheat said.
Is Wheat the answer to the collective prayers of Detroit’s fans? That’s probably a leap, but there is an intriguing skill set there, at least some proven regular-season production, and little question he fits some of Detroit’s stylistic preferences. He'll fill a void while Josh Paschal continues to work his way back from the non-football injury list, simultaneously auditioning for a longer look.
Maybe you’ll even be forced to learn his name.
massraider
Footballguy
Question:
Who is most likely to disappoint their fantasy owners?
Let's say, for the sake of argument, ARSB, Jameson, Gibbs, LaPorta all stay healthy, but one of the 4 is a disappointment for his fantasy owners. Let's say the other 3 crushed, and the 4th was just last puppy to the teat.
Who's that 4 guy, if you had to call it
Who is most likely to disappoint their fantasy owners?
Let's say, for the sake of argument, ARSB, Jameson, Gibbs, LaPorta all stay healthy, but one of the 4 is a disappointment for his fantasy owners. Let's say the other 3 crushed, and the 4th was just last puppy to the teat.
Who's that 4 guy, if you had to call it
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
- ARSB - though his targets/receptions/yards decreased last year, his efficiency, depth of target all increased. His slot snaps have gone down every year he's been a pro, his outside snaps have increased every year. In his rookie year the last 6 games saw him get 58 touches (51 receptions on 67 targets) with 6 TDs. Since then he has averaged 7.2, 7.7, 6.9 touches per game. He is the central piece in the offense. Jah and Jamo are the speed demons who create explosive in an instant, but the steadying force is Amon-Ra on the in breaker or double move sail route.
- Jah - Morton wants 3 things to change in the new offense and 2 of them involve Gibbs. Pony personnel with Monty in the huddle with the 3rd year RB, except 0 will be split out or in the slot. He's lined up as a WR way more this offseason than his first two seasons. Pony formation with Monty as the lead blocker. Why not have all your best playmakers on the field at the same time? Gibbs averaged 13 touches per game as a rookie in games D-Mo played, 17.5 in Y2. Games without his running mate (3 g both seasons): 23.7 in 2023, 22.7 in 2024. He's one of their two most dynamic playmakers so he'll always be a major part of the game plan, and it seems like John Morton wants him to see more targets.
- Jamo - everyone....literally everyone, from the GM, HC, WR coach, Goff, Amon-Ra, beat writers....says Williams has taken his game to a new level. Last year was a glimpse, the true breakout comes this year. The third thing John Morton wants to change about the offense is more deep balls to Jamo. He is stronger, his route running is exponentially more crisp, he has developed as a hands catcher, and he is blindingly fast. Could well lead the Lions in receiving yards (though St Brown should still be the #1 target hog by a healthy margin.)
- LaPorta - targets dropped from 120 to 83 (1 less g), though TBF he was dinged up to start the year. Over the last 6 g he saw 45 targets for 32-341-4. Still, only one g over 66 yards. Had exactly one g with double digit targets vs 4 his rookie year. Clearly the emphasis on getting Jamo the ball had some effect on Sam's production, at least early in the year when he wasn't 100%. There's absolutely nothing wrong with LaPorta as a TE IRL, he does it all, and he can be a solid option that won't hurt your lineup. But there is almost no chance he is a Top 2 TE unless he has an exceptionally good season hitting paydirt. Which could still happen - he had 12 TDs in 20 g in Y1, and 8 TDs in 17g Y2. Some guys have a knack for scoring. But with the possibility of Isaac TeSlaa becoming a preferred RZ target out there, he's probably the 4th guy here.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
Yeah, the obvious answer based on last year is SLP. I think he's a solid TE, but he's certainly no Bowers, where he can be the focus of the passing game. Love that the Lions have him, but for fantasy he's the one Lion I'm shying away from this year.
I'm also way down on Goff. He could still be good IRL, but for fantasy he was way too much of a statistical outlier. (I should also add that while I still expect Gibbs to be a Top 5 RB, he has some major TD regression coming as well).
Bigger picture, it wouldn't totally shock me if we saw the Lions shift to a defense-first team this year. They're due some major positive injury regression, and we may finally see what could have been before everyone went down last year. And honestly, a team with a dominant D and an offense that does just enough to win is the kind of team that wins championships. Just look at the Chiefs in 2018 compared to the SB-winning teams they've had since
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Jameson.
St. Brown and Gibbs are too consistent to be a complete bust without injury. So that leaves Laporta and Jameson. Tight end has been so bad the last few years that Laporta would have to get hurt to be a complete bust.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
No thanks, BL. I'll, uh, pass on that one. I'm just not and never was a grinder. What can I say?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Hidden Figures: Meet August Mangin, former walk-on fullback and Kelvin Sheppard teammate at LSU
Note: This is the third installment in a multi-part series that explores the background, responsibilities, and aspirations of the Detroit Lions’ lower-level assistant coaches. Today, we’re looking at defensive assistant August Mangin.
Allen Park — Are there two words, when placed side-by-side, that better convey a burning passion for football than walk-on fullback?
Meet August Mangin, a former walk-on fullback at LSU, who has partnered in Detroit with college teammate Kelvin Sheppard, following the coach’s offseason promotion to defensive coordinator.
Mangin’s football journey began in Lewisville, Texas, a densely populated, northern suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. He was a two-way player at Lewisville High School, where he was known more for his contributions as an edge defender than his sporadic usage as a tight end occasionally responsible for a backside block in the team's triple-option scheme.
Mangin was good enough to generate some interest from a handful of I-AA programs — now known as the Football Championship Subdivision — but exhibiting a trait common to many teenagers, he thought he was better than the evaluations. So he aimed higher.
Why LSU? Well, at the time, it was one of college football’s premier programs, having won 20 games in the two seasons before Mangin arrived. And what football-crazed kid from Texas wouldn’t want to regularly play under the lights at Tiger Stadium?
Plus, both his parents had gone to LSU. However, as Mangin tells it, he got suckered in by the Tigers’ longest tenured employee, Dr. Sam Nader, who convinced Mangin he had overlapping traits with the school’s current fullback, another former walk-on, implying a scholarship could come sooner rather than later.
It took all of one practice for the 205-pound Mangin to realize he wasn't nearly as good as he thought coming out of Lewisville.
“I was like, ‘Oh, what did I get myself into?’” Mangin recalls.
In the end, things worked out. Mangin steadily bulked up to 250 pounds, played a little bit, particularly on special teams, and experienced a ton of team success. That included a National Championship to cap the 2007 season.
It was around that time that Mangin forged an initial bond with Sheppard. Former Tigers coach Les Miles would run an old-school summer camp that Mangin said was straight out of “Remember the Titans.” The lodging was dorm rooms, and the coaching staff would pair a veteran with a younger player. Mangin drew Sheppard as a roommate, less of an odd couple than you might imagine, given the requisite aggression required to play their two positions, fullback and middle linebacker.
“I was the vet that was like in charge of looking after him taking care of him,” Mangin said. “I can't say I did a great job. You could tell early on he was better than most, and just as long as he stayed on the right track, he was going to be good.”
Sheppard was actually the dude Mangin might have thought he was going to be before he got to LSU. Sheppard starred for the Tigers, getting drafted to the NFL, and piecing together a quality eight-year career that included 63 starts.
When Mangin finished playing at LSU in 2009, he briefly bounced around to a few odd jobs. He picked up shifts at the local power plant and did some construction work before finding a kindergarten teaching position that put his education degree to use. But when he couldn’t go full-time because he lacked a required certification, he started managing a bar in Baton Rouge.
He was only six months out of football before the game came calling again. A former graduate assistant at LSU reached out to gauge Mangin’s interest in working at a summer camp. That led to Mangin’s first coaching position, at Northwestern State, located about a three-hour drive northeast of LSU’s campus.
Mangin spent a year there, bounced back to LSU to serve as a GA for Miles for one season, before Northwestern State lured him back with a better opportunity, operating as the school's special teams coordinator.
But "better" came with caveats.
As you can imagine, the football budgets are a bit different between the programs. That meant a smaller coaching staff at Northwestern State. So, in addition to leading special teams, Mangin was also in charge of a revolving door of positions. Each year it was something different — linebackers, safeties, tight ends and the defensive line.
There’s some humor in that last one. If you’ve ever watched a football practice, you know that the defensive line does a lot of its individual work during special teams segments of practice. Mangin obviously couldn’t be two places at once, so Northwestern State’s head coach would have to take care of Mangin's position group during those times.
That’s just the half of it.
“When I say it was the hardest job ever and we had no resources, on Mondays during the season, my last two seasons there, I was mowing the practice fields,” Mangin said. “Two GA's would then come behind me and line the fields up because we just didn't have anybody.”
Mowing the fields before work? That walk-on fullback grit never leaves you.
Eventually, Mangin departed Northwestern State to return to the big leagues, joining Nick Saban’s staff in Alabama for one season as an analyst, then back to LSU, for a third time, as a defensive analyst in 2019 and 2020.
Coinidentally, that’s when Sheppard returned to the school for his entry into coaching. Mangin proved to be a valuable resource for his former teammate during that time.
“I would say our bond, the closeness of it, kind of formed more there,” Mangin said. “He was new to all of it, and since I was a familiar face on the staff, if there were ever any questions about how we do certain things, or whatever it was, I would say I was one of the guys he would come to.
“I tip my cap to him,” Mangin continued. “He wasn't one of these guys who was lazy or was trying to get out of work or anything like that. He was always eager to learn and always tried to make himself better. He wasn't just like, ‘Oh, this is my job, X Y and Z, and this is all I have to do. He was always trying to do more than we had to, which I respect.”
In 2020, Mangin made the jump to the NFL. He interviewed with the Vikings for a defensive coaching position before talking to the Browns about an offensive role a couple of days later. Then, out of the blue, the San Francisco 49ers called.
Mangin didn’t have a connection to the franchise. He soon learned his name had been floated to then-49ers special teams coordinator Richard Hightower by a former LSU connection, Thomas McGaughey, who now serves as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams coordinator.
The interview led to a job as a quality control coach assisting Hightower for two seasons. And Mangin had plans to follow Hightower to Chicago in 2022, had the 49ers not threatened to block the move.
When NFL teams value your contributions as a coach, they’re reluctant to let you out of your contract. However, when Mangin was passed over for the team’s coordinator job a second time this past offseason, and the incoming hire wanted to bring his own guys, he knew it was time to move on.
Even though 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan offered to find Mangin another role in the organization, the opportunity to reconnect with Sheppard in Detroit was too appealing. This time, Shannahan let Mangin leave.
With the Lions, Mangin is back working with the defense, more specifically, the linebackers. In some ways, he was the final domino to fall with Sheppard’s promotion. With his elevation to coordinator, Shaun Dion Hamilton got bumped from assistant linebacker coach to leading the room. Mangin effectively backfills Hamilton’s spot on last year’s staff.
There are other duties, as well, including a specific role in scouting the upcoming opponent each week. Mangin is initially in charge of providing reports on the opposition's screen game and trick play usage.
Even though he’s only been in Detroit for a handful of months, one thing that’s impressed Magin is the well-rounded skill set of each coach on staff. At previous stops, the staff might have tech-savvy guys, strong evaluators, and coaches capable of teaching and developing. Mangin notes that in Detroit, under Dan Campbell, each staffer can seemingly do it all.
“I've just been thoroughly impressed with the staff here, everyone,” Mangin said. “I can't say enough good things about them.”
Mangin is hoping he’ll be part of it for a while. However, he has ambitions beyond his current role. He feels ready to run his own room, whether that's a defensive position or coordinating special teams.
He’s confident he can effectively teach any position on the defense, although Mangin admits some reservations about his ability to connect with defensive linemen because his build gives away the fact that he never played the position beyond high school.
If he had his choice, it would be linebackers or safeties.
“If I didn't want to be a position coach, if I didn't want to move up, I'm not doing it right,” Mangin said. “This is a very hard profession, very competitive. I've had chances to be a position coach, but not at the level I wanted. Maybe that sounds bad, but in a perfect world, I'm a linebacker coach or special teams coordinator here in the next couple of years, sometime in the near future.
“Whether it's linebackers, safeties, whatever that may be, the next step, I'd obviously want to become a coordinator on defense. After that, you hope you do well and you get an opportunity to be a head coach. If you don't have those aspirations, I think you have something wrong with you, and you're not built for this level.”
Allen Park — Are there two words, when placed side-by-side, that better convey a burning passion for football than walk-on fullback?
Meet August Mangin, a former walk-on fullback at LSU, who has partnered in Detroit with college teammate Kelvin Sheppard, following the coach’s offseason promotion to defensive coordinator.
Mangin’s football journey began in Lewisville, Texas, a densely populated, northern suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. He was a two-way player at Lewisville High School, where he was known more for his contributions as an edge defender than his sporadic usage as a tight end occasionally responsible for a backside block in the team's triple-option scheme.
Mangin was good enough to generate some interest from a handful of I-AA programs — now known as the Football Championship Subdivision — but exhibiting a trait common to many teenagers, he thought he was better than the evaluations. So he aimed higher.
Why LSU? Well, at the time, it was one of college football’s premier programs, having won 20 games in the two seasons before Mangin arrived. And what football-crazed kid from Texas wouldn’t want to regularly play under the lights at Tiger Stadium?
Plus, both his parents had gone to LSU. However, as Mangin tells it, he got suckered in by the Tigers’ longest tenured employee, Dr. Sam Nader, who convinced Mangin he had overlapping traits with the school’s current fullback, another former walk-on, implying a scholarship could come sooner rather than later.
It took all of one practice for the 205-pound Mangin to realize he wasn't nearly as good as he thought coming out of Lewisville.
“I was like, ‘Oh, what did I get myself into?’” Mangin recalls.
In the end, things worked out. Mangin steadily bulked up to 250 pounds, played a little bit, particularly on special teams, and experienced a ton of team success. That included a National Championship to cap the 2007 season.
It was around that time that Mangin forged an initial bond with Sheppard. Former Tigers coach Les Miles would run an old-school summer camp that Mangin said was straight out of “Remember the Titans.” The lodging was dorm rooms, and the coaching staff would pair a veteran with a younger player. Mangin drew Sheppard as a roommate, less of an odd couple than you might imagine, given the requisite aggression required to play their two positions, fullback and middle linebacker.
“I was the vet that was like in charge of looking after him taking care of him,” Mangin said. “I can't say I did a great job. You could tell early on he was better than most, and just as long as he stayed on the right track, he was going to be good.”
Sheppard was actually the dude Mangin might have thought he was going to be before he got to LSU. Sheppard starred for the Tigers, getting drafted to the NFL, and piecing together a quality eight-year career that included 63 starts.
When Mangin finished playing at LSU in 2009, he briefly bounced around to a few odd jobs. He picked up shifts at the local power plant and did some construction work before finding a kindergarten teaching position that put his education degree to use. But when he couldn’t go full-time because he lacked a required certification, he started managing a bar in Baton Rouge.
He was only six months out of football before the game came calling again. A former graduate assistant at LSU reached out to gauge Mangin’s interest in working at a summer camp. That led to Mangin’s first coaching position, at Northwestern State, located about a three-hour drive northeast of LSU’s campus.
Mangin spent a year there, bounced back to LSU to serve as a GA for Miles for one season, before Northwestern State lured him back with a better opportunity, operating as the school's special teams coordinator.
But "better" came with caveats.
As you can imagine, the football budgets are a bit different between the programs. That meant a smaller coaching staff at Northwestern State. So, in addition to leading special teams, Mangin was also in charge of a revolving door of positions. Each year it was something different — linebackers, safeties, tight ends and the defensive line.
There’s some humor in that last one. If you’ve ever watched a football practice, you know that the defensive line does a lot of its individual work during special teams segments of practice. Mangin obviously couldn’t be two places at once, so Northwestern State’s head coach would have to take care of Mangin's position group during those times.
That’s just the half of it.
“When I say it was the hardest job ever and we had no resources, on Mondays during the season, my last two seasons there, I was mowing the practice fields,” Mangin said. “Two GA's would then come behind me and line the fields up because we just didn't have anybody.”
Mowing the fields before work? That walk-on fullback grit never leaves you.
Eventually, Mangin departed Northwestern State to return to the big leagues, joining Nick Saban’s staff in Alabama for one season as an analyst, then back to LSU, for a third time, as a defensive analyst in 2019 and 2020.
Coinidentally, that’s when Sheppard returned to the school for his entry into coaching. Mangin proved to be a valuable resource for his former teammate during that time.
“I would say our bond, the closeness of it, kind of formed more there,” Mangin said. “He was new to all of it, and since I was a familiar face on the staff, if there were ever any questions about how we do certain things, or whatever it was, I would say I was one of the guys he would come to.
“I tip my cap to him,” Mangin continued. “He wasn't one of these guys who was lazy or was trying to get out of work or anything like that. He was always eager to learn and always tried to make himself better. He wasn't just like, ‘Oh, this is my job, X Y and Z, and this is all I have to do. He was always trying to do more than we had to, which I respect.”
In 2020, Mangin made the jump to the NFL. He interviewed with the Vikings for a defensive coaching position before talking to the Browns about an offensive role a couple of days later. Then, out of the blue, the San Francisco 49ers called.
Mangin didn’t have a connection to the franchise. He soon learned his name had been floated to then-49ers special teams coordinator Richard Hightower by a former LSU connection, Thomas McGaughey, who now serves as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams coordinator.
The interview led to a job as a quality control coach assisting Hightower for two seasons. And Mangin had plans to follow Hightower to Chicago in 2022, had the 49ers not threatened to block the move.
When NFL teams value your contributions as a coach, they’re reluctant to let you out of your contract. However, when Mangin was passed over for the team’s coordinator job a second time this past offseason, and the incoming hire wanted to bring his own guys, he knew it was time to move on.
Even though 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan offered to find Mangin another role in the organization, the opportunity to reconnect with Sheppard in Detroit was too appealing. This time, Shannahan let Mangin leave.
With the Lions, Mangin is back working with the defense, more specifically, the linebackers. In some ways, he was the final domino to fall with Sheppard’s promotion. With his elevation to coordinator, Shaun Dion Hamilton got bumped from assistant linebacker coach to leading the room. Mangin effectively backfills Hamilton’s spot on last year’s staff.
There are other duties, as well, including a specific role in scouting the upcoming opponent each week. Mangin is initially in charge of providing reports on the opposition's screen game and trick play usage.
Even though he’s only been in Detroit for a handful of months, one thing that’s impressed Magin is the well-rounded skill set of each coach on staff. At previous stops, the staff might have tech-savvy guys, strong evaluators, and coaches capable of teaching and developing. Mangin notes that in Detroit, under Dan Campbell, each staffer can seemingly do it all.
“I've just been thoroughly impressed with the staff here, everyone,” Mangin said. “I can't say enough good things about them.”
Mangin is hoping he’ll be part of it for a while. However, he has ambitions beyond his current role. He feels ready to run his own room, whether that's a defensive position or coordinating special teams.
He’s confident he can effectively teach any position on the defense, although Mangin admits some reservations about his ability to connect with defensive linemen because his build gives away the fact that he never played the position beyond high school.
If he had his choice, it would be linebackers or safeties.
“If I didn't want to be a position coach, if I didn't want to move up, I'm not doing it right,” Mangin said. “This is a very hard profession, very competitive. I've had chances to be a position coach, but not at the level I wanted. Maybe that sounds bad, but in a perfect world, I'm a linebacker coach or special teams coordinator here in the next couple of years, sometime in the near future.
“Whether it's linebackers, safeties, whatever that may be, the next step, I'd obviously want to become a coordinator on defense. After that, you hope you do well and you get an opportunity to be a head coach. If you don't have those aspirations, I think you have something wrong with you, and you're not built for this level.”
rockaction
Footballguy
Who’s Kelvin Sheppard? And all I know is I’d be too old for that ****. Like Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon. “Riggs, I’m too old for this ****!”
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Can’t say I consume all his content but the couple times I have I appreciate the level of effort. Very detailed. He spent a couple days at Allen Park this summer. New OC John Morton - who starts his day at 3:30 a.m. - cites him as the coach who has had the most impact & influence on him.
Alas, he’s predicting the Packers winning by 3. Everybody singing from the same hymnal this summer: Detroit will see major regression. 10 new assistants, IOL, depth at Edge.
I like the influx. It’s good to have new voices. I have a lot of confidence in the structure of the coaching staff. They are exceptionally detail oriented, they all know how to teach, the player development aspect is phenomenal. Coach Campbell is a good leader who knows how to empower his staff and the players love everything they are about.
3 straight division titles would be unprecedented in the 4-division era (1967-present.) Last time they finished first 3x in a row the NFL had 12 teams in 2 conferences - the Bobby Layne led 1952-54 Lions. Over 6 seasons they went to the NFL Championship 4x, won 3 World Titles, and became the third franchise to win back to back.
