rockaction
Footballguy
Detroit can only have one of Hutch or Parsons. Hutch is actually better. You simply can’t pay both. It’s not even a choice they’re making not to pay both. They can’t.
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2025 Detroit Lions: Game 1 Lions vs Packers. (39 Viewers)
- Thread starter Da Guru
- Start date
Detroit can only have one of Hutch or Parsons. Hutch is actually better. You simply can’t pay both. It’s not even a choice they’re making not to pay both. They can’t.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
No I didn't miss the point. You missed it. The Eagles knew it was never happening, if they were really hell bent on getting an edge rusher and making the team better why didn't they call on Hendricks, or Garrett?
msudaisy26
Footballguy
I disagree. Houston is trying to do it and we will see what happens when Anderson is extension eligible. Maybe they trade Hunter, maybe Anderson goes, maybe they make it work, but they are trying.
I tend to agree with you that it won't work, but it bothers me that don't even try to draft another high end edge rusher or go after a mid level guy like Sweat.
rockaction
Footballguy
You’re not spending $90M on two DEs. Who’s your QB?
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Stroud right now, we will see. I added to my post. After you replied. Sorry about that.
rockaction
Footballguy
I’m not going to slam the door shut. If you’ve got the QB on the rookie contract then suppose that maybe , . . but that’s a lot.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Stroud will be getting paid the same time as Anderson. I am interested to see if they can make it work.
rockaction
Footballguy
All three? You can’t.. That’s too much of the cap invested in three guys.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
I agree, but you never know. How much the cap will go up over the next two seasons and what if Houston has some really nice drafts this year and next and they have a bunch of cheap guys, and they are on the brink of a title?
rockaction
Footballguy
Could be possible?
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Maybe. I think it could be very interesting if all three guys are still playing at a high level.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
[Colton Pouncey - The Athletic]
The Lions anticipated turnover. Their principles prepared them for it
Sept. 5, 2025 Updated 9:00 am EDT
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — On the second floor of the Meijer Performance Center, down an elongated hallway, tucked away in the back corner of the building, you’ll find the offices of the six core members of this Detroit Lions braintrust. Inside each one, hanging on the walls as a reminder, lies a pact holding the keys to this franchise’s success. It is signed and dated by all, containing the three non-negotiables they collectively agreed upon — well before they’d even sniffed a win together.
Leadership. Culture. Staffing.
Four years ago, the leadership entrusted with turning this franchise around landed on these core principles as a guiding light — one that would shine during each phase of their rebuild. Principal owner Sheila Hamp. President Rod Wood. Special assistant Chris Spielman. Chief Operating Officer Mike Disner. General Manager Brad Holmes. Head coach Dan Campbell.
The foresight of the organization’s leaders in planning for the future back then is increasingly relevant today, as a Detroit Lions team with Super Bowl aspirations faces new, but not unforeseen, challenges. Their signatures scribbled on this pact tell the story of not only how they got here, but how they plan to stay.
No matter what turnover they may face.
Before there were six, there were four.
As the Lions embarked on yet another coaching search, firing Matt Patricia on Nov. 28, 2020, they vowed things would be different. Hamp succeeded her mother, Martha, as principal owner and chair in June of that year. It was her decision to move on from Patricia, relieving him of his duties after a Thanksgiving blowout loss to the Texans. The organization hired Spielman, a former All-Pro linebacker in the team’s ring of honor, a few weeks later. Wood and Disner, credited with identifying Holmes, rounded out the initial group.
They prioritized leaders above scheme during a search that left no stone unturned. Any candidate whose answers included more “I’s” than “we’s” quickly fell to the bottom of the pile. They hyper-fixated on establishing an organic identity and culture, after a failed attempt at replicating “The Patriot Way” had plagued the organization. The goal was to produce the type of culture you could point to a draft prospect and say: That’s a Detroit Lion right there.
The group famously interviewed coach and GM candidates simultaneously. They did so in an effort to ensure they found the right people. It led them to Holmes and Campbell.
Before then, Spielman had a proposition for the original four. A pact that would solidify the values they placed in high regard. Wood, Disner, Hamp and Spielman all signed it on Dec. 29, 2020. When their contracts were finalized, Campbell and Holmes added their signatures.
Wood had copies of the original, written in Spielman’s handwriting, made for the group. They were framed and distributed to each member, with photos of Holmes and Campbell from their first days on the job added as a final touch. They’ve remained in their offices since.
The pact binds the leadership of this franchise together. Not that they need it. Their offices are located in the same wing of the practice facility. Hamp, whose father’s office was once in a separate wing of the building, had a conference room converted and set up shop to be closer to the action. Spielman was once further away, but felt isolated, so one was built for him near everyone else.
“I don’t go into Chris’ office too much because it’s kind of like a gym,” Wood joked. “If you hear a thud, it’s probably him dropping a weight.”
Hamp, Wood, Disner, Spielman and Holmes all reside in the same hallway these days. Campbell’s office is around the corner, mere steps away. Not every team does it this way. But for the Lions, it was intentional. The proximity allows for impromptu meetings and ideas to flow. It keeps everyone aligned, and has helped form a bond that rivals any in the league.
Members of the group often get dinner together the Saturday evening before a road game, in whatever town they’re traveling to that weekend. During the NFL Draft, they think of new and creative ways to show unity. In recent years, Wood has had replica jerseys of Holmes and Campbell gifted to everyone in the Lions’ war room.
The type of leadership the Lions have atop the organization is, in many ways, the blueprint. You hear coaches talk all the time about the importance of ownership and being aligned on a vision.
Everybody wants it. Few actually have it.
“At the end of the day, we have really good ownership,” Holmes said last week. “It starts at the very top. And I know everybody says that all the time, but it literally does. We’re just led in the right direction from the very top with the support that we have, and it’s a pure trickle-down effect.”
Those early years undoubtedly tested the strength of the pact. When you ask Detroit’s leaders for examples of when their principles stood the test of time, the obvious comes to mind.
It seems so long ago now, but there was a point in this franchise’s trajectory when Campbell’s future was in doubt — publicly, at least. His Lions were winless through his first 13 weeks on the job — en route to a 4-19-1 start. He took the brunt of the blame.
Radio stations let Campbell have it. National media called him a meathead. Few were willing to give the Lions, of all organizations, the benefit of the doubt.
There on the pact in Spielman’s handwriting, there’s an arrow pointing to the word “culture,” accompanied by an underlined message.
“Stay focused on this.”
In October 2022, perhaps her finest moment as Lions’ owner to date, Hamp conducted an impromptu news conference with local media on a Wednesday afternoon. She would use it to promptly dispel any rumors of pulling the plug on Campbell.
“I know this is difficult,” Hamp said. “Our rebuild is hard, but we really believe in our process. … Am I frustrated? Absolutely. Are the fans frustrated? Absolutely. … But I think we really are making progress. You’ve seen it. … I think we’ve got the right people in place to pull this off. And I truly believe that. And I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it.”
Her words, amid a 1-6 start to the season, proved prophetic. More importantly, though, her faith meant the world to Campbell.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — On the second floor of the Meijer Performance Center, down an elongated hallway, tucked away in the back corner of the building, you’ll find the offices of the six core members of this Detroit Lions braintrust. Inside each one, hanging on the walls as a reminder, lies a pact holding the keys to this franchise’s success. It is signed and dated by all, containing the three non-negotiables they collectively agreed upon — well before they’d even sniffed a win together.
Leadership. Culture. Staffing.
Four years ago, the leadership entrusted with turning this franchise around landed on these core principles as a guiding light — one that would shine during each phase of their rebuild. Principal owner Sheila Hamp. President Rod Wood. Special assistant Chris Spielman. Chief Operating Officer Mike Disner. General Manager Brad Holmes. Head coach Dan Campbell.
The foresight of the organization’s leaders in planning for the future back then is increasingly relevant today, as a Detroit Lions team with Super Bowl aspirations faces new, but not unforeseen, challenges. Their signatures scribbled on this pact tell the story of not only how they got here, but how they plan to stay.
No matter what turnover they may face.
Before there were six, there were four.
As the Lions embarked on yet another coaching search, firing Matt Patricia on Nov. 28, 2020, they vowed things would be different. Hamp succeeded her mother, Martha, as principal owner and chair in June of that year. It was her decision to move on from Patricia, relieving him of his duties after a Thanksgiving blowout loss to the Texans. The organization hired Spielman, a former All-Pro linebacker in the team’s ring of honor, a few weeks later. Wood and Disner, credited with identifying Holmes, rounded out the initial group.
They prioritized leaders above scheme during a search that left no stone unturned. Any candidate whose answers included more “I’s” than “we’s” quickly fell to the bottom of the pile. They hyper-fixated on establishing an organic identity and culture, after a failed attempt at replicating “The Patriot Way” had plagued the organization. The goal was to produce the type of culture you could point to a draft prospect and say: That’s a Detroit Lion right there.
The group famously interviewed coach and GM candidates simultaneously. They did so in an effort to ensure they found the right people. It led them to Holmes and Campbell.
Before then, Spielman had a proposition for the original four. A pact that would solidify the values they placed in high regard. Wood, Disner, Hamp and Spielman all signed it on Dec. 29, 2020. When their contracts were finalized, Campbell and Holmes added their signatures.
Wood had copies of the original, written in Spielman’s handwriting, made for the group. They were framed and distributed to each member, with photos of Holmes and Campbell from their first days on the job added as a final touch. They’ve remained in their offices since.
The pact binds the leadership of this franchise together. Not that they need it. Their offices are located in the same wing of the practice facility. Hamp, whose father’s office was once in a separate wing of the building, had a conference room converted and set up shop to be closer to the action. Spielman was once further away, but felt isolated, so one was built for him near everyone else.
“I don’t go into Chris’ office too much because it’s kind of like a gym,” Wood joked. “If you hear a thud, it’s probably him dropping a weight.”
Hamp, Wood, Disner, Spielman and Holmes all reside in the same hallway these days. Campbell’s office is around the corner, mere steps away. Not every team does it this way. But for the Lions, it was intentional. The proximity allows for impromptu meetings and ideas to flow. It keeps everyone aligned, and has helped form a bond that rivals any in the league.
Members of the group often get dinner together the Saturday evening before a road game, in whatever town they’re traveling to that weekend. During the NFL Draft, they think of new and creative ways to show unity. In recent years, Wood has had replica jerseys of Holmes and Campbell gifted to everyone in the Lions’ war room.
The type of leadership the Lions have atop the organization is, in many ways, the blueprint. You hear coaches talk all the time about the importance of ownership and being aligned on a vision.
Everybody wants it. Few actually have it.
“At the end of the day, we have really good ownership,” Holmes said last week. “It starts at the very top. And I know everybody says that all the time, but it literally does. We’re just led in the right direction from the very top with the support that we have, and it’s a pure trickle-down effect.”
Those early years undoubtedly tested the strength of the pact. When you ask Detroit’s leaders for examples of when their principles stood the test of time, the obvious comes to mind.
It seems so long ago now, but there was a point in this franchise’s trajectory when Campbell’s future was in doubt — publicly, at least. His Lions were winless through his first 13 weeks on the job — en route to a 4-19-1 start. He took the brunt of the blame.
Radio stations let Campbell have it. National media called him a meathead. Few were willing to give the Lions, of all organizations, the benefit of the doubt.
There on the pact in Spielman’s handwriting, there’s an arrow pointing to the word “culture,” accompanied by an underlined message.
“Stay focused on this.”
In October 2022, perhaps her finest moment as Lions’ owner to date, Hamp conducted an impromptu news conference with local media on a Wednesday afternoon. She would use it to promptly dispel any rumors of pulling the plug on Campbell.
“I know this is difficult,” Hamp said. “Our rebuild is hard, but we really believe in our process. … Am I frustrated? Absolutely. Are the fans frustrated? Absolutely. … But I think we really are making progress. You’ve seen it. … I think we’ve got the right people in place to pull this off. And I truly believe that. And I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it.”
Her words, amid a 1-6 start to the season, proved prophetic. More importantly, though, her faith meant the world to Campbell.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
“I always wanted to prove her right,” Campbell said of Hamp. “That’s not an easy thing to do — to take a chance on somebody that nobody knows about or thinks deserves a shot. And so, to trust your instincts and trust people around you and to pull the trigger, it means a lot. … She’s one of one. … Everything that we kind of are and what we’re about has started with her.”
bought Campbell time. Everything changed from that moment forward. The team would win eight of its final 10 games — a six-win improvement from year to year. Since then, the Lions have worked to fill the voids with players who represent what they’re about. A nucleus of Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson has been supplemented by other additions to form one of the league’s most talented rosters.
More importantly, they were targeting players who wouldn’t flinch at the first sign of adversity.
“This team, from top to bottom, we don’t have a bad dude on it,” Lions linebacker Jack Campbell told The Athletic. “I feel like the organization did a good job trying to select the right guys to fit in this locker room. No matter what, we do things the right way here. It’s not always the easy thing to do, but we do it the right way, and I’m super appreciative of everyone here.”
There’s been no better evidence of that than the 2024 season. Last year, the Lions became the ninth team in NFL history to win 15 games in a season. They did it with one of the league’s most injured rosters. The front office was scouring practice squads and signing players off their couches to start on defense the following Sunday. You have to marvel at how they did it.
And while a season once shaping up to be special ultimately came to an end at the hands of the Commanders in January, going through it and living to tell the tale was the ultimate sign of Detroit’s culture at work. That hasn’t changed.
Even if the coaching staff has.
Wood remembers the goateed tight ends coach with a Texan’s twang staring back at him over Zoom, bright and early from a hotel room the morning after a New Orleans Saints playoff game, quite literally pounding the table in front of him for the job.
Big on first impressions, Wood wrote down a single word during Campbell’s initial interview: “Wow.”
Among the many qualities the Lions loved about Campbell, an under-discussed selling point was his ability to attract coaching talent. Those who know him best say his superpower is his feel for people. Saints GM Mickey Loomis told Wood that coaches would “crawl” to Detroit to work for Campbell.
“I remember we wrote down all the names that everybody said, I’ll try to get this person. I’ll try to get this person,” Wood said. “And pretty much everybody that he said he was going to go after, he got.”
One of Campbell’s first hires was Saints DBs coach Aaron Glenn — a rising star in the profession, with ties to Bill Parcells and Sean Payton. Glenn was a critical get. He was Campbell’s right-hand man in Detroit. They formed a tight relationship in New Orleans.
Campbell once joked that losing Glenn — who took head-coaching interviews after that 2021 season — so early in his tenure would have him feeling like he was walking around without pants. Before he finally departed for the Jets this offseason, Glenn established Detroit’s defensive identity and taught a young unit that has grown up together how to play as one. His confident, unapologetic nature foreshadowed everything these Lions became.
Not all of Campbell’s initial hires were hits. It’s easy to forget, but Campbell’s first OC was Anthony Lynn. An excellent hire on paper. Not the right fit on the field.
But Lynn’s short-lived tenure proved something — Campbell’s ability to pivot when things aren’t working. He demoted Lynn halfway through the 2021 season and announced he’d be taking over play-calling responsibilities. He called on his then-tight ends coach, Ben Johnson — you might have heard of him — to devise weekly game plans and help craft the offense each week.
Johnson was ultimately the fit that Lynn wasn’t. He and Campbell were on the same Miami Dolphins staff years prior. Campbell always thought highly of Johnson. One of his first moves as Lions head coach was to retain Johnson, a holdover from Patricia’s staff. There was a level of comfort there, leading to his eventual promotion to OC. That moment taught Campbell that sometimes the best hire isn’t always the right hire. The rest is history.
“The easy thing to say is, you want the best candidate, OK?” Campbell said in January. “That’s one way to say it, but that’s also like saying, ‘Give me the best player.’ Give me the right player, give me the right coach, give me the right coordinator. That’s really what I’m looking for. … We’re going to stay true to who we are, and if you’re somebody that doesn’t feel comfortable with that, then no — this isn’t the job for you.”
Campbell and the organization’s leaders kept tabs on potential coaches, knowing turnover was inevitable. Names were constantly discussed in those impromptu meetings. Staffing was the third and final principle. Handling turnover is written on the pact.
“That’s something that we actually do look at quite a bit and we try to prepare and have succession plans in place for,” Holmes said. “That is something that you have to look at because you have to be prepared, especially when you start having success. … You don’t have to wait until the collision happens.”
“I’m surprised, candidly, it took a couple of cycles before they found the right location,” Wood said of Detroit’s coordinator departures this offseason. “So, we benefited from a couple more years than maybe we should have with both of them. But because you went through it a couple times, you had a number of conversations around, OK, now what if Ben leaves? What if AG leaves?”
Around this time two years ago, Campbell’s eyes opened to the possibility of linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard one day coordinating his defense. Campbell was once Sheppard’s interim head coach with the Miami Dolphins. Campbell had an open-door policy, allowing his players to stop by, get things off their chest, ask questions or chat about life. Sheppard took full advantage.
Back in 2019, as a recently retired Sheppard was deciding whether or not to get into coaching, he called Campbell for advice. Campbell told him to be himself and never change who he is as a person. That the right opportunity would come along eventually. Their time together laid the foundation for what awaited them in Detroit.
Sheppard, who once played for the Lions, quickly proved himself as one of Campbell’s top assistants. He got the most out of his players with preparation, trust, honest dialogue and a standard of excellence that wouldn’t be sacrificed. After watching his growth as a coach in real time, Campbell and Glenn quietly added more responsibilities to Sheppard’s plate. They asked him to speak in front of the team in meetings. They had Sheppard assist Glenn with first- and second-down game planning. Glenn even had Sheppard stand in front of him on the sideline like a DC, so he’d get a feel for it.
The Lions believed they had found Glenn’s successor long before he departed.
“They could have just said, ‘Coach your position and do your job,’ like some other people do,” said Sheppard, who had opportunities from other teams this offseason. “That’s something he didn’t have to do. Just the trajectory and the outlook they had for me … that’s why I owe those guys everything.”
“He’s ready,” Campbell said of Sheppard.
bought Campbell time. Everything changed from that moment forward. The team would win eight of its final 10 games — a six-win improvement from year to year. Since then, the Lions have worked to fill the voids with players who represent what they’re about. A nucleus of Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson has been supplemented by other additions to form one of the league’s most talented rosters.
More importantly, they were targeting players who wouldn’t flinch at the first sign of adversity.
“This team, from top to bottom, we don’t have a bad dude on it,” Lions linebacker Jack Campbell told The Athletic. “I feel like the organization did a good job trying to select the right guys to fit in this locker room. No matter what, we do things the right way here. It’s not always the easy thing to do, but we do it the right way, and I’m super appreciative of everyone here.”
There’s been no better evidence of that than the 2024 season. Last year, the Lions became the ninth team in NFL history to win 15 games in a season. They did it with one of the league’s most injured rosters. The front office was scouring practice squads and signing players off their couches to start on defense the following Sunday. You have to marvel at how they did it.
And while a season once shaping up to be special ultimately came to an end at the hands of the Commanders in January, going through it and living to tell the tale was the ultimate sign of Detroit’s culture at work. That hasn’t changed.
Even if the coaching staff has.
Wood remembers the goateed tight ends coach with a Texan’s twang staring back at him over Zoom, bright and early from a hotel room the morning after a New Orleans Saints playoff game, quite literally pounding the table in front of him for the job.
Big on first impressions, Wood wrote down a single word during Campbell’s initial interview: “Wow.”
Among the many qualities the Lions loved about Campbell, an under-discussed selling point was his ability to attract coaching talent. Those who know him best say his superpower is his feel for people. Saints GM Mickey Loomis told Wood that coaches would “crawl” to Detroit to work for Campbell.
“I remember we wrote down all the names that everybody said, I’ll try to get this person. I’ll try to get this person,” Wood said. “And pretty much everybody that he said he was going to go after, he got.”
One of Campbell’s first hires was Saints DBs coach Aaron Glenn — a rising star in the profession, with ties to Bill Parcells and Sean Payton. Glenn was a critical get. He was Campbell’s right-hand man in Detroit. They formed a tight relationship in New Orleans.
Campbell once joked that losing Glenn — who took head-coaching interviews after that 2021 season — so early in his tenure would have him feeling like he was walking around without pants. Before he finally departed for the Jets this offseason, Glenn established Detroit’s defensive identity and taught a young unit that has grown up together how to play as one. His confident, unapologetic nature foreshadowed everything these Lions became.
Not all of Campbell’s initial hires were hits. It’s easy to forget, but Campbell’s first OC was Anthony Lynn. An excellent hire on paper. Not the right fit on the field.
But Lynn’s short-lived tenure proved something — Campbell’s ability to pivot when things aren’t working. He demoted Lynn halfway through the 2021 season and announced he’d be taking over play-calling responsibilities. He called on his then-tight ends coach, Ben Johnson — you might have heard of him — to devise weekly game plans and help craft the offense each week.
Johnson was ultimately the fit that Lynn wasn’t. He and Campbell were on the same Miami Dolphins staff years prior. Campbell always thought highly of Johnson. One of his first moves as Lions head coach was to retain Johnson, a holdover from Patricia’s staff. There was a level of comfort there, leading to his eventual promotion to OC. That moment taught Campbell that sometimes the best hire isn’t always the right hire. The rest is history.
“The easy thing to say is, you want the best candidate, OK?” Campbell said in January. “That’s one way to say it, but that’s also like saying, ‘Give me the best player.’ Give me the right player, give me the right coach, give me the right coordinator. That’s really what I’m looking for. … We’re going to stay true to who we are, and if you’re somebody that doesn’t feel comfortable with that, then no — this isn’t the job for you.”
Campbell and the organization’s leaders kept tabs on potential coaches, knowing turnover was inevitable. Names were constantly discussed in those impromptu meetings. Staffing was the third and final principle. Handling turnover is written on the pact.
“That’s something that we actually do look at quite a bit and we try to prepare and have succession plans in place for,” Holmes said. “That is something that you have to look at because you have to be prepared, especially when you start having success. … You don’t have to wait until the collision happens.”
“I’m surprised, candidly, it took a couple of cycles before they found the right location,” Wood said of Detroit’s coordinator departures this offseason. “So, we benefited from a couple more years than maybe we should have with both of them. But because you went through it a couple times, you had a number of conversations around, OK, now what if Ben leaves? What if AG leaves?”
Around this time two years ago, Campbell’s eyes opened to the possibility of linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard one day coordinating his defense. Campbell was once Sheppard’s interim head coach with the Miami Dolphins. Campbell had an open-door policy, allowing his players to stop by, get things off their chest, ask questions or chat about life. Sheppard took full advantage.
Back in 2019, as a recently retired Sheppard was deciding whether or not to get into coaching, he called Campbell for advice. Campbell told him to be himself and never change who he is as a person. That the right opportunity would come along eventually. Their time together laid the foundation for what awaited them in Detroit.
Sheppard, who once played for the Lions, quickly proved himself as one of Campbell’s top assistants. He got the most out of his players with preparation, trust, honest dialogue and a standard of excellence that wouldn’t be sacrificed. After watching his growth as a coach in real time, Campbell and Glenn quietly added more responsibilities to Sheppard’s plate. They asked him to speak in front of the team in meetings. They had Sheppard assist Glenn with first- and second-down game planning. Glenn even had Sheppard stand in front of him on the sideline like a DC, so he’d get a feel for it.
The Lions believed they had found Glenn’s successor long before he departed.
“They could have just said, ‘Coach your position and do your job,’ like some other people do,” said Sheppard, who had opportunities from other teams this offseason. “That’s something he didn’t have to do. Just the trajectory and the outlook they had for me … that’s why I owe those guys everything.”
“He’s ready,” Campbell said of Sheppard.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Campbell knew it was only a matter of time before Johnson, now coaching the division rival Chicago Bears, departed. He kept tabs on potential replacements along the way. Hank Fraley, Scottie Montgomery and Tanner Engstrand were among the internal options interviewed. In total, the Lions met with six or seven coaches for their vacant offensive coordinator position.
There was one name Campbell couldn’t shake, though. John Morton.
Morton is homegrown. An Auburn Hills native — he grew up down the street from the Silverdome. He played receiver at Western Michigan. He hails from the Jon Gruden coaching tree. His 28 years of NFL experience include stints with Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco and Payton in New Orleans. That’s where he and Campbell met. Morton was Payton’s wide receivers coach.
Like Campbell, Morton learned the importance of being the right man for the right job. A failed 2017 stint as Jets OC — in which he couldn’t hire his own guys, coached a roster light on talent and admitted he wasn’t ready for the gig — made Morton reconsider the jobs he accepted. He’d later jump at the chance to become Detroit’s senior offensive assistant in 2022.
With the Lions that season, when given his pick of positions to work with, Morton chose to work with the quarterbacks. It was a blind spot for him as a receivers coach, and offered a chance to study the game through the lens of the game’s most important position. He worked closely with QB Jared Goff and helped Johnson with situational tendencies — third down, red zone, you name it — staying true to his long-standing reputation as a grinder. Morton wanted to ensure he was ready for his next opportunity to lead an offense, vowing things would be different this time.
After two years reuniting with Payton as passing game coordinator of the Denver Broncos, Morton received a call from Johnson, asking if he’d be interested in joining him in Chicago as Johnson’s OC, a source familiar with the situation told The Athletic. But Campbell had called Morton earlier that day, beating Johnson to the punch.
Morton chose Detroit.
“It’s pretty cool, huh?” Morton said of the opportunity. “Not only am I an OC, but I’m in my hometown. I don’t think that happens too much. I think it’s really cool. I don’t see it as pressure. I know what the people have been starving for. Everybody is starving for a Super Bowl, but this town, I’ve seen the ups and the downs, from the very beginning from going to my first game at the Silverdome. … I’ve seen that. I know what it takes and it’s my job to help us get there.”
Morton will tell you he has no ambitions of being a head coach. He believes he has everything he needs. He’s back in his home state. He’s coaching an elite offense alongside friends, working with a group he knows.
The Lions are banking on those proactive staffing conversations — their third and final principle — as they enter a phase they always knew would arrive.
The success of the Detroit Lions under this current regime — owners of the NFL’s best record since 2023 at 27-7 — has come at the expense of continuity. They’ve lost pillars who’ve helped build this juggernaut from the ground up. They’re implementing new voices in key positions. In total, five assistants and two of Campbell’s three coordinators departed for new jobs in 2025.
It’s a lot of turnover in one offseason. It’s become a trendy reason to bet against the Lions. Folks around here fully expect the stories to write themselves.
“That’s already a narrative,” Campbell said. “I’m not going to change that — none of us will. A loss, it’s coming. We don’t do well on offense, it’s coming. Something happens defensively, it’s coming. That narrative is coming. It’s written, it’s done, I have no control over that.”
He paused. Then continued.
“If you’re asking me personally, yeah, I don’t think it’s what it’s played out to be.”
That’s because Campbell and the leaders of this franchise never lost sight of the principles. It’s because of the culture that was meticulously built. It’s because of the decisions made and the ones that weren’t. It’s because of the people — the right people — working with him in every department. It’s because of the pact hanging on his office wall.
The Lions believed they had it right back then.
That hasn’t changed.
“You’ve got your culture, you’ve got your identity, you’ve got players that fit into that — and we’ve got that,” Campbell said. “We’ve got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success, and those guys are made the right way. Our window is open.”
There was one name Campbell couldn’t shake, though. John Morton.
Morton is homegrown. An Auburn Hills native — he grew up down the street from the Silverdome. He played receiver at Western Michigan. He hails from the Jon Gruden coaching tree. His 28 years of NFL experience include stints with Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco and Payton in New Orleans. That’s where he and Campbell met. Morton was Payton’s wide receivers coach.
Like Campbell, Morton learned the importance of being the right man for the right job. A failed 2017 stint as Jets OC — in which he couldn’t hire his own guys, coached a roster light on talent and admitted he wasn’t ready for the gig — made Morton reconsider the jobs he accepted. He’d later jump at the chance to become Detroit’s senior offensive assistant in 2022.
With the Lions that season, when given his pick of positions to work with, Morton chose to work with the quarterbacks. It was a blind spot for him as a receivers coach, and offered a chance to study the game through the lens of the game’s most important position. He worked closely with QB Jared Goff and helped Johnson with situational tendencies — third down, red zone, you name it — staying true to his long-standing reputation as a grinder. Morton wanted to ensure he was ready for his next opportunity to lead an offense, vowing things would be different this time.
After two years reuniting with Payton as passing game coordinator of the Denver Broncos, Morton received a call from Johnson, asking if he’d be interested in joining him in Chicago as Johnson’s OC, a source familiar with the situation told The Athletic. But Campbell had called Morton earlier that day, beating Johnson to the punch.
Morton chose Detroit.
“It’s pretty cool, huh?” Morton said of the opportunity. “Not only am I an OC, but I’m in my hometown. I don’t think that happens too much. I think it’s really cool. I don’t see it as pressure. I know what the people have been starving for. Everybody is starving for a Super Bowl, but this town, I’ve seen the ups and the downs, from the very beginning from going to my first game at the Silverdome. … I’ve seen that. I know what it takes and it’s my job to help us get there.”
Morton will tell you he has no ambitions of being a head coach. He believes he has everything he needs. He’s back in his home state. He’s coaching an elite offense alongside friends, working with a group he knows.
The Lions are banking on those proactive staffing conversations — their third and final principle — as they enter a phase they always knew would arrive.
The success of the Detroit Lions under this current regime — owners of the NFL’s best record since 2023 at 27-7 — has come at the expense of continuity. They’ve lost pillars who’ve helped build this juggernaut from the ground up. They’re implementing new voices in key positions. In total, five assistants and two of Campbell’s three coordinators departed for new jobs in 2025.
It’s a lot of turnover in one offseason. It’s become a trendy reason to bet against the Lions. Folks around here fully expect the stories to write themselves.
“That’s already a narrative,” Campbell said. “I’m not going to change that — none of us will. A loss, it’s coming. We don’t do well on offense, it’s coming. Something happens defensively, it’s coming. That narrative is coming. It’s written, it’s done, I have no control over that.”
He paused. Then continued.
“If you’re asking me personally, yeah, I don’t think it’s what it’s played out to be.”
That’s because Campbell and the leaders of this franchise never lost sight of the principles. It’s because of the culture that was meticulously built. It’s because of the decisions made and the ones that weren’t. It’s because of the people — the right people — working with him in every department. It’s because of the pact hanging on his office wall.
The Lions believed they had it right back then.
That hasn’t changed.
“You’ve got your culture, you’ve got your identity, you’ve got players that fit into that — and we’ve got that,” Campbell said. “We’ve got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success, and those guys are made the right way. Our window is open.”
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
So I am assuming it was written by Carlos Monarrez?
Pretty sure they did.
But yes they can. They have the room for two years. However, again, the point isn't about the Lions getting Parsons specifically. They did nothing opposite Hutch.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Every "source" I have read only listed the Browns, Pats, Colts, Panthers for actual calls.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Thoughts to end the week: Touching on NFC North odds, edge depth and Hutchinson's remarkable recover
Allen Park — Here are five thoughts to end the week as the Detroit Lions prepare to open the season on the road against the Green Bay Packers.
What is true is that the Packers are now the betting favorite with most, if not all, of the major sportsbooks. The margin is so slim that it’s hardly worth mentioning. However, for all the chatter about disrespect from this fanbase, isn’t this exactly where the Lions want to be, back in the underdog role, with free fuel for their fire?
Does Parsons make the Packers immediately better? Absolutely. There are counterarguments, but they’re all rooted in coping. Everyone hates to see a rival land a stud, but this is a truly elite defensive talent being inserted into an already good defense.
Kenny Clark, who departs as part of the return package, is a good player being subtracted from that unit, but let’s not equate a defensive tackle about to turn 30, coming off one of his worst seasons, to a 26-year-old four-time Pro Bowler who has 52.5 sacks and a staggering 330 QB pressures through his first four years.
No one would be making similar arguments if the Lions had traded DJ Reader for Maxx Crosby. Admittedly, not a perfect comparison, but I’m confident you get the point. It's the two first-rounders the Packers gave up that could end up being the true impact, limiting the franchise's ability to add meaningful building blocks to its foundation in '26 and '27.
Still, let’s take a wider-angle look, a position-by-position look, to understand if the addition of Parsons really upsets the power balance in the North.
Quarterback? Detroit’s situation is better. Jordan Love has upside, and battled some injury issues a year ago. Regardless, he didn’t take the step forward many of us expected coming off his breakout campaign in 2023. Jared Goff, meanwhile, had the best season of his career and, really, Detroit franchise history.
Running back? Josh Jacobs is awesome, but Jahmyr Gibbs is better. Add David Montgomery to the mix, and it turns into a blowout in Detroit's favor.
Wide receiver? Lions have a first-team All-Pro in Amon-Ra St. Brown, while the Packers are still looking for a No. 1 option.
Tight end? Tucker Kraft is another really good player. Still, every GM in the league likely takes Sam LaPorta. I might give the edge to a healthy Luke Musgrave over Brock Wright for the No. 2 spot, but Musgrave’s struggles with durability can’t be dismissed.
How about the offensive line? It’s closer than it’s been following the retirement of Frank Ragnow. Still, it's Detroit's five.
That’s a clean sweep for Detroit’s offense.
Defensively, Parsons gives the Packers a slight edge on the edge. He’s a wash with Aidan Hutchinson, but Rashan Gary has proven more, particularly in recent years, than Marcus Davenport.
However, on the interior, Detroit’s collective is better, especially when you factor in both the departure of Clark and the pending return of Alim McNeill.
Linebackers? Edgerin Cooper is going to be nice. He might even end up the best linebacker in the division sooner rather than later, but Detroit’s corps is stronger, and the gap gets bigger when you factor in the depth.
Shifting to the secondary, the Packers have one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. Most teams would swap out their two for Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. Detroit is not one of those teams. Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are the best safety pairing in the NFL.
Detroit also has better corners, especially following the offseason exit of Jaire Alexander. Terrion Arnold’s rise is admittedly still hypothetical, at least until he proves it on Sundays. Regardless, the league knows who DJ Reed is, and it’s better than anything the Packers have to offer. The nickel role is close. I probably take Amik Robertson today, but I like Javon Bullard’s upside and versatility beyond the 2025 season.
Detroit also has a better kicker, punter and punt returner. They can't match Keisean Nixon as a kick returner, though.
If there’s a true advantage the Packers have in 2025, it’s their schedule. The Lions have a first-place slate, drawing three correlating finishers from the previous season. Those games are against the Chiefs, Rams and the Buccaneers. The Packers, as the third-place finisher in the North a year ago, have those matchups replaced by showdowns with Arizona, Carolina and Denver.
Is that enough to tip the scales? Vegas thinks so.
But from a talent perspective, anyone suggesting the Parsons move rockets Green Bay ahead of Detroit is being disengenuous.
There’s no reason to believe the Lions are going to dial back Hutchinson’s usage after the camp he had. That means we can pencil in the star edge rusher for approximately 85% of the workload each week.
Opposite Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport was getting around 60% of the snaps to start last season, so we’ll pencil him in for the same amount this year.
Finally, as the top reserve, it’s reasonable to slot Al-Quadin Muhammad in for 30 or so reps per week.
So let’s do some math. The Lions averaged 65 defensive snaps per game last year. That means they need to fill out 130 for the two edge rushing spots. At 85% and 60% workloads, that’s 55 for Hutchinson and nearly 40 for Davenport. If we give Muhammad 30, that leaves five, maybe six reps.
Ok. It’s probably a few more than that because Hutchinson and Davenport situationally slide inside on at least a handful of passing downs, so let’s say 10-15. That’s what the Lions need to fill when they’re healthy.
For now, those remaining reps figure to go to newcomer Tyrus Wheat. However, in four to six weeks, or whatever it ends up being, Josh Paschal will return, giving the Lions a fully stocked cupboard.
For all the hand-wringing about Smith, the Lions pivoted to Davenport and Muhammad when the veteran didn’t agree to a salary reduction prior to his release. The snaps have been filled.
The conversation is really about insurance. It’s what happens if there’s an injury, most notably to the oft-injured Davenport. That’s the risk the Lions have decided to take. They're not willing to overpay for an insurance policy they might need, especially with Smith lingering on the open market, if they might need him.
When it comes to significant lower-body injuries, it often takes two years before the player truly returns to form, if ever. Obviously, we haven’t seen Hutchinson in game action to confirm, but everything he did through the offseason points to him being all the way back, physically. He was a menace during camp.
What really hammered home this superhuman recovery was an unrelated conversation with center Graham Glasgow this week.
Checking in on how he was feeling after getting rolled up on and leaving the team’s joint practice with the Houston Texans late last month, Glasgow said it was painful in the moment, but he's good. That's obviously great news for the Lions, who are counting on the veteran to help navigate choppy waters after Ragnow called it a career.
The conversation turned to when Glasgow suffered a broken leg in Denver in 2021. He returned the following season but wasn’t the same, leading to the Broncos releasing him in the offseason, paving the path back to Detroit.
Glasgow said he didn’t feel right until the 2023 season, but that the leg was still problematic when he anchored on it even last year, which was part of his discomfort and struggles playing left guard.
That’s an interesting anecdote in itself, but the point is Glasgow’s broken leg was impacting him three years after the injury. Hutchinson almost certainly will still have some moments of discomfort, but if we’re unable to differentiate between the player he was before the injury, that’s remarkable.
Are odds reflective of reality?
When the Packers traded for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons last week, the national perspective on the division shifted. The Detroit vs. Everybody crowd would lead you to believe everyone collectively jumped ship to back the Pack in the race — and some unquestionably did — but the reality is the move only narrowed what figured to be a competitive race in one of the league’s most competitive divisions.What is true is that the Packers are now the betting favorite with most, if not all, of the major sportsbooks. The margin is so slim that it’s hardly worth mentioning. However, for all the chatter about disrespect from this fanbase, isn’t this exactly where the Lions want to be, back in the underdog role, with free fuel for their fire?
Does Parsons make the Packers immediately better? Absolutely. There are counterarguments, but they’re all rooted in coping. Everyone hates to see a rival land a stud, but this is a truly elite defensive talent being inserted into an already good defense.
Kenny Clark, who departs as part of the return package, is a good player being subtracted from that unit, but let’s not equate a defensive tackle about to turn 30, coming off one of his worst seasons, to a 26-year-old four-time Pro Bowler who has 52.5 sacks and a staggering 330 QB pressures through his first four years.
No one would be making similar arguments if the Lions had traded DJ Reader for Maxx Crosby. Admittedly, not a perfect comparison, but I’m confident you get the point. It's the two first-rounders the Packers gave up that could end up being the true impact, limiting the franchise's ability to add meaningful building blocks to its foundation in '26 and '27.
Still, let’s take a wider-angle look, a position-by-position look, to understand if the addition of Parsons really upsets the power balance in the North.
Quarterback? Detroit’s situation is better. Jordan Love has upside, and battled some injury issues a year ago. Regardless, he didn’t take the step forward many of us expected coming off his breakout campaign in 2023. Jared Goff, meanwhile, had the best season of his career and, really, Detroit franchise history.
Running back? Josh Jacobs is awesome, but Jahmyr Gibbs is better. Add David Montgomery to the mix, and it turns into a blowout in Detroit's favor.
Wide receiver? Lions have a first-team All-Pro in Amon-Ra St. Brown, while the Packers are still looking for a No. 1 option.
Tight end? Tucker Kraft is another really good player. Still, every GM in the league likely takes Sam LaPorta. I might give the edge to a healthy Luke Musgrave over Brock Wright for the No. 2 spot, but Musgrave’s struggles with durability can’t be dismissed.
How about the offensive line? It’s closer than it’s been following the retirement of Frank Ragnow. Still, it's Detroit's five.
That’s a clean sweep for Detroit’s offense.
Defensively, Parsons gives the Packers a slight edge on the edge. He’s a wash with Aidan Hutchinson, but Rashan Gary has proven more, particularly in recent years, than Marcus Davenport.
However, on the interior, Detroit’s collective is better, especially when you factor in both the departure of Clark and the pending return of Alim McNeill.
Linebackers? Edgerin Cooper is going to be nice. He might even end up the best linebacker in the division sooner rather than later, but Detroit’s corps is stronger, and the gap gets bigger when you factor in the depth.
Shifting to the secondary, the Packers have one of the best safety tandems in the NFL. Most teams would swap out their two for Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. Detroit is not one of those teams. Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are the best safety pairing in the NFL.
Detroit also has better corners, especially following the offseason exit of Jaire Alexander. Terrion Arnold’s rise is admittedly still hypothetical, at least until he proves it on Sundays. Regardless, the league knows who DJ Reed is, and it’s better than anything the Packers have to offer. The nickel role is close. I probably take Amik Robertson today, but I like Javon Bullard’s upside and versatility beyond the 2025 season.
Detroit also has a better kicker, punter and punt returner. They can't match Keisean Nixon as a kick returner, though.
If there’s a true advantage the Packers have in 2025, it’s their schedule. The Lions have a first-place slate, drawing three correlating finishers from the previous season. Those games are against the Chiefs, Rams and the Buccaneers. The Packers, as the third-place finisher in the North a year ago, have those matchups replaced by showdowns with Arizona, Carolina and Denver.
Is that enough to tip the scales? Vegas thinks so.
But from a talent perspective, anyone suggesting the Parsons move rockets Green Bay ahead of Detroit is being disengenuous.
A question of depth
Let me use this space to push pause on the Za’Darius Smith conversation. I’m not closing the door on a reunion, but I want to put some numbers to the equation to add some perspective.There’s no reason to believe the Lions are going to dial back Hutchinson’s usage after the camp he had. That means we can pencil in the star edge rusher for approximately 85% of the workload each week.
Opposite Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport was getting around 60% of the snaps to start last season, so we’ll pencil him in for the same amount this year.
Finally, as the top reserve, it’s reasonable to slot Al-Quadin Muhammad in for 30 or so reps per week.
So let’s do some math. The Lions averaged 65 defensive snaps per game last year. That means they need to fill out 130 for the two edge rushing spots. At 85% and 60% workloads, that’s 55 for Hutchinson and nearly 40 for Davenport. If we give Muhammad 30, that leaves five, maybe six reps.
Ok. It’s probably a few more than that because Hutchinson and Davenport situationally slide inside on at least a handful of passing downs, so let’s say 10-15. That’s what the Lions need to fill when they’re healthy.
For now, those remaining reps figure to go to newcomer Tyrus Wheat. However, in four to six weeks, or whatever it ends up being, Josh Paschal will return, giving the Lions a fully stocked cupboard.
For all the hand-wringing about Smith, the Lions pivoted to Davenport and Muhammad when the veteran didn’t agree to a salary reduction prior to his release. The snaps have been filled.
The conversation is really about insurance. It’s what happens if there’s an injury, most notably to the oft-injured Davenport. That’s the risk the Lions have decided to take. They're not willing to overpay for an insurance policy they might need, especially with Smith lingering on the open market, if they might need him.
A remarkable recovery
I want to stick with the Hutchinson theme for a second, because I don’t think we appreciate how remarkable his recovery has been.When it comes to significant lower-body injuries, it often takes two years before the player truly returns to form, if ever. Obviously, we haven’t seen Hutchinson in game action to confirm, but everything he did through the offseason points to him being all the way back, physically. He was a menace during camp.
What really hammered home this superhuman recovery was an unrelated conversation with center Graham Glasgow this week.
Checking in on how he was feeling after getting rolled up on and leaving the team’s joint practice with the Houston Texans late last month, Glasgow said it was painful in the moment, but he's good. That's obviously great news for the Lions, who are counting on the veteran to help navigate choppy waters after Ragnow called it a career.
The conversation turned to when Glasgow suffered a broken leg in Denver in 2021. He returned the following season but wasn’t the same, leading to the Broncos releasing him in the offseason, paving the path back to Detroit.
Glasgow said he didn’t feel right until the 2023 season, but that the leg was still problematic when he anchored on it even last year, which was part of his discomfort and struggles playing left guard.
That’s an interesting anecdote in itself, but the point is Glasgow’s broken leg was impacting him three years after the injury. Hutchinson almost certainly will still have some moments of discomfort, but if we’re unable to differentiate between the player he was before the injury, that’s remarkable.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Setting a bar for Morton
On this week’s podcast, co-host Jeff Iafrate asked the group what a successful coordinating debut looks like for John Morton. It was a good question and one I hadn’t considered much before he sprung the topic on us.I’ve been saying for a while that Morton has inherited a group that’s going to be difficult to screw up. What coordinator wouldn’t love taking over a unit led by a highly efficient veteran quarterback, a two-headed monster in the backfield, an outstanding collective of passing-game weapons, and an offensive line with a mix of high-end proven talent and high-upside newcomers?
Will the Lions repeat their franchise-record output from a year ago? That’s not fair to expect, but there’s little reason the team shouldn’t average around 30 points a game again this year.
Where I expect to critically evaluate Morton, not just in Week 1, but over the course of the season, is his play-calling in critical moments. That’s third and fourth down and in the red zone.
Detroit’s offensive dominance was accentuated by former coordinator Ben Johnson’s calls in these situations. The team finished no lower than fourth the past three seasons when it came to converting trips inside the 20-yard line into touchdowns. On top of that, the Lions ranked fourth in third-down conversion rate in 2024 and were top 10 on fourth down, as well.
Sustaining drives and finishing drives, that’s the recipe for success. The ingredients are still here. I’m counting on Morton to bake the same cake.
A good fix
I can’t tell you that I love the revamped kickoff format the league implemented last season. However, I do love the dual premise of the reconfiguration.I will always respect an effort to make the game safer, particularly with head injuries. And this setup has eliminated many of the top-speed collisions not consistently seen in any other aspect of the game.
That said, previous attempts to make the play safer were killing it altogether. Teams were settling for touchbacks at an absurd rate. Let's be honest, there are few things worse during an NFL game than the stadium rocking before the opening kickoff only for the vibes to be killed by the ball sailing out the back of the end zone.
The initial remodel, following an XFL design, was too conservative. A touchback coming out to the 30 wasn’t punitive enough, encouraging teams to continue the low-risk strategy of booting the ball into and through the end zone. Only Washington fully embraced coverage successfully in 2024.
This year, the league moved touchbacks to the 35, and I’m here for it. So many guys make a living on special teams. It increases the value of the play and the value of fringe players.
Plus, honestly, I’m expecting a little bit of chaos, which makes sports fun. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a record number of big returns. I’m here for it. No more crowd-killing touchbacks, please.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions ruled out Vaki, Nowaske and Jamarco Jones. Skipper didn't practice this week, either. So we're likely looking at Gio Manu being active for the first time.
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
For the book?
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I wouldn't call it anything close to "free money", but it is one of a few possibilities, at roulette wheel odds.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
And now the Eagles have signed ZSmith to replace the guy they lost last night. I really thought he was going to end up back with the Lions
Real games start in two days. There has been no sense of urgency finding an edge this entire off-season.
We are relying on what we have.
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
Howie Roseman is never satisfied.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
I am not an Eagle fan, but I love that about him.
Snotbubbles
Footballguy
I just read that Smith is a "vested veteran" so if he was on a teams roster for week 1 his full base salary would be guaranteed. So the Eagles had an edge over every other team (except Dallas) in signing him without having to guarantee his base.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
That's an interesting advantage to playing in the first game of the NFL season.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Yeah, but they earned that advantage by winning the super bowl.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
So Dallas also won the Superbowl?
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
I get your point on this with Smith. Hutch needs to stay healthy, no margin for error now. One name that pooped in head my head if the Giants start slow is Thibodeaux. They have loaded at the position and he may be someone who they would be willing to part with if they are in the gutter early.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
So they signed Zadrius too? That is going to be tricky next time they play.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Packers-Lions Final Injury Report
PackersQuestionable: WR Jayden Reed (foot), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), S Zayne Anderson (knee), DE Micah Parsons (back), DE Barryn Sorrell (knee), WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf), WR Savion Williams (hamstring).
Lions
Out: LB Trevor Nowaske (elbow), RB Sione Vaki (hamstring), T Jamarco Jones (ankle).
All the Packers should suit up on Sunday except Hobbs, who has surgery a month ago. Reed and Wicks missed most of TC and did not play in PS games, but if they’re healthy enough to start, they have plenty of banked reps with Love.
Parsons has been on a steroid pack the Cowboys prescribed. He first tweaked the back (L4/L5 facet joint sprain) lifting. 4/4 in his first practices with GB but was limited each day. They’ll decide Sunday morning if he needs an epidural to play.
There is a chance he only plays 12-15 snaps on passing downs, but hopefully Detroit has been preparing for him to play his usual number of snaps. He isn’t fully ramped up on the Packers playbook but he’s so disruptive I’m not that is critical. It’s not like he’s trying to learn complex zone coverage. See QB, see ball, go hit.
Packers have a quick turnaround for a TNF game with the Commanders so that might factor in how much they play Micah Sunday.
Sounds like Dorsey is fully recovered and might be available for kickoffs. Not sure who the punt gunners will be, Fipp didn’t want to tip his hand. No doubt Raymond will be the PR. Might not see it Week 1 but they’ve hinted they might have Jah or Jamo handle KR on a situational basis.
Raymond has been repping ahead of TeSlaa so it’s likely the rookie won’t have many snaps, but he is definitely a matchup issue in the RZ.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I liked watching Grant Stuard in the preseason doing KR, but I guess that was just for preseason?
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
he's a decent athlete but I cannot fathom that's the best option
remember Dorsey didn't start practicing until late in TC
Yeah I suppose
rockaction
Footballguy
That decision had me totally flummoxed and made no sense. I should have known Campbell wouldn’t do that. Very smart.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
DFN Mailbag: Checking in on your Lions questions ahead of the season opener in Green Bay
Season opener is tomorrow, let’s check the mailbox.
Question: What’s your biggest concern for the offense and defense? — Richard Moore
Justin: I don’t think they’ve really changed over the course of the offseason.
Offensively, it’s all about protecting quarterback Jared Goff. Like most pocket passers, his efficiency declines sharply when pressured, and the shortest path to allowing pressure, the interior of the offensive line, underwent a makeover this offseason.
Question: Will our new interior offensive line be stronger at run blocking or pass blocking? And is Tate Ratledge truly ready? — Julian Swearengin
Justin: I’d lean pass protection. To be clear, Christian Mahogany is a mauler. Still, both are pretty good at keeping the quarterback upright, and I will comfortably say that was Ratledge’s strength coming out of Georgia. He uses his hands really well and consistently showed an ability to re-anchor when he was initially knocked back during camp practices.
Few rookies are “truly” ready for the next level. Ratledge is undoubtedly the best option on the roster to flesh out the starting five. Plus, he has the physical and mental maturity to adapt quickly to the league. Still, you should expect some bumps in the road when he gets matched up against some high-end interior linemen, particularly those with experience.
Even Frank Ragnow had some rough patches as a rookie, and he was a better prospect than Ratledge.
Question: Jared Goff finished sixth in QBR last year behind Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Jordan Love. In his age-31 season, where do you see Goff in his career arc? Which metrics would you use, and how many years could we expect him to play at this high level? — Jacob Schans
Justin: Goff is performing at his peak, and as long as he avoids injury, whether one significant one or the accumulation of several nagging concerns from taking too many hits, you should reasonably expect another 4-6 years of high-quality football.
I don’t weigh Goff against other quarterbacks using QBR, given that metric factors in rushing contributions. He’ll never stack up against Jackson, Allen or Daniels in that area.
I’m looking at passing efficiency metrics to evaluate a QB like Goff. How many yards per attempt? What’s the interception rate? I also like Pro Football Focus’ adjusted completion percentage, which removes things like drops from the equation to better show a passer’s accuracy.
Another one from the publication is turnover-worthy plays, which better demonstrates decision-making, since defenders drop passes, too, and sometimes your teammate recovers the fumble you put on the ground.
Question: After Za’Darius Smith signed with the Eagles, are there any other edge free agents worth signing? — Jon Annett
Justin: In September? I mean, there are a few names out there, although it’s difficult to say how much gas is left in the tank. Probably the biggest name available is Jadeveon Clowney. The former No. 1 pick has bounced around the league the past decade, but he still provided 44 pressures and 5.5 sacks in 14 games for the Panthers last season.
Other less-sexy names include Carl Lawson, Clelin Ferrell, Shaquil Barrett, Preston Smith and DeMarcus Walker.
Question: (Summarizing a much longer question) What should we expect from Derrick Barnes? — Stefan Spurlock
Justin: The number of Barnes questions the past week, whether in the chat, comments on other stories, social media and email, has been unusual. I mentioned the sudden surge in curiosity to him when we walked past each other in the locker room the other day.
I’ve said similar things in a few places, but let me consolidate the answer in this space. It can be tough to get a feel for a linebacker during camp practices. The position plays with a lot of nuance, often requiring film study to better evaluate impact. That was especially true in Barnes’ case last year, where his subtle positioning on plays was exceptional, creating opportunities for teammates even when he was rarely showing up in the stat sheet.
In 2024, the Lions were playing Barnes more along the line of scrimmage as part of five-man fronts. This year, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has reverted his prize pupil to working more off the ball.
Barnes’ workload will be interesting. Early last season, it was tracking around 80%, countering the league’s heavy usage of nickel personnel. Yet, while Barnes was out with his knee injury, Amik Robertson gained a lot of trust from the coaching staff. I imagine they’ll be in nickel more frequently this season, even if it’s still a lower rate than the rest of the league.
I don’t expect Barnes to be a go-to in two-linebacker looks. Sure, that might be the play sometimes, but Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone still look to be the preferred pairing in those situations.
Barnes has looked fine with his movement skills throughout camp. I don’t think you’ll see much rust. What you should see is more usage as a blitzer, which I believe is a better use of his ability to affect the pocket. He has outstanding size and athleticism, but not the length or pass-rushing repertoire to regularly win off the edge.
Question: What’s your biggest concern for the offense and defense? — Richard Moore
Justin: I don’t think they’ve really changed over the course of the offseason.
Offensively, it’s all about protecting quarterback Jared Goff. Like most pocket passers, his efficiency declines sharply when pressured, and the shortest path to allowing pressure, the interior of the offensive line, underwent a makeover this offseason.
Question: Will our new interior offensive line be stronger at run blocking or pass blocking? And is Tate Ratledge truly ready? — Julian Swearengin
Justin: I’d lean pass protection. To be clear, Christian Mahogany is a mauler. Still, both are pretty good at keeping the quarterback upright, and I will comfortably say that was Ratledge’s strength coming out of Georgia. He uses his hands really well and consistently showed an ability to re-anchor when he was initially knocked back during camp practices.
Few rookies are “truly” ready for the next level. Ratledge is undoubtedly the best option on the roster to flesh out the starting five. Plus, he has the physical and mental maturity to adapt quickly to the league. Still, you should expect some bumps in the road when he gets matched up against some high-end interior linemen, particularly those with experience.
Even Frank Ragnow had some rough patches as a rookie, and he was a better prospect than Ratledge.
Question: Jared Goff finished sixth in QBR last year behind Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Jordan Love. In his age-31 season, where do you see Goff in his career arc? Which metrics would you use, and how many years could we expect him to play at this high level? — Jacob Schans
Justin: Goff is performing at his peak, and as long as he avoids injury, whether one significant one or the accumulation of several nagging concerns from taking too many hits, you should reasonably expect another 4-6 years of high-quality football.
I don’t weigh Goff against other quarterbacks using QBR, given that metric factors in rushing contributions. He’ll never stack up against Jackson, Allen or Daniels in that area.
I’m looking at passing efficiency metrics to evaluate a QB like Goff. How many yards per attempt? What’s the interception rate? I also like Pro Football Focus’ adjusted completion percentage, which removes things like drops from the equation to better show a passer’s accuracy.
Another one from the publication is turnover-worthy plays, which better demonstrates decision-making, since defenders drop passes, too, and sometimes your teammate recovers the fumble you put on the ground.
Question: After Za’Darius Smith signed with the Eagles, are there any other edge free agents worth signing? — Jon Annett
Justin: In September? I mean, there are a few names out there, although it’s difficult to say how much gas is left in the tank. Probably the biggest name available is Jadeveon Clowney. The former No. 1 pick has bounced around the league the past decade, but he still provided 44 pressures and 5.5 sacks in 14 games for the Panthers last season.
Other less-sexy names include Carl Lawson, Clelin Ferrell, Shaquil Barrett, Preston Smith and DeMarcus Walker.
Question: (Summarizing a much longer question) What should we expect from Derrick Barnes? — Stefan Spurlock
Justin: The number of Barnes questions the past week, whether in the chat, comments on other stories, social media and email, has been unusual. I mentioned the sudden surge in curiosity to him when we walked past each other in the locker room the other day.
I’ve said similar things in a few places, but let me consolidate the answer in this space. It can be tough to get a feel for a linebacker during camp practices. The position plays with a lot of nuance, often requiring film study to better evaluate impact. That was especially true in Barnes’ case last year, where his subtle positioning on plays was exceptional, creating opportunities for teammates even when he was rarely showing up in the stat sheet.
In 2024, the Lions were playing Barnes more along the line of scrimmage as part of five-man fronts. This year, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has reverted his prize pupil to working more off the ball.
Barnes’ workload will be interesting. Early last season, it was tracking around 80%, countering the league’s heavy usage of nickel personnel. Yet, while Barnes was out with his knee injury, Amik Robertson gained a lot of trust from the coaching staff. I imagine they’ll be in nickel more frequently this season, even if it’s still a lower rate than the rest of the league.
I don’t expect Barnes to be a go-to in two-linebacker looks. Sure, that might be the play sometimes, but Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone still look to be the preferred pairing in those situations.
Barnes has looked fine with his movement skills throughout camp. I don’t think you’ll see much rust. What you should see is more usage as a blitzer, which I believe is a better use of his ability to affect the pocket. He has outstanding size and athleticism, but not the length or pass-rushing repertoire to regularly win off the edge.
FWIW I could not find any breaking news WRT Parsons being out (Googled beat writers, team site, Reddit, & X.) Admittedly I did not check FB as I think I uninstalled it 9 years ago.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
If you are planning on Smith playing you would hope it would be for all season. I see no issue with guaranteeing him a one year deal. For whatever reason the Lions had no interest in bringing him back. I was hoping they would and rotate Smith with Davenport, but it did not happen.
Speaking of rushers saw that James Houston hooked up with Dallas and was playing Thursday. Had one nice tackle on Barkley for a loss.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
TIL Marty Patty is DC for Ohio State, which is just perfect. They obviously wanted someone with a lot of experience losing in the state of Michigan
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Lions place Jamarco Jones on IR, sign 1, elevate 1 practice squad player
With three players injured ahead of Week 1, the Lions make three roster transactions on Saturday.The Detroit Lions made three roster transactions ahead of the Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, placing offensive tackle Jamarco Jones on injured reserve, signing running back Jacob Saylors to the active roster, and elevating linebacker Anthony Pittman from the practice squad for this game. All three moves were direct results of injuries on the roster.
Jones was a surprise inclusion to the Lions’ initial roster, edging out Dan Skipper for a spot on the 53. One of the many reasons most were surprised he made the roster was due to his inability to stay healthy. Throughout training camp, Jones was consistently dealing with some ailment. While not all injuries forced him to miss time, he did have several injuries that he was dealing with.
Jones started the week healthy and practicing in full, but on Thursday, he appeared on the injury report with an ankle injury, which has led to this stint on injured reserve. Jones will miss the first four games of the regular season and will be eligible to return in Week 5.
While this seems like a prime opportunity for Skipper to return from the practice squad to the active roster, he has been unable to practice all week and, unfortunately, will also be unavailable to play in this game.
That means the Lions will turn to either second-year offensive tackle Giovanni Manu or position-flexible offensive lineman Kayode Awosika for their OT3 role in Week 1. While Awosika has primarily played at guard for the Lions, he entered the league as an offensive tackle (the position he played in college), and offensive line coach Hank Fraley said that in addition to guard, Awosika was also the team’s “emergency tackle and center” when speaking to the media this week.
Saylors was signed to the active roster following running back Sione Vaki being ruled out with a hamstring injury. Saylors figures to slot into Vaki’s RB4 and special teams roles, similarly to what he did during the preseason. While Saylors is currently on the active roster, that doesn’t necessarily mean bad news for Vaki’s recovery. It’s commonplace for the Lions to sign players to the active roster in these situations, in order to save their roster elevations (players are only allowed three elevations per season). It wouldn’t be surprising to see Saylors waived on Monday, clear waivers on Tuesday, and then be back on the Lions practice squad on Wednesday.
Pittman’s roster elevation was likely a direct response to the Lions ruling linebacker Trevor Nowaske out with an elbow injury. Pittman’s skill set is similar to Nowaske’s in that he can play the Lions’ MIKE and SAM roles, while also contributing in all four phases of special teams. This will be Pittman’s first elevation of the season, and he will revert back to the Lions’ practice squad following the game without needing to go through the NFL’s waiver system. He’ll have two more roster elevations remaining for the remainder of the season.
Jones was a surprise inclusion to the Lions’ initial roster, edging out Dan Skipper for a spot on the 53. One of the many reasons most were surprised he made the roster was due to his inability to stay healthy. Throughout training camp, Jones was consistently dealing with some ailment. While not all injuries forced him to miss time, he did have several injuries that he was dealing with.
Jones started the week healthy and practicing in full, but on Thursday, he appeared on the injury report with an ankle injury, which has led to this stint on injured reserve. Jones will miss the first four games of the regular season and will be eligible to return in Week 5.
While this seems like a prime opportunity for Skipper to return from the practice squad to the active roster, he has been unable to practice all week and, unfortunately, will also be unavailable to play in this game.
That means the Lions will turn to either second-year offensive tackle Giovanni Manu or position-flexible offensive lineman Kayode Awosika for their OT3 role in Week 1. While Awosika has primarily played at guard for the Lions, he entered the league as an offensive tackle (the position he played in college), and offensive line coach Hank Fraley said that in addition to guard, Awosika was also the team’s “emergency tackle and center” when speaking to the media this week.
Saylors was signed to the active roster following running back Sione Vaki being ruled out with a hamstring injury. Saylors figures to slot into Vaki’s RB4 and special teams roles, similarly to what he did during the preseason. While Saylors is currently on the active roster, that doesn’t necessarily mean bad news for Vaki’s recovery. It’s commonplace for the Lions to sign players to the active roster in these situations, in order to save their roster elevations (players are only allowed three elevations per season). It wouldn’t be surprising to see Saylors waived on Monday, clear waivers on Tuesday, and then be back on the Lions practice squad on Wednesday.
Pittman’s roster elevation was likely a direct response to the Lions ruling linebacker Trevor Nowaske out with an elbow injury. Pittman’s skill set is similar to Nowaske’s in that he can play the Lions’ MIKE and SAM roles, while also contributing in all four phases of special teams. This will be Pittman’s first elevation of the season, and he will revert back to the Lions’ practice squad following the game without needing to go through the NFL’s waiver system. He’ll have two more roster elevations remaining for the remainder of the season.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
Holy crap for a second I thought that said “Jameson”
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
@Schultz_Report
BREAKING: The Lions and star WR Jameson Williams have agreed to a 3-year, $83M extension with $67M guaranteed, multiple sources tell me.
Jamo is coming off a career year — his first 1,000-yard season with 8 TDs. One of the league’s premier young talents just got paid.
BREAKING: The Lions and star WR Jameson Williams have agreed to a 3-year, $83M extension with $67M guaranteed, multiple sources tell me.
Jamo is coming off a career year — his first 1,000-yard season with 8 TDs. One of the league’s premier young talents just got paid.
TartanLion
Footballguy
Wow.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Jameson Williams' efforts to improve, relatively reasonable price tag, result in unexpected extension from Lions
Green Bay, Wisc. — It wasn’t the extension Detroit Lions fans expected this offseason, but they’ll gladly take it. Late Saturday night, ahead of the team’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers, the Lions reached a three-year agreement with Jameson Williams that could keep the speedy receiver in Honolulu blue through the 2029 season.
The move was particularly unexpected because Williams looked as if he might be the odd man out as Detroit navigates an increasingly complex salary cap situation, having handsomely paid Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Taylor Decker and David Montgomery last year, followed by Kerby Joseph in April. On top of those extensions, there's the upcoming need to lock up Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Most of those completed deals were top of the market for the player’s position, with Hutchinson potentially set to be the biggest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history.
It’s why, at the league meetings this offseason, general manager Brad Holmes hinted that Williams could end up pricing himself out of Detroit’s range.
"We're still taking it as it goes," Holmes said. "Look, his fifth-year option, it's looking likely that we'll just pick that up, but in terms of extension, again, there's a lot of extensions that are hopefully coming. It's just one that you just don't know what's going to happen from a financial standpoint, because a wide receiver. It's expensive. It's very expensive.”
However, two things have happened since that spring conversation with the GM. The first and obvious, Williams forced the Lions to alter their priorities with a tremendous offseason that has him primed to take his production to another level after topping 1,000 yards for the first time in 2024.
“The big step he’s taken forward has been fun to watch,” quarterback Jared Goff said this week.
Secondly, that anticipated price tag that had cast clouds of doubt over his long-term future with the franchise ended up far more reasonable than initially envisioned.
It can be difficult to wrap your head around a $27.7 million salary being a bargain, but, relatively speaking, it absolutely is in this instance.
That’s because the three-year extension doesn’t kick in until 2027. So the Lions will benefit from already having Williams under contract this season and next, under the terms of his rookie deal. And while the average of the new money currently ranks 13th among receivers, by the time it kicks in, the cap will have likely continued to rapidly inflate, with several future pacts pushing Williams down the highest-paid list.
The average of Williams’ new money checks in just below some of the game’s highest-paid No. 2 receivers, Miami’s Jaylen Waddle and Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins, and just ahead of Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith.
The deal rubber-stamps the faith the Lions have in Williams, who had a rocky start to his career, largely because of self-inflicted wounds.
Drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft, after the Lions traded up 20 spots to land him, Williams missed a good chunk of his rookie season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in his final college game.
He caught just one of nine targets in six appearances down the stretch of that season, then was suspended for the first four games of the 2023 season — reduced from six — for naively violating the league’s gambling policy. Then, when he returned, he was underwhelming, catching just 24 passes for 354 in 12 games while struggling with drops.
It wasn’t until last season that he turned a corner and started delivering on Detroit’s massive investment, but not without another bone-headed suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
Still, the Lions remained patient.
“I know this; we dangled the rope down on the way up,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We can’t wait for anybody, and over a year ago he started climbing his way up and he got to us. And maybe he lost his grip, but he’ll climb back up again. That rope’s still there, it’s tied to us, and he’ll be just fine. He's part of this team and I trust him.”
Williams returned from the two-game ban and turned it on down the stretch, hauling in 41 balls for 640 and four scores across the final nine games of the 2024 campaign.
As noted, Williams has taken his game to another level this offseason. Under the watchful eye of position coach Scottie Montgomery, Williams has steadily added lower-body strength, which has enhanced his ability to stop as fast as he accelerates, expanding his route tree.
“He's in that mode of where he is ascending and he's taking the right steps, but he has to do it every single day,” Montgomery said. “He's very receptive.”
The Lions went through the tribulations with Williams. But he climbed the rope back to them and then some. Now, they’re in a position to enjoy the fruits of those efforts for years to come.
The move was particularly unexpected because Williams looked as if he might be the odd man out as Detroit navigates an increasingly complex salary cap situation, having handsomely paid Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Taylor Decker and David Montgomery last year, followed by Kerby Joseph in April. On top of those extensions, there's the upcoming need to lock up Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Most of those completed deals were top of the market for the player’s position, with Hutchinson potentially set to be the biggest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history.
It’s why, at the league meetings this offseason, general manager Brad Holmes hinted that Williams could end up pricing himself out of Detroit’s range.
"We're still taking it as it goes," Holmes said. "Look, his fifth-year option, it's looking likely that we'll just pick that up, but in terms of extension, again, there's a lot of extensions that are hopefully coming. It's just one that you just don't know what's going to happen from a financial standpoint, because a wide receiver. It's expensive. It's very expensive.”
However, two things have happened since that spring conversation with the GM. The first and obvious, Williams forced the Lions to alter their priorities with a tremendous offseason that has him primed to take his production to another level after topping 1,000 yards for the first time in 2024.
“The big step he’s taken forward has been fun to watch,” quarterback Jared Goff said this week.
Secondly, that anticipated price tag that had cast clouds of doubt over his long-term future with the franchise ended up far more reasonable than initially envisioned.
It can be difficult to wrap your head around a $27.7 million salary being a bargain, but, relatively speaking, it absolutely is in this instance.
That’s because the three-year extension doesn’t kick in until 2027. So the Lions will benefit from already having Williams under contract this season and next, under the terms of his rookie deal. And while the average of the new money currently ranks 13th among receivers, by the time it kicks in, the cap will have likely continued to rapidly inflate, with several future pacts pushing Williams down the highest-paid list.
The average of Williams’ new money checks in just below some of the game’s highest-paid No. 2 receivers, Miami’s Jaylen Waddle and Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins, and just ahead of Philadelphia’s DeVonta Smith.
The deal rubber-stamps the faith the Lions have in Williams, who had a rocky start to his career, largely because of self-inflicted wounds.
Drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft, after the Lions traded up 20 spots to land him, Williams missed a good chunk of his rookie season recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in his final college game.
He caught just one of nine targets in six appearances down the stretch of that season, then was suspended for the first four games of the 2023 season — reduced from six — for naively violating the league’s gambling policy. Then, when he returned, he was underwhelming, catching just 24 passes for 354 in 12 games while struggling with drops.
It wasn’t until last season that he turned a corner and started delivering on Detroit’s massive investment, but not without another bone-headed suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
Still, the Lions remained patient.
“I know this; we dangled the rope down on the way up,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We can’t wait for anybody, and over a year ago he started climbing his way up and he got to us. And maybe he lost his grip, but he’ll climb back up again. That rope’s still there, it’s tied to us, and he’ll be just fine. He's part of this team and I trust him.”
Williams returned from the two-game ban and turned it on down the stretch, hauling in 41 balls for 640 and four scores across the final nine games of the 2024 campaign.
As noted, Williams has taken his game to another level this offseason. Under the watchful eye of position coach Scottie Montgomery, Williams has steadily added lower-body strength, which has enhanced his ability to stop as fast as he accelerates, expanding his route tree.
“He's in that mode of where he is ascending and he's taking the right steps, but he has to do it every single day,” Montgomery said. “He's very receptive.”
The Lions went through the tribulations with Williams. But he climbed the rope back to them and then some. Now, they’re in a position to enjoy the fruits of those efforts for years to come.
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