Lions News

[froot loops]

Good grief with the endless worrying about quarterback contracts. The salary cap is going up for the foreseeable future.

[Topweasel]

It will be the going rate for top 10ish QBs. Which if Goff plays next year like he did this past year, he most certainly will be. If he falls off or shows some of the issues he had with the Rams or at the start of his Lions run, he most certainly won’t get paid like that.

Its the going rate for QB's signed to medium to long term contracts as the starting QB. That also is basically about half the league. So basically top 15. As it is Goff basically has a year and a half of evidence. If the Lions want to save money you do the contract this off season. You do it next year you have a QB going into FA and have to compete with the open market value of Goff and the contract is at best at the yearly rate of the Franchise tag. With contracts like Lamar's, Mahomes, Watson, Stafford, and Rogers if he is still playing inflating it to nearly 40 mill.

In the end I think its this offseason that decides our future at QB. We pick up someone in the first 2 rounds, ride out Goff, play the new guy in 2024. Or you make it official and sign him to a long term deal.

Good grief with the endless worrying about quarterback contracts. The salary cap is going up for the foreseeable future.

Yeah its going up 16 million this season right. You sign a QB today and in 3 years you can afford a second really expensive QB without really losing any ability to pay your other players. We are already seeing the formation of Super teams. It will make it more important for non-destination teams to draft extremely well.

[Whitley]

Good grief with the endless worrying about quarterback contracts. The salary cap is going up for the foreseeable future.

No doubt. you figure Goff is 30.975 cap hit this year. and a shade over 31 million in 2024 even if the extension is 40 million it is not a big jump there. It is not like you have a guy on a rookie contract and have to decide if he can make him a 40 million per.

[Topweasel]

No doubt. you figure Goff is 30.975 cap hit this year. and a shade over 31 million in 2024 even if the extension is 40 million it is not a big jump there. It is not like you have a guy on a rookie contract and have to decide if he can make him a 40 million per.

I don't know why I keep thinking his contract is up in 2023. I adjust what I was saying. Next offseason is probably when they look to resign him. Still think this season is the season you make the decision whether you want to replace him but you now have two offseason's to negotiate a deal if he is the QB for the foreseeable future. You could probably save 5-10 mill if you do the deal this season versus next. It's always going to be more expensive the longer you wait.

[jaadam4]

I don't know why I keep thinking his contract is up in 2023. I adjust what I was saying. Next offseason is probably when they look to resign him. Still think this season is the season you make the decision whether you want to replace him but you now have two offseason's to negotiate a deal if he is the QB for the foreseeable future. You could probably save 5-10 mill if you do the deal this season versus next. It's always going to be more expensive the longer you wait.

I love how Goff has played for the Lions but it’s curious that he hasn’t gotten an extension. It’s a good business move to lock
him up now as opposed to waiting.

If they spend FA cash in the offseason to make a run then it makes sense. If they don’t then they’re only delaying the inevitable and costing more money waiting until next off season.

[Futureshock]

I don't know why I keep thinking his contract is up in 2023. I adjust what I was saying. Next offseason is probably when they look to resign him. Still think this season is the season you make the decision whether you want to replace him but you now have two offseason's to negotiate a deal if he is the QB for the foreseeable future. You could probably save 5-10 mill if you do the deal this season versus next. It's always going to be more expensive the longer you wait.

True, but, if he takes a turn for the worse and they want to go a different route they could get stuck. It's definitely a juggling act. He also makes more money sooner too.

[Futureshock]

Report: Cardinals narrow field to Brian Flores, Mike Kafka, Lou Anarumo

Posted by Charean Williams on February 5, 2023, 10:00 PM EST

Getty Images

The Cardinals are moving closer to naming a new head coach.

Albert Breer of SI.com reports that the team has narrowed the field to three finalists. Steelers senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach Brian Flores, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are the remaining candidates for Arizona.

The team informed their defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, and Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan that it has eliminated them from consideration. Callahan remains a candidate for the Colts’ job as does Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was expected to get a second interview with the Cardinals.

That should free Joseph to pursue defensive coordinator opportunities elsewhere.

The Cardinals and the Colts are the only teams without a head coach, with the Texans (DeMeco Ryans), Panthers (Frank Reich) and Broncos (Sean Payton) having hired a new coach.

Flores is an intriguing candidate for the Cardinals. He has ties to new General Manager Monti Ossenfort from their days together with the Patriots.

[whatever_gong82]

Forum members, sorry I've not been posting articles the last few days. I was winded from work and took a early weekend off the other day.

I'll try to add more articles from here on out, including this one from yesterday's paper.



Detroit Lions' Brad Holmes is showing similarities to two of the NFL's best GMs

Shawn Windsor

Detroit Free Press


The Kansas City Chiefs are quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes. They are coached by Andy Reid. Over the last five seasons, this has been the best QB-head coach combo in the NFL.

So, there is that. Without them, the Chiefs wouldn’t be playing in the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia is led — on the field — by a burgeoning MVP QB in Jalen Hurts and by a potential coach-of-the-year on the sidelines: Nick Sirianni.

Sirianni is one of the best young coaches in football. Just as Hurts is one of the best young quarterbacks. And, as with the Chiefs, the Eagles are not playing in the Super Bowl without the pairing.


But the QB-head coach combos are not the only reason why either team is playing in the last game of the season.

The Chiefs' first appearance in the AFC title game with Mahomes and Reid was the 2018 season. Only seven players on that squad, aside from Mahomes, remain on the roster.

Also, Mahomes made $1.2 million in 2018. He was on a rookie deal. He makes $30 million now and will eventually make north of $40 million a season; he signed a 10-year, $450 million contract in the summer of 2020.

Those numbers mean Kansas City had to replace 45 players on its roster over the past five seasons, and they’ve had to do it around Mahomes' contract. All of which means the Chiefs are not in the Super Bowl without the guidance of general manager Brett Veach.

Kansas City started four rookies against the Bengals in last week’s AFC title game. Another, Jaylen Watson, made a one-handed, game-saving interception against Jacksonville in the divisional round the week before.

Watson was drafted in the seventh round last spring. Sound familiar?

It should. But before we get to Brad Holmes and his late-round finds for the Detroit Lions, let’s mention the job Howie Roseman did in building the Eagles.

Not only did he and his scouting staff see star potential in Hurts, whom they selected in the second round in 2020, but Roseman has hit on Dallas Goedert (2018 second round), DeVonta Smith (2021 first round) and Jordan Davis (2022 first round), among many others.


It’s natural to look at both teams, particularly Kansas City, and focus on the quarterback play and the level of coaching. And, again, neither team is where it’s at without those things.

Yet the Eagles have arguably the best overall roster in the league. And while the Chiefs aren’t as deep, or deeply talented in as many places, they’ve rebuilt their offensive and defensive lines and found players in all sorts of spots to keep a reasonable talent level around Mahomes.


When Veach and his front-office staff decided it was time to move on from Tyreek Hill, they decided not to go for a single high pick in the first round, or even another star player. They wanted multiple picks for Hill. And got them.

In exchange for Hill, the Miami Dolphins gave Kansas City its first-, second- and fourth-round picks last year and its fourth- and sixth-round picks this year. Those picks helped the Chiefs win a conference championship.

The Lions may not have had Hill to dangle, but they did have Matthew Stafford, who got even more in return than Hill. Holmes got two first-rounders and a third-rounder for Stafford.

Oh, and he got Jared Goff.

The Rams won the Super Bowl. Good for them. The trade worked.

It’s also working for the Lions, as Goff looks like an above-average starter and Jameson Williams, taken in last year’s draft after a trade using that Rams first-round pick, looks like a potential star. In two months, Holmes will get to use the other first-round pick from Los Angeles.

The faith in Holmes’ ability isn’t just tied to the Stafford trade though. It’s there because of what he’s done outside the first round, too.

This is Holmes’ time of the year. Goff felt the love late in the season. Dan Campbell has gotten his kudos — not that he cares — as well, and deservedly so.

It’s natural to focus on the quarterback-head coach combo when considering a team’s prospects, and it’s natural to think of the pairing when watching some of the game’s best do it this time of year.

So yes, Mahomes and Reid and Hurts and Sirianni are the faces of these franchises and have earned the praise and awards and trophies that may be coming their way. None of this happens, though, without the folks watching from above.



Veach and Roseman deserve a good chunk of the credit for overseeing two of the best rosters in the game. And for managing the draft — in Kansas City’s case — and free agency — in Philadelphia's case — as well as anyone else in the league.

The Lions appear to have a coach capable of making his own mark on a budding team; heck, he is a big reason the team is budding. And they appear to have a quarterback capable of leading the way.

They also have the person in the shadows orchestrating the build out, and that is as critical as anything else when teams make postseason runs.

Next Sunday night, either Hurts or Mahomes will hoist the trophy and stand next to their coach when they do it.

Eventually, the emcee of the postgame ceremony will call the front office man in charge over to the center of the confetti and honor them as well. Their role will have been essential.

And if Holmes turns out to be as essential as either Veach or Roseman, he may be standing near confetti one day, too.

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@shawnwindsor.

[whatever_gong82]

Which are the most (and least) miserable NFL fan bases? We ranked them all


8. Detroit Lions

Super Bowl appearances: 0
Conference championship appearances: 1 (0 in last 10 years)
Playoff appearances in the last 10 years: 2 (most recent 2016)
Playoff wins in the last 10 years: 0
Division titles in the last 10 years: 0
2022 results: 9-8

Coach Dan Campbell looks to have the Lions pointed in the right direction after they won eight of their last 10 games this season. Very little has gone right for this franchise, so it’s understandable that fans are feeling pretty good even after their team missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year.

[whatever_gong82]

An article from over the weekend:


Lions’ 2023 coaching staff taking shape, even as assistants attract NFL attention

By Colton Pouncy

Feb 4, 2023



When the Lions hired Dan Campbell, a little over two years ago now, there were skeptics of the move. He was a tight ends coach who had never been a coordinator. On a national level, he was known more for his sound bites than his X’s and O’s. Part of his strategy was to hire a number of assistants cut from the same cloth, former players who thought about the game the way he did. Aaron Glenn. Mark Brunell. Antwaan Randle El. Duce Staley. Kelvin Sheppard. Well-known names in NFL circles. At the same time, it was a little unconventional to see a staff filled the way his was in Detroit.

But if it worked? With this franchise? Best believe the Lions would catch the attention of teams around the league.

While they’re not quite there yet, Campbell and his staff have the Lions on track. Detroit tripled its win total from Year 1 to Year 2 under Campbell. The Lions became the third team in NFL history to finish the year with a winning record after starting 1-6. Campbell nearly took them to the playoffs in 2022. That’s the goal in 2023, along with with an NFC North title.

As a result, Campbell’s coordinators have interviewed for jobs with other teams this offseason. His running backs coach was just hired away. He’s making moves to prepare for future departures, while continuing to add former players who fit the mold of the unique staff he’s built in Detroit. Some things have changed. Others have stayed the same.

Let’s take a look at where things stand with Campbell’s staff amid this all-important offseason.



Ben Johnson is back, but what about Aaron Glenn?


Johnson went from unproven OC and relative unknown to a head coaching candidate who interviewed with three teams this offseason. Quite a rise for one of the best offensive minds in the game right now. But in the end, he’ll remain in Detroit for the 2023 season.

That’s excellent news for a Lions team that expects to compete next season. Johnson oversaw a top-five offense and helped Jared Goff get his groove back. He’ll now get to spend an offseason devising all the different ways he can use a healthy Jameson Williams in this offense.

But what about his defensive counterpart? While Johnson received all the headlines, Glenn is still interviewing for jobs. He made it to the second round of the Arizona Cardinals coaching search and also interviewed with the Indianapolis Colts twice. It might sound strange on the surface, considering Detroit’s defensive ranks under Glenn, but he’s a well-respected coach who has been in this business for quite some time. The fact that he’s getting multiple looks — and multiple interviews — without a top-five unit speaks to that. He’s Campbell’s right-hand man and one of the tone-setters on staff.

If Glenn returns and the Lions invest in their defense this offseason, it wouldn’t be shocking to see his unit build on its second-half showing. From Week 9 through the end of the season, the Lions’ defense allowed just 20.2 points per game — good for 11th in that span. Over the course of a full season, that would’ve ranked eighth in the NFL. That was done largely with rookies and low-budget veterans.

Right now, it still feels like this all ends with both coordinators back for another year. Having teams interested in your coordinators speaks to the health of a franchise. How many times has that been true of the Lions in recent years?



Duce Staley’s departure


It’s not just the coordinators getting outside looks. Staley, Detroit’s assistant head coach/running backs coach, is off to Carolina to join Frank Reich’s Panthers staff.

Staley was considered a strong get when Campbell lured him out of Philadelphia in 2021. He had spent eight years there as a player and another 10 on staff as an assistant. The “Hard Knocks” crew was able to capture just how involved Staley was. As the assistant head coach, Staley spoke with local media every week — much like a coordinator. He was often a bridge between the locker room and the staff. Campbell relied on him to tell it how it is, which is the only way Staley knows how to operate. He could relate to his players because he has been in their shoes, while also knowing when to push when he didn’t think his guys were playing to their potential. He was a key voice on staff.

Some names who might fit in Detroit as the new running backs coach: former Panthers RBs coach Jeff Nixon, former Lions RB and current Miami Hurricanes RBs coach Kevin Smith and Saints RBs coach Joel Thomas.


New hires


The Lions announced a pair of hirings Thursday: Former NFL tight end and Arizona Cardinals assistant Steve Heiden will coach tight ends, and former Pro Bowl Lions cornerback and North Carolina assistant Dré Bly will coach cornerbacks. A couple of very on-brand hires for Campbell.

Heiden spent 11 years playing for the San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns, retiring after the 2009 season. He joined the Cardinals as assistant tight ends coach from 2013-17, before becoming offensive line coach in 2018. For the past three seasons, he’s coached tight ends in Arizona.

Campbell and Heiden have had very similar careers. They’re both 6-foot-5 tight ends. They were both selected in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft (Heiden was drafted 10 spots ahead of Campbell). Both spent at least 10 years in the league. And they both became NFL tight end coaches. They’ll now work together in Detroit.

Bly, meanwhile, needs no introduction. A 1999 second-round pick and a two-time Pro Bowler, the fit is an obvious one. Campbell parted ways with former DBs coach Aubrey Pleasant at midseason and was in the market for a replacement. Campbell and Bly were members of the 2006 Lions, and crossed paths again in 2017 with the Saints. That year, Campbell was the tight ends coach, while Bly was a minority coaching intern during the preseason. For the past three seasons, Bly has been coaching cornerbacks at North Carolina, where he was a two-time All-American. Now, he’s back in Detroit.


Campbell is always quick to point out that being a former NFL player is not a prerequisite to joining his staff. He wants people he trusts who know the game and can communicate it well to players. Campbell surely believes Heiden and Bly fit that mold.


Is Tanner Engstrand the next man up?


Heiden’s addition leads to a natural question: What now for Engstrand, Detroit’s tight ends coach in 2022?

An added bonus of Johnson’s return is that the Lions have a chance to develop a potential in-house successor. That very well may be Engstrand. When Johnson was interviewing for jobs this offseason, Engstrand felt like a very real candidate to step in as Lions OC. He got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant under Jim Harbaugh at San Diego, eventually working his way up to offensive coordinator. He joined the NFL ranks in 2020 with the Lions and was retained when Campbell took over. He was an offensive assistant during the 2021 season before taking over the tight end room, as Johnson became OC. He was also named Detroit’s passing game coordinator — a title he still holds.

On the surface, a move like this allows Engstrand to work directly with Johnson and Campbell on the offensive game plan, without him also needing to oversee an entire position group. Heiden can handle the tight ends, while Engstrand focuses on the passing game and spends a year picking Johnson’s brain. If Johnson lands a head coaching gig a year from now, the Lions probably wouldn’t have to look too far to find his successor. They could be molding Engstrand.

It’s never a bad thing to prepare for the future. It’s what smart organizations do.

Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy

[whatever_gong82]

New Detroit Lions RBs coach/assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery wants to be NFL OC

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions have a new running backs coach — and a new potential in-house replacement for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, should they need one a year from now.

The Lions are hiring Scottie Montgomery as their new running backs coach and assistant head coach, NFL Network reported Monday.

Montgomery spent the past two seasons as running backs coach with the Indianapolis Colts and told reporters this winter he wants to be an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

"Of course I want to be a coordinator in this league,” Montgomery said, via the Indianapolis Star. “I think that’s pretty evident around the league. People know that. But I also know there’s a lot that goes with having the responsibility of the room that I have.”

Johnson established himself as one of the best offensive play callers in the league this season, when the Lions ranked fifth in the NFL in points scored and fourth in total yards. He interviewed for three head coaching vacancies last month, with the Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Colts, but pulled his name out of the running for all three jobs.

One of three finalists for NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, Johnson should continue to generate head coaching interest as long as the Lions remain strong on offense.

Montgomery, a former NFL receiver who caught 16 passes in parts of three seasons with the Denver Broncos, interviewed for the Panthers offensive coordinator job this offseason and has a wide range of coaching experience on the offensive side of the ball.

He coached wide receivers at Duke, when Johnson was a walk-on quarterback at North Carolina, and with the Pittsburgh Steelers; returned to Duke as associate head coach and offensive coordinator; went 9-26 in three seasons as head coach at East Carolina; and was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Maryland before returning to the NFL in 2021.

With the Colts, Montgomery worked closely with Jonathan Taylor and Indianapolis' second-ranked rushing attack (149.4 ypg) in 2021. Taylor missed six games with ankle injuries this season and the Colts fell to 23rd in the NFL in rushing offense (109.8 ypg).



Montgomery replaces Duce Staley, who left for a job in Carolina, on the Lions staff. He is the third assistant Lions coach Dan Campbell has added this offseason, and all three have previous NFL playing experience.

New tight ends coach Steve Heiden played 11 NFL seasons at tight end and was taken 10 picks before Campbell in the 1999 draft. And new cornerbacks coach Dre Bly made two Pro Bowls in four seasons with the Lions.



Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions find Duce Staley replacement, hiring Scottie Montgomery as RB coach

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions moved quickly to find a replacement for Duce Staley. The team is hiring former Colts running backs coach Scottie Montgomery to fill the void on the team's coaching staff, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

The news was first reported by the NFL Network.

Montgomery, a former NFL wide receiver, played three seasons with the Denver Broncos after going undrafted out of Duke in 2000. After finishing his playing career in the Arena Football League in 2005, he joined his alma mater's coaching staff as a wide receivers coach in 2006.

Montgomery remained at Duke for three years before taking the same title with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, briefly coaching current Lions receivers coach Antwaan Randle El in 2010.


After three seasons with the Steelers, Montgomery returned to Duke once again to serve as coach David Cutcliffe's assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. His success in that role led to a head-coaching opportunity at East Carolina from 2016-18.

Fired from that school after three seasons, Montgomery spent two years as Maryland's offensive coordinator before returning to the NFL with the Colts in 2021. There, he coached the running-back position for the first time in his career.

Like Staley, Montgomery will also carry the assistant head coach title in Detroit. Staley was recently permitted by the Lions to depart for a coaching role with Montgomery's former boss in Indianapolis, Frank Reich.

Under Montgomery, and led by All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor, the Colts averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2021, topping the NFL. That figure dipped to 4.3 yards per carry with Taylor battling injuries that limited him to 11 games and 192 carries in 2022.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Also note that Mr. Baker played with Brad Holmes' uncle, Luther Bradley back in the day.

'Dead man' rushing: Lions' Houston follows footsteps, emulates sack king 'Bubba' Baker

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News


Allen Park — It was the week following his debut, after James Houston had introduced himself to the world with two sacks in five snaps during the Detroit Lions' annual Thanksgiving Day game.

With that kind of production, the team wasted little time loosening the grip on the figurative leash. Houston, admittedly raw, still wasn't ready to be thrust into a full-time role, but five snaps weren't going to cut it going forward, either. So, with the Jacksonville Jaguars coming to town, the workload more than doubled.

And just like on Thanksgiving, the impact was instantaneous. On Houston's first play on the field, late in the opening quarter, he bent around left tackle Cam Robinson and laid a hit on Trevor Lawrence just as the ball left the quarterback's hand.

Houston couldn't have done much more. He looked as if he was shot out of a cannon on the snap and wasted next to no motion turning the corner, but the play design had the ball out quickly. Still, it was a sign of things to come, and when the Jaguars were trying to put some points on the board at the end of the first half, desperately attempting to stave off the coming blowout, Houston got home with emphasis.

The sack was arguably the most memorable of the eight Houston racked up in the final seven games of the season. Standing up in a wide alignment, Houston took two strides toward Robinson, as the tackle tried to cut off the angle with his kick slide. Then came the changeup, as Houston slowed his feet with a giant skip step. Robinson paused, unsure of what was coming, so when the rookie defender slammed on the gas as both feet hit the turf, the lineman had no shot of recovering.

Houston got the corner with ease, obliterating Lawrence to end the half.

The move to get to the quarterback was as unorthodox as it was jaw-dropping, but it wasn't something concocted in the spur of the moment. It had been taught, practiced, and in this instance, executed to perfection.

Months earlier, the rush concept was introduced during a film session with retired Pro Bowler Chuck Smith, a guru with 20 years of experience training and teaching the art of the pass rush. As part of his mission to develop and mold many of the league's top rushers, he's been dipping into the vault to bring back techniques he feels have been lost to time.

In this instance, Houston both emulated and evolved a move known as the "dead man," which had been the result of a happy accident 44 years earlier for another Detroit Lions rookie, Al "Bubba" Baker.


'The dead man'


The Lions had high hopes for Baker when they drafted him in the second round out of Colorado State in 1978, but no one could have anticipated the impact he'd have as a young NFL player.

Sacks were four years away from being recognized as an official stat when Baker entered the league, but while the number remains uncertified, video research has verified he racked up an NFL single-season record 23.0 sacks as a rookie. And while he never was able to match that total again, he remained highly productive throughout his 13-year career, topping double-digits on six occasions and bringing down the quarterback behind the line 131 total times.

Baker's play was a mix of cerebral, athletic and violent. He always had a pre-snap plan, which started with strong get-off and ended with a desire to punish the quarterback. In between those two actions, he had an array of pass-rush moves. One of his favorites was an arm-over technique, which he borrowed from another legendary pass rusher from that era, Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood.

Baker practiced the arm-over religiously, and not just on the football field. He performed it on his mailbox at home, parking meters, his wife and even his children. Mastery came through repetition, and for it to be used effectively, the timing had to be as close to perfect as possible.

Baker was always looking for ways to disrupt the timing of an opposing offensive tackle, and in the preseason of his rookie season, he stumbled into a technique he'd wind up incorporating into his repertoire for the remainder of his career.

As he did that and every snap, Baker burst off the line, but in his peripheral he saw the ball hit the ground as the result of a bobbled snap. He momentarily paused to assess the situation, causing the offensive tackle to do the same. But when Baker noticed the QB had been able to scoop the ball back up and resume his drop back, the defender re-accelerated, easily besting the confused blocker.

In that moment, a light bulb came on.

"I thought, 'What the heck?' This is what a young pass rusher needs to understand: the offensive lineman doesn't know where the quarterback is," Baker told The Detroit News. "I said, 'Oh, my God, I never thought about it that way.' They're used to taking their kick-step — one, two, three — and then putting their hands on you. I stopped, looked at the ball, the tackle stopped, and I just blew right by him.

"I said, 'Oh, man, let me try this in practice with (former Lions offensive tackle) Karl Baldischwiler one-on-one," Baker continued. "First time I did it, he just stopped. And they're so big. They want to kick-step and want to cut you off. If you throw that move in with games and stunts you're running, they're looking for that stuff, so if you learn how to set a guy up, and build things up, that move can work."

For Baker, it was another move for the arsenal, something to be set up through the course of the game. And although Smith comped it to an off-speed pitch, Baker had a different, more violent analogy.


"The dead man, in particular, it's like Mike Tyson's uppercut," Baker said. "You hit the guy in the side, bend him over and you uppercut him and try to tear his head off. It's a knockout move on third-and-long or second-and-long."



Another 'Silver Rush'


Place the rushes side-by-side and Baker and Houston's don't look identical. The body types are different, as is how they change speeds, but there's an undeniable element of symmetry, just like there's overlap with the way their careers started in Detroit.


Unofficial or not, Baker set sack records as a rookie. So did Houston, albeit with a far smaller sample size. Since 1982, when the stat became recognized, no player has recorded 8.0 sacks through six games like the sixth-rounder out of Jackson State did this past season.

After his retirement in 1990, Baker lost interest in football. He moved on to other ventures, most notably an appearance on "Shark Tank," where he pitched and got an investment for his Bubba Q boneless ribs. More recently, he's been writing and providing the art for a soon-to-be-released graphic novel.


But, when Baker's sack record started getting acknowledgment in 2021, leading to a piece with the NFL Network, he was drawn back to the game. Like many NFL fans, he loved the Red Zone channel and the recent resurgence of the Lions hasn't gone unnoticed.

Houston, in particular, caught Baker's eye.

"Right away, I could see James Houston is really special," Baker said.

And while he doesn't claim to be a professional scout, he believes the Lions are a penetrating defensive tackle away from really causing nightmares for opposing offensive coordinators.

"They have the makings of another Silver Rush, and maybe even something better," Baker said, referencing the nickname of Detroit's dominant front four from his playing days. "They have to be able to occupy (the middle), like Curley Culp did when he came for us in '80. I loved him because he shortened the corner.

"...They just need one more big man who can do both — stop the run and rush the passer," Baker said. "I'm talking about a guy that pushes that pocket back. I think if they do that, they can be better than the Silver Rush, because they've got the two pieces, the most difficult pieces to find."


Continuing the rise


Reaching the heights of the Silver Rush, a front four led Baker, Doug English, William Gay and Dave Pureifory that struck fear into quarterbacks in the late 70s and early 80s, would be a welcomed change for Detroit's pass rush. After struggling to affect the quarterback for years, the signs of a resurgence in 2022 were undeniable.

The team's 39 sacks marked a 30% increase from the previous season and the Lions ranked in the top 10 in pressure rate. The continued improvement of Aidan Hutchinson, a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year, feels like a given. Houston, despite bursting onto the scene at the end of last season, is still something of an unknown.


At his year-end press conference, Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who, like Houston, played on the defensive line for an HBCU, share the emotion of seeing the rookie's first sack come on his first snap. But, Holmes was careful to avoid superlatives when talking about Houston's future.

"It's not out of the realm to say that he has starter-level traits and abilities; rather, he'll become that, but I think he's got the ability to be as good as he wants to be, and I've got a lot of faith in that because I know how he wants to work," Holmes said. "We've had a lot of conversations, going back to training camp on things he needs to work on, and, I mean, he is always just like, 'Yes, sir. No, sir.' Really smart kid, and all of that production you saw, I couldn't tell you how many times he was after practice in that indoor or outside (facility) just working on his craft, just working on his craft."

Houston has no intention of easing up or resting on his laurels. He's intending to work with multiple coaches this offseason, including Smith, one of his disciples Javon Gopie (known as "The Sack Sensei") and Brandon (B.T.) Jordan, who, after years of private tutoring, was hired by Michigan State last year.

"I feel like I haven't perfected anything," Houston said. "I'm just really working on adding everything into my arsenal right now. I don't have anything where it's like, 'This is my move.' I just have to continue to work and continue to elevate those moves so that they work almost every time I use them."

Smith, who played with Houston's college coach, Deion Sanders, in Atlanta, is eager to continue the development the two started with a seven-week draft-prep course last offseason.

"James Houston, in seven weeks, he never turned down the work. It's hard and he put in the work," Smith told The News. "What I told him in my first lesson: 'You're like the Transformer, Optimus Prime. You can transform into a Mike, Will, Sam, edge. If you need to be on the line on third down, you can rush, hand in the dirt (or) standing up.

"With pass rush, it starts with developing movements," Smith said. "When I'm talking about movement, I'm talking to him about learning to use his bend and be under control, where you can take guys inside, take them outside. I want him to see pass rush differently, to understand, 'I've got good bend, I'm an athlete, but let me add some skill in there, learning how to set up moves. Understanding when I'm in a two-point stance, what foot I should push off from,' teaching James the proper angles you take toward the offensive linemen, explaining that it's a learned knowledge and your athleticism can only take you so far."


Finding a comp



So far, those lessons, combined with the knowledge Houston received from Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and position coach Todd Wash, seem to be taking hold.

And Houston's sudden production has led to some fun comparisons. Glenn and Wash have mentioned Yannick Ngakoue, another undersized but productive edge rusher Wash previously coached in Jacksonville. And Holmes said he saw a passing resemblance to Robert Quinn, who racked up the majority of his 102.0 career sacks when he and Holmes were both with the Rams.

Smith, who has been around as many edge rushers as anyone, boasting a current clientele list of 96 NFL players, paused to reflect when asked his thought on who Houston resembled. Smith didn't agree with the Ngakoue comp, having worked with that player since his time at the University of Maryland.

At first, Smith equated the movement and skill set overlap with a future Hall of Famer, before settling on a familiar name locally, former University of Michigan standout Josh Uche. He racked up 11.5 sacks in his third season with New England in 2022.

"I think with some of the moves James is using right now, I'd more compare him to a smaller version of Von Miller," Smith said. "What I'm saying is Von uses speed and quick change-of-direction moves. I'm not saying he's Von, or he'll become Von, but the types of moves he's using have to deal with speed, bend and change of direction, like Von.

"James is going to use those kinds of skills," Smith said. "He's not going to be using a ton of power, like you see with Hutchinson with strike moves and swimming off those. From that standpoint, he's more like Von or Josh Uche from New England."

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Uche also uses Baker's 'dead-man' move after learning it through Smith.

And there's definitely a little bit of Baker in Houston, too. The Lions legend might have been bigger than Houston, but he had that same instant acceleration.

"I could beat (former Lions running backs) Dexter (Bussey) and Billy Sims for the first 10 yards (of a sprint)," Baker said.

Houston will spend this offseason refining his techniques, trying to build consistency and reach the next level, whatever that may be. What does leveling up look like after 8.0 sacks in 140 snaps? I quip, asking if he's going to rewrite the record books with 30 sacks in a starting role.

Teammate Jameson Williams, the speedy rookie receiver whose locker butts against Houston's, snickered at the comment.

"He just might."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[froot loops]

I said when Houston started racking ul the sacks that it reminded me of Bubba Baker even though their body type is much different.

[chemiclord]

Houston has that sort of acceleration from a dead stop that will always give OTs fits as long as he has that burst.

Couple that with some technique and some situational awareness and he may very well become an every down starter.

Because while he gets to the QB well, opponents will feast on that aggressiveness if it isn't tempered with awareness. Maybe Houston is fine on that score... but the Lions really didn't put him in those positions for us to see.

That's one thing that astonished me with Hutchinson, his ability, even as a rookie, to slow the game down in his head and be where he needed to be.