Lions News

[Futureshock]

Mostly what was written locally...

Alim McNeill: “Almost like we’re playing Madden” with offseason moves

Posted by Josh Alper on April 19, 2023, 7:02 AM EDT

Getty Images

The Lions kicked off their offseason program this week, which gave returning members of the team a chance to meet up with some of their new teammates for the first time.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill has seen a number of those new faces on the defensive side. The Lions signed defensive backs Emmanuel Moseley, Cam Sutton, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson while also holding onto the likes of Isaiah Buggs, John Cominsky and Alex Anzalone in their front seven.

McNeill said it’s “almost like we’re playing Madden” in reference to the team’s offseason maneuvering and shared his belief that the returning pieces will mesh well with the new players in Aaron Glenn’s defense.

“Oh, I think we can be a ton better,” McNeill said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Just getting another year under A.G. as well and adding pieces, adding dogs like that, that have been through other places and already know what’s going on, they’ve got experience, they’ve seen it all. And just to be able to add them to the fire, I think it’ll be pretty good.”

The Lions probably aren’t done bolstering their defense. They have five picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft and it’s a good bet that some of those selections will be used to add even more talent to a group that already has McNeill thinking about big things.

[ghandi]

Who knows they might be drafting his replacement.......

[Futureshock]

Running partner

[Futureshock]

Local media doesn't have anything better to ask. This talk is at least a year early. Idjits


Jared Goff, Lions have yet to enter negotiations on an extension

Posted by Charean Williams on April 18, 2023, 9:58 PM EDT

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Lions quarterback Jared Goff has two years remaining on the four-year, $134 million extension he signed in September 2019. He was viewed as a bridge quarterback when he arrived in the trade with the Rams.

Now?

The Lions, who hold the sixth and 18th picks in the draft, have not ruled out selecting a quarterback in the first round. But they could see Goff as their long-term answer, which is why he was asked Tuesday about whether the sides have begun talks on an extension.

They haven’t yet, but Goff is ready to talk when the Lions are.

“I mean, of course you’d be open,” Goff said, via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News. “It hasn’t been brought to my attention, but yeah, of course open to anything. Not up to me. I’m a player. I don’t have to make those decisions. And if I did, I would have made that decision a long time ago: Give me and all my friends all the money in the world. But I just get to play, and if that comes about, that’d be great. But we’ll see.”

Goff, 28, has cap hits of $31 million and $31.7 million over the next two seasons, reasonable for a starting quarterback. His annual salary of $33.5 million now ranks 12th among quarterbacks.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts soon will sign the richest contract in NFL history by annual average at $51 million per season as quarterback salaries continue to rise.

“That’s how the league goes,” Goff said. “Guy gets paid, and then 10 more guys get paid, you’re toward the bottom. Hopefully, [you sign again], and things go like this. Yeah, hopefully I can play for a long time, play in this league, win games, win championships, and the money and the contract all comes with that. But just enjoying your time in the present, enjoying the people around you and your teammates, is the most important thing. All that will come. And congrats to Jalen.”

Goff passed for 4,438 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2022 with Ben Johnson calling the plays, earning his third career Pro Bowl.

[Futureshock]

BTW, I remember when MS was making $30 (and even before) people were b!tching he was making too much.

[Futureshock]

Also, JG is a class act.

[Mainevent]

You know you are deep into the offseason when you get the "this player has changed their diet" articles.

[froot loops]

Yep

[ghandi]

You know you are deep into the offseason when you get the "this player has changed their diet" articles.

It would be funny if Alim showed up to camp at 280 pounds, thats assuming they dont draft Kancey.....

[Futureshock]

IDK if he needs to lose any weight. Alim is known to be very athletic for a big guy. At one point he used to play RB. I think he will continue to hone his craft and get stronger. He absolutely had a great game against the Giants. They had very little answers for him.

[El Axe]

This is someone with too much time on his hands, but still a fun watch if you like LOTR

[whatever_gong82]

Addition of running back David Montgomery excites Lions: 'He's a baller'

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News

Allen Park — A couple days into the team's first set of organized activates, Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker had yet to meet David Montgomery. Still, the new running back's reputation was preceding him.


"Obviously, I know of him from his time in Chicago," Decker said. "I mean, the guy is a playmaker. Durable, a lot of carries, strong. I've seen our guys try to tackle him, and it's gonna be fun to see that kind of 1-2 punch (with D'Andre Swift). I've seen it from the opposite perspective of what he can do and it's going to be fun for us as a line to be able to try and get that guy to the second level.

"I haven't even met yet but I've heard that he's kind of the guy that — he's got like a productive paranoia about him. That's kind of what I've heard. He's always trying to be responsible with discipline, professional, always trying to find a way to get better. That's what I've heard from a coach that I know that was in Chicago. Does it surprise me that we signed a guy like that? No. It sounds like personality-wise and mindset, he is the cookie cutter for what we want here."


Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown got to know Montgomery a little bit last year through his brother Equanimeous, who played with the running back in Chicago. The three, along with Lions running back Jermar Jefferson, would link up and play video games together during the season.

Equanimeous also provided an encouraging scouting report on what the Lions are getting in Montgomery.


"I had already talked to David before and my brother told me, he’s been doing crazy stuff in practice, the jukes he does, like, you just can’t tackle him," St. Brown said. "So I already knew he was that guy, and then we played him and watched his tape and you see David out there. He’s a baller. I’m excited to see what he does."



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions notes: Detroit's offseason moves on defense generating buzz

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News

Allen Park — After the Lions finished last season as the NFL's worst defensive team, general manager Brad Holmes vowed to make offseason upgrades to the unit. He started that process in free agency, inking three likely starters for the team's secondary, while bringing back several key pieces at other spots.


Defensive tackle Alim McNeill compared the team's approach to a video game.


"It's like we're playing 'Madden,'" McNeill said. "We're adding some pieces, for sure. I'm excited to see what we can do. It's going to be crazy. Just want to see how everybody, we jell together. It's been exciting to see. I can't wait."


It's the time of year where optimism is running high for all 32 of the league's franchises, but maybe more so for the Lions after finishing the previous season winning eight of the final 10 games. With the defense, specifically, there's nowhere to go but up.


"I think we can be a ton better," McNeill said. "Just getting another year under (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn), as well. And adding pieces, adding dogs like that, that have been through other places and already know what's going on. They've got experience, they've seen it all. Then just to be able to add them into the fire? I think it'll be pretty good."

Those defensive additions have Detroit's offensive players excited, as well.


"I already know it’s an upgrade," wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. "I can tell just who we have watching some of those guys work already. I’m excited to see what our defense does."

Quarterback Jared Goff expects the ramped up competitiveness on the practice field to make everyone better.

"The overall competition is going to be fun, man," Goff said. "It’s going to be really fun. "(Cam) Sutton, (Emmanuel) Moseley and C.J. (Gardner-Johnson), the three that we’ve added are three good veteran players who have had really good success and will come with leadership skills and the ability to push people, not only on their side of the ball but certainly on our side of the ball. It’ll be fun. I’m sure it’ll be chippy at times in camp and that’s always fun. I’m excited to compete with them."



Mum's the word


As fans soak up every tidbit of information attempting to decipher Detroit's plans in the upcoming draft, it's worth a reminder the team doesn't always tip its hand.

In 2021, McNeill barely had any contact with the Lions leading up to the draft.


"Actually, I had only talked to the Lions once," he said. "It was like way early in the process. After that, I never spoke to them again."

St. Brown had a similar experience.

"I didn’t talk to Brad at all," St. Brown said. "I actually just had a Zoom meeting with (wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle) El. I remember that one. It was a brief 30 minutes. That was it. I had no idea the Lions were going to select me. But I think that’s what it is for most guys in the draft. Unless you’re a top-five pick, you probably don’t know where you’re going."

continued..

[whatever_gong82]

International flavor


Despite reports to the contrary, the Lions are still in the mix to play internationally next season. The team's road matchup against Kansas City remains in consideration for one of the league's contests to be held in Germany.

St. Brown, who has a German mother and speaks the language fluently, is keeping his fingers crossed.


"I wish we (could). I hope we do," St. Brown said. "I don’t know. I heard we’re not. I heard we might still be able to, but I’m not ruling anything out until it’s official."

Whether or not the Lions get the call to go overseas in 2023, the team is expected to be on national television more frequently than just its annual Thanksgiving game. The league has yet to announce its schedule release date, but it has come out in the first half of May the past few years.



New numbers


Detroit's offseason additions have been assigned uniform numbers. They are as follows:

▶ Marvin Jones, No. 0

▶ Gardner-Johnson, No. 2

▶ Moseley, No. 4

▶ Montgomery, No. 5

▶ Sutton, No. 6

▶ Jalen Reeves-Maybin, No. 42

▶ Jake McQuaide, No. 50

▶ Graham Glasgow, No. 60



Family feud


St. Brown and Gardner-Johnson recently filmed an episode of "Family Feud," where the two teammates met for the first time.

"My agent just told me that 'Family Feud' would like to have me on and I was like, 'Sure,'" St. Brown said. "Then I found out he was going to be on it. Once we got there, I met him, we talked, cool dude. He did a good job, so you’re gonna have to watch him. He did a really good job."

"Family Feud" airs locally on CBS 62. A run date for this year's NFL episode has yet to be announced.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[Cody_Russell]

https://www.youtube.com/live/Tj3nMQxjIho?feature=share

This is someone with too much time on his hands, but still a fun watch if you like LOTR

Amon-Ra St.Brown to Legolas is an obvious comparison.