Lions News

[jaadam4]

I do find it funny how much (and how little) that actually says.

Holmes isn't going into this draft looking for Goff's replacement. That said, no one outside of the dumbest of the "the NFL is a game of one-on-one between two QBs" would expect him to draft a QB that immediately replaced Goff anyway. It's a statement that conveys confidence in Goff, yet leaves Holmes open to still take his shot if he sees someone he thinks is "the guy." It also keeps that seed of doubt in other team's minds that they should call someone else if a QB they desire drops to #6.

Holmes plays the GM game pretty well.

That’s exactly how I read that as well. Holmes is really smart dude not just playing one like Quinn.

[whatever_gong82]

I've got 6 articles that I'm going to post in the Lions Forum thread. This is the first, from yesterday.


Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes: 'I don't think the cupboard's bare on defense'

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


INDIANAPOLIS — Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell spent about 20 minutes each with reporters at the NFL combine Wednesday, discussing the draft, free agency and their plans for the offseason. Here are highlights from their sessions:


Sticking with the plan


Holmes reiterated what he said immediately after the season, that despite having more salary cap room and resources to impact their roster this offseason, the Lions will not veer far from the path that's got them to this point That means building through the draft, making prudent offseason additions and trying to re-sign some of their own free agents.

One unrestricted free agent that Holmes acknowledged the Lions are interested in re-signing is running back Jamaal Williams, who had a career-high 1,066 yards rushing last season and led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns.


"We're having discussions now currently," Holmes said. "We had discussions with all of our upcoming UFAs that were on expiring deals, but there's a mutual interest to hopefully get him back and then we still got (D'Andre) Swift under contract (at running back)."


Sudden impact?


Both Holmes and Campbell downplayed the notion the Lions must sign an impact defensive player in free agency this spring. The Lions tied for 28th in the NFL in points allowed last season and finished last in total defense, and they enter the offseason with needs at all three levels.

Lions president Rod Wood told the Free Press on Monday that there were "a couple (free agents) that we’re interested in that could get franchise tags," which means the Lions could target a top defensive tackle, off-ball linebacker or cornerback, but Holmes said the Lions' defensive outlook is better than it appears statistically.


"We had drafted six defensive players last year and five of those six guys, they end up playing some key roles for us but they were rookies," Holmes said. "So you can look at the number of, yeah, we don't want to be in the bottom five of the rushing and passing yards categories, but I will say the way we finished winning eight of our last 10 and seeing those guys grow together and learn how to play winning football, I think it shows. So I don't think the cupboard’s bare on defense just like you look at the overall ranking. But I think we got some good young players that show that they can really help us going forward."

To Holmes' point, five rookies — Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Josh Paschal, Malcolm Rodriguez and Kerby Joseph — played significant defensive snaps late in the season, and Hutchinson, Rodriguez and Joseph were full-time starters. All are expected back in key roles this fall, and if they make the baseline improvements you'd expect from NFL players in their second season that could bode well for the Lions defense.


Who's QB2?


One area the Lions will be actively addressing this offseason, Holmes indicated, is the backup quarterback spot.

The Lions have neglected the backup quarterback position the past two seasons while focusing on other areas of their roster. In 2021, Tim Boyle and David Blough served as backups, with Boyle going 0-3 as a fill-in starter for Jared Goff. Last year, when Boyle and Blough struggled in training camp, the Lions were left to sign Nate Sudfeld after he was released by the San Francisco 49ers.


Whether it's free agency (where Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and Case Keenum are among the top backups on the market), the draft or both, expect the Lions to upgrade their No. 2 quarterback spot this offseason.

"I feel like last year we kind of left training camp kind of sliding into home plate trying to fill that backup quarterback role and that's on me," Holmes said. "I’ve got to do a better job of making sure that we're not in that position again, so that is something that we're going to need to address, whether it's here in free agency or upcoming in the draft. But that’s something that we've had a lot of conversations about, but I’ve got to do a better job of making sure we get that rectified."



Best player available


Holmes typically avoids talking in absolutes because he does not want to be "anchored" to a position, so it's no surprise he left the door open Wednesday to drafting a quarterback in the first round at No. 6 or 18.

But the chances of that happening are minute.

The Lions are very happy with Goff's development as starting quarterback and the season he had in 2022. For all the outside speculation about whether the Lions will take a young developmental quarterback to groom as Goff's eventual replacement, that seems highly unlikely.

“I’ve been pretty clear about, and I’ve had these conversations with Jared," Holmes said. "Look, we love Jared, he's our starter, he's our guy going into (2023), but we don't have anything behind him. I thought Nate did a nice job when we got him, but he’s a UFA as well. So again, we got to make sure that we address everything again, whether it’s free agency and through the draft. But yeah, it could very well be through the draft. Don’t know what's going to happen in free agency and not sure if some of those guys at the quarterback position in free agency might not be ready to make a decision at that point before the draft."



Coach can see it, too


While some NFL teams send few if any assistant coaches to the combine (and some head coaches skip the event, too), Campbell said he finds value for his entire staff to be in Indianapolis this week.

"Here's what we get from it," Campbell said. "Brad and them are, they're getting a true evaluation of these players, and they have for a while, but they're also getting the background. This is how this guy responds, this is how he grew up, this is the best way to teach, the best way to coach this player, all these things. And for us, it's all about football, man. What can we figure out in a short period of time as it pertains to the football side of things. Do they have instincts? Do they have awareness? How much information can they retain?"



Love for the game


One thing Campbell values in prospects is a true passion for football, and after meeting with 30 to 35 prospects the first few days of the combine, Campbell said he's only "checked marked four guys" that have that can't-live-without-it trait.

"To me they've got the 'it' factor," Campbell said. "Just when you sit in there and you hear them talk about football, there's a fire burning in them, man. They can't sit in their seat. They got to get up to talk. They got to tell you what's going on. This is how I think. And that, you can't fake that. When you have that you love ball and you'll eat and breathe and do anything for it, do anything for your teammates. Your uber competitive. ...

"You present them this mini-install before they get to the tape and taking notes, asking questions, and then, man, when you go they throw the sheet down. Because to them it's a competition, like I'm about to show you how good I can do this. I'm going to show you what I can retain, I'm going to show you that I understand what you're wanting me to do and and those guys are rare. If you can find those guys and they've got some ability which most guys here do, it's hard not to like them."



Waiting for Jamo


Holmes said having a fully healthy Jameson Williams this fall will be almost like adding a third first-round pick to the roster, albeit one with slightly more experience than a rookie.

"Obviously, we're expecting big things," Holmes said. "The goal when we originally drafted him, we didn't know really how much we were going to get out of him, but it was good to have him get some kind of game experience to kind of feel the speed of the game. But yeah, we're just going to continue to do everything that we need to do to make sure that he's set up to succeed. Jameson also has to hold his part and make sure that he's doing everything that he needs to do, so it's always an accountability factor on both sides, but we expect big things from him."

Williams played in just six games for the Lions last season coming off knee surgery. He finished with one catch on nine targets for 41 yards and a touchdown, and he ran for 40 yards on his only carry.



Clearing the cap


The Lions released Michael Brockers in a cost-cutting move last week, and Holmes said conversations are ongoing about other potential moves the Lions can make to create more cap space.

"We're still having discussions with players' agents and if we do need to do anything down the road then we will, if needed," Holmes said. "But we're going to try and do our best to keep the foundation that we have in place and keep the core in place. But obviously, that's a real thing, a true reality of the NFL, and it keeps a parity in place. So we'll have to make those decisions, but we're having those discussions now."

Among the players the Lions could approach to take pay cuts or have tough decisions to make on whether to move on are guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who missed all of last season following back surgery and is scheduled to make $9.4 million this fall, and defensive end Romeo Okwara, who has an $11 million base salary in the final year of his deal.




The one that got away


Holmes said the Lions "tried like hell" to keep college scouting director Dave Sears from leaving this offseason, but the opportunity to become assistant general manager of the Arizona Cardinals was too good for Sears to pass up.

Sears, who joined the Lions in 2007 and was the Lions' southeast regional scout, responsible for much of SEC country, before becoming director of college scouting in 2019. is good friends with new Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort.

"That was a big loss because Dave is, he's a really good person," Holmes said. "He's an elite evaluator, in my opinion. So that's a big loss, but we do have an assistant college director in Brian Hudspeth and then we'll just kind of make the right decision (on who replaces Sears) after the draft."

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

Combine time!

What: 2023 NFL scouting combine.

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis.

When: Today-Sunday.

TV: NFL Network — 3 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

On-field workout schedule: Thursday: DLs, LBs; Friday: DBs; Saturday: QBs, WRs, TEs; Sunday: RBs, OLs.

[whatever_gong82]

Dan Campbell: Assistants leaving tough to stomach, but Detroit Lions have 'chance to get better'

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Campbell let two of his assistant coaches make lateral moves to other teams this offseason, but their departures and other staff changes give the Detroit Lions a chance to be better in 2023, Campbell said Wednesday at the NFL combine.

The Lions replaced running backs coach/assistant head coach Duce Staley with Scottie Montgomery, are set to hire John Scott Jr. as Todd Wash's replacement as defensive line coach, added former Pro Bowl cornerback Dre Bly to the defensive staff and shuffled positions on offense with the departure of senior offensive assistant John Morton.

Campbell said Staley, Wash and Morton all left for family reasons, and letting them out of their contracts was "the right thing to do."

Staley and Wash joined Frank Reich's staff with the Carolina Panthers, while Morton accepted a promotion to be pass game coordinator under Sean Payton, his former boss, with the Denver Broncos. Staley is a South Carolina native and his mother is battling health problems.

"Listen, it’s tough. It is tough," Campbell said. "But at the same token, I want to — I want to know they're all here and when even a piece of them is not quite here, I don't think that's fair to them or us. And the other thing about it is I believe there's good coaches out there. You can find them. Now, you’ve got to work and you may have to turn over some rocks and go through a certain type of process, but you can find good coaches. And I believe that, and I believe we've done that."

Montgomery spent the past two seasons as running backs coach with the Indianapolis Colts and has a wide range of coaching experience on the offensive side of the ball.



A former NFL wide receiver, he coached the position at Duke 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.

Campbell said he interviewed Montgomery for the Lions offensive coordinator job last winter, when Ben Johnson got the job.

"I was impressed," Campbell said. "And that's why these interviews, it may not work out at the time, but, man, everything happens for a reason. And so to be able to acquire him as our running back coach/assistant head coach from the Colts, man, was big. So I think he's going to be an outstanding teacher. I think he's got a lot of versatility. He’s coached the receivers, he's coached running backs. He's been a head coach, he’s been a coordinator. He's worked with quarterbacks. So I just think that this is a talented coach, man, that's got a lot of wisdom. He's a motivator, energy. So we're happy to have him."



On the offensive side of the ball, the Lions also hired Steve Heiden as tight ends coach this offseason and moved Tanner Engstrand full-time to passing game coordinator after he served as tight ends coach/pass game coordinator last season.

Defensively, the Lions hired Bly to coach cornerbacks, promoted safeties coach Brian Duker to defensive backs coach, the role he served in the second half last season after the firing of Aubrey Pleasant, and have agreements in place to add Scott and ex-NFL head coach John Fox (as a senior defensive assistant) to the staff.

Campbell said Fox, who was defensive coordinator with the New York Giants when Campbell entered the NFL as a player in 1999 and went to Super Bowls as head coach with the Panthers and Broncos, will fill a role on defense similar to the one Morton had offensively last year, and to what Dom Capers had under coordinator Aaron Glenn in 2021.

"He's been out of it for about five years. He went back to Indy last year kind of in the same capacity, senior defensive assistant and, man, you could see the fire in him," Campbell said. "I mean, it was, it's impressive, man. He just, he misses the chess match, he misses preparing for an opponent and just worrying about defense. And so I think he's going to be great at helping A.G. just watch his blind spots, which is really what Johnny Mo' did for us on offense to help Ben out. So I think he'll be a great addition."


Briefly


Campbell said he was not surprised to see his old boss, Payton, back in the NFL after a one-year hiatus.

Payton went 152-89 and won one Super Bowl in 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He sat out last season, and was considered the top coach available in this year's hiring cycle.

"I felt like he just needed a breather," Campbell said. "He needed a change of scenery. I had a feeling he would be back. I didn't know when that was going to be, but I would say this: he looks rejuvenated. He definitely looks rejuvenated. So if anybody can get that thing turned around out there it's him."

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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' brass has a plan. It shouldn't include Jalen Ramsey.

Shawn Windsor

Detroit Free Press


Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have a plan. It shouldn’t include Jalen Ramsey, unless the Rams’ cornerback can convince his team’s front office to ship him to Detroit for a couple of sixth-round picks and then offer to pay half of his $25 million salary cap hit.

That’s ridiculous, right?

So is tying up that much money on a cornerback who will be 29 the second month of the season and entering, at best, the backside of his prime — cornerbacks have longer shelf lives than running backs, but they lose a step as they round 30.

Ramsey played well toward the back half of the season last year and, according to the numbers, finished with his second-best grade as a pro. Pro Football Focus had him as the NFL’s third-best cover corner in the league.


That his Rams missed the playoffs wasn’t his fault; Matthew Stafford didn’t play in eight games. But you know who graded as the top two cornerbacks? Sauce Gardner and Patrick Surtain II, neither of whom made the playoffs, either.

Again, it wasn’t their fault. Their teams, the Jets and Broncos respectively, had, uh, some issues, mainly that they couldn’t score.

This isn’t an argument against paying cornerbacks, or against cornerbacks in general: they are critical in balancing a defense and for coaches who hope to force a punt once in a while.

Superstar cornerbacks, however, are not critical.

Of the seven highest-graded CBs in the league, only one played in a conference title game — Charvarius Ward. And while he helped anchor the best defense in football, his team, the San Francisco 49ers, lost to Philadelphia in the NFC championship game because they couldn’t score points, because their starting quarterback got hurt.



Not that I’m advocating the Lions draft a quarterback. A backup? Absolutely, unless they are convinced they can find one in free agency.

Obviously, the Lions need help in the secondary, particularly at cornerback. They just don’t need one who grades out among the very best in the game.

That's a luxury, one that Kansas City and Philadelphia and Cincinnati didn’t have but found a way to play in the penultimate week of games anyway. What they did have was solid secondary play, sometimes better than solid, especially Philadelphia.

So, no, the Lions don’t need Jalen Ramsey. Not now. Not as they are this young and still building and not as long as Holmes and Campbell keep showing they can find talent all over the draft.

Maybe at some point a Ramsey-like player will be the missing piece. But not yet. The Lions need to get to the playoffs first. They need to win their division first. They need to show that the 8-2 finish last season wasn’t a one-off, that it was a beginning.



And if it was, then spending that kind of money on a player with maybe one more deep prime year doesn’t make sense.

Thankfully, Campbell seemed to agree Wednesday when asked how he and Holmes would try to improve the roster this off-season.

“Let’s find a guy that can serve a type of role for us,” he told reporters from the NFL combine in Indianapolis. “We don’t need to acquire these, ‘man, you’re paying the most for these guys because they’re rated the number one player in free agency at that position.’ We just need to get better. Let's just get better in an area we need to get better at and focus on that.”


As I said, he and Holmes have a plan. They want players to fit that plan, they want players who fit their locker room and meeting rooms and practice fields and game huddles.

Ramsey might fit just fine. He just doesn’t fit the timeline. Nor the pocketbook. Another cornerback in free agency might.



Surely a cornerback in the draft will. It’s a deep draft for corners. None of them may be the lockdown menace Ramsey can be. But the Lions don’t have to have a cornerback who will do that. The proof is in the playoff record.

So, no, the Lions don’t need to give up their first-round picks, unless they are moving them to improve their position for a player they crave or to move them for even more picks. Holmes and Campbell have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the draft.

They’ve also earned a bit of patience. Too many teams get impatient when they start to see a path like the Lions see now. They want to speed it up. They trade away either a piece of the future or flexibility for the future and wind up never getting there.




The Lions may not get there, either. The NFL is fickle like that. A few bad bounces at the end of the game — no one around here has to be told about goal post luck — a few injuries and suddenly the season implodes.

Ramsey won a Super Bowl with the Rams. But he joined a team that already played in a Super Bowl without him, and had made the playoffs, and had traded for a quarterback specifically to get to and win a Super Bowl.

Los Angeles’ front office knew its best players had a tight window and that many of them were near the edge of their primes. Ramsey fit that timeline.

He doesn’t fit the one here.

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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn content even if head coach jobs never materialize

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press



INDIANAPOLIS — It was a whirlwind two weeks for Ben Johnson, preparing for a Week 18 game that he thought could vault the Detroit Lions into the playoffs, deflatingly conducting player exit interviews when that didn't happen, then cramming to interview for three head coaching jobs in less than a week.

At one point, Johnson and his wife, Jessica, sat down to discuss their options and decided that, "You know, we’re happy where we are."

Johnson, the Lions' in-demand offensive coordinator, eventually pulled his name out of the running for head coaching vacancies with the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, where he was considered a front runner for the job, with the understanding that, even if another head coaching opportunity never arises - and more almost certainly will next year - he was right where he needed to be for now.

"There’s only 32 of the jobs, and I was honored that I had three requests come out," Johnson said. "Like I said, I did some due diligence on it, but I think some people — I can just speak on a personal level — some people, they really want to climb as fast as they can. I know particularly young coaches want to do that. That's not been the case for me, per say.


"I just, I want to be around football, I want to win football games, I want to be around good people. And that really, when I finally had a chance to step back and take a deep breath and look at it, that was the most important thing."

The Lions lost three key members of their coaching staff this offseason, with running backs coach/assistant head coach Duce Staley and defensive line coach Todd Wash making lateral moves to the Carolina Panthers for family reasons, and senior offensive assistant John Morton leaving to become pass game coordinator with his old boss, Sean Payton, and the Denver Broncos.




But they retained all three of their coordinators in Johnson, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, and that trio met with reporters Thursday at the NFL combine.

Glenn interviewed with the Colts and Arizona Cardinals this offseason, and had second interviews in both spots. Like Johnson, he said he was appreciative of the interviews but happy to be back in Detroit after he was passed over for both jobs.


"I went in it with the mindset of, 'I'm not trying to win the interview. I'm just trying to be myself. And either you like it or you don't. And if you like it, let's go. And if you don't, all good,'" Glenn said in his first public comments of the offseason. "Obviously, it was OK, because I got second interviews with these guys. But they were outstanding, they were. The fact that you can sit there and just talk about other things than Xs and Os — leadership, offense/defense philosophy, training room, training camp schedule and things like that. I thought it was outstanding."




Glenn has interviewed for five head coaching jobs the past three offseasons. Last year, he met with the Broncos and was runner-up for the New Orleans Saints job that went to Dennis Allen, and in 2020 he interviewed with the New York Jets.

At 50 years old, he should be a top candidate in next year's hiring cycle so long as the Lions remain competitive and their young defense improves.


"We'll see," Glenn said. "The thing is, man, I'm blessed to be in the position to be able to coach, in general. And I don't take that for granted, at all. There is a number of coaches, just take Leslie Frazier for example. I don't know what the whole situation was. But he's not coaching this year. And even with the other coaches that I've talked to — when you get out, you really miss it. Same as a player. You miss being in with the competition. You miss being around the players. I think it's the same as a coach also. Man, I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

Johnson, too, will be a top candidate next season. At 36, he's considered one of the league's bright, young offensive minds.




He admitted he had "no idea what I was getting into" with the interview process this year, and said going through the process once will help him be more ready for interviews next winter, and ultimately to succeed.

"If you have a spring, you have a summer, you have years to develop what you truly believe in, get it down on paper, the people you'd want to bring with you, which that's always changing as you're networking and you’re meeting more people," Johnson said. "I think those are the things that can, rather than starting from scratch, like I did, giving it just a little leg up, if there is another go-round. Nothing’s guaranteed. And that's OK. That's something my wife and I thought about. If that's the case, then we'll be at peace with it. I haven't lost any sleep or had any regrets doing what we did. We are, we’re very happy."

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

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' new RB coach Scottie Montgomery realizes dream of 'making it' in Detroit

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News


Indianapolis — If you're from Detroit, you're conditioned to be defensive about outside perceptions of the city. Those perceptions have admittedly shifted in a positive direction in recent years, but the lazy jokes and stereotypes never fully fade.

But, for new Detroit Lions running backs coach and assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery, this is where he has long dreamed of landing. It's a different perspective than one many of us know, but the North Carolina native has long idealized the city of Detroit as a symbol of Black success and a place he hoped to one day be.

"I will say this, growing up in the South, a lot of people say they want to go to New York, right?" Montgomery said. "'I want to go to New York. I want to go to L.A.' But growing up in the South, especially when you grew up in the working South as an African American, you made it (when) you made it to Detroit. Because all the images we had from Detroit were from families — and not making this about minority or not a minority — but African American families that were together, that were led by a mother and a father, and everybody was dressed so nice.


"... And then, the blue-collar aspect of it just makes it all better," Montgomery said. "So, we're blessed. My wife's family is from Detroit. So, we're blessed to come to a place we spent a lot of time anyway, but also the history of when I was a kid, thinking, 'Man, if I could just finally get to Detroit, it's going to all change. We won't have dirt roads, there will be streets, some nice cars, and maybe one day, we'll work for Ford, and we'll go from there.'"


Maybe it's not the original vision, but Montgomery is, in fact, working for the Ford family, who became the sole owner of the Lions in 1963. And it's a pairing that almost happened a year earlier, had the Lions not pegged talented, young upstart Ben Johnson to lead the team's offense last offseason.


Montgomery interviewed for that vacancy and impressed, immediately bonding with coach Dan Campbell because of their shared football philosophy during a four-hour interview. So, when Duce Staley departed this offseason for a position with the Carolina Panthers in order to be closer to his mother, Campbell was quick to call on Montgomery to fill the opening after he spent the past two seasons in Indianapolis with the Colts.

"To be able to acquire him as our running backs coach and assistant head coach from the Colts, man, it was big," Campbell said. "I think he's going to be an outstanding teacher, I think he's got a lot of versatility. He's coached receivers, he's coached running backs, he's been a head coach, he's been a coordinator, he's worked with quarterbacks, so, I just think this is a talented coach that's got a lot of wisdom. He's a motivator. We're happy to have him."




A college wide receiver at Duke, Montgomery has had great mentors since entering the coaching ranks with his alma mater in 2006. He credits longtime Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who served as Peyton Manning's offensive coordinator in Tennessee, for teaching the ins and outs of the quarterback position. And Montgomery said he refined how to articulate his messaging to players serving as a receivers coach for Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, while Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians instilled the concept of tough love, the art of coaching a player hard before immediately turning around to lift his spirits.

But Montgomery's most important coaching concept, the one that defines him, is one he learned from his late mother, Vera. When a young Montgomery complained about his lack of carries while playing youth football, she hammered home the importance of being selfless for the good of the team, the same way she was sacrificing for the family by waking up at 4:30 a.m. to work the two jobs needed to support them.


Like many coaches, Montgomery has baseline expectations for his players. He said his room will be defined by three words: Smart, tough and reliable. And the top two priorities will be protecting the quarterback and protecting the football. Still, everything he teaches will be wrapped in the blanket of selfless sacrifice.

"We're going to work our ass off on doing those things and then we're going to be there to support our players in the room," Montgomery said. "It's the brotherhood, right? We talk about it. It's not going to always be in my hands; the football is not gonna always be in my hands. It may be in someone else's hands, but we gotta cheer and we gotta be there for our brother, just like if we were the ones carrying the football."


Continuing the trend


Like his predecessor, Staley, Montgomery will have little patience for players who aren't willing to do the dirty work. If a running back isn't capable of protecting the quarterback, they're going to have a difficult time seeing the field.



"First things first, this league is a quarterback league, right?" Montgomery said. "...We have to sacrifice and our sacrifice is, sometimes we're gonna be in situations that we're outmatched in protection, but we gotta do it for 2.6-2.8 seconds."

In Indianapolis, Montgomery had the opportunity to coach one of the league's best running backs, Jonathan Taylor. The team led the league in rushing yards per carry in 2021, led by Taylor's impressive 1,811-yard campaign. But, the standard he set beyond the stat sheet is what endeared the player to his coach.

"I'll tell you what, the respect level that I have for him, I was able to coach him at the running back position like a quarterback," Montgomery said. "That's not a knock to any running backs. Their skill sets are just different, where this guy is a guy who could fix our protections if needed, but he also could physically handle the demands of who I am on a daily basis.

"That is different now," Montgomery continued. "That is something that is unusual, that a guy can handle the mental part of it, the physical aspect of it and still have the humility and humbleness that goes with being really respected by your teammates. I was blessed to have him in the room. It was a challenge because I had to try to find more ways to try to continue to get him better and to grow him, and then he had to meet that challenge. ...And just I'm amazed at the fact that exists in a time, truly, where self-gratification probably is a little bit higher than the hard work piece that he did. He got a lot of accolades, but you couldn't tell. You couldn't tell."



In Detroit, Montgomery inherits D'Andre Swift. The coach recognizes the talent, but was slow to speak on expectations prior to getting to know the player on a personal level. There's also a hope the team will bring back Jamaal Williams, who is an unrestricted free agent.

"I'm gonna coach the hell out of whoever is in the room," Montgomery said. "I love (Williams). The tape is really good. Our tape is our walking, talking, breathing resume and his resume right now is excellent. But, this is a business, right? So that's what (general manager) Brad (Holmes) and Dan will make the decision on.

Montgomery is also thrilled about the depth of running back talent in this draft class. He's thrown himself into diligently evaluating the prospects to provide a thoughtful assessment to Detroit's decision-makers.

"We've gotta do a good job that the information that I deliver to Brad and to Dan is right because there's a thin line, a thin line between being great and being good," Montgomery said. "And (good's) not what we're looking for. We're trying to be great."

One thing is clear, Montgomery is ready to pursue that greatness in Detroit, just like he imagined it as a kid.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

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What Dan Campbell wants in an NFL Draft prospect, plus more from the Lions coach and GM


By Colton Pouncy

Mar 2, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS — Here at the NFL Scouting Combine, Lions coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes put a bow on media sessions among the league’s higher-ups. They were scheduled to speak at 4:15 and 4:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, a slot that doesn’t lend itself to a large presence, and still managed to draw a sizable crowd of reporters.


Perhaps the NFL saved one of its most fascinating teams for last.

Campbell and Holmes spent 15 minutes apiece contextualizing the Lions’ offseason to date and the possibilities that lie ahead. It was their first news conference since the 2022 season concluded, and with some serious draft capital at the Lions’ disposal, free agency around the corner, a new-look coaching staff in place and endless ways to improve the roster, they had no shortage of topics worth discussing.

Here are a few them, as the offseason rolls on in Indy.


Needs versus Best Player Available


The Lions have two first-round picks. They also have needs. The defense could stand to improve, in an effort to match an offense that ranked top five in scoring and yards. On paper, it’s easy to see that and guess what they might be thinking. But Holmes is paid to think about the long-term health of the franchise.

“I think when you’re in those spots and you’re just drafting for need, you can make some mistakes,” Holmes said. “I’m not going to say we don’t look at that at all, but when you’re passing up really good football players that can help you and impact your football team, it might not be lined up with the exact anchored ‘hole’ you might have on the depth chart. Again, we’ve had that process started for a while and we’re continuing it here at the combine. We’re just going to look for two really good football players that fit what we’re all about and can hopefully impact us early.”


Holmes is the same GM who passed on a quarterback in 2021 to take Penei Sewell. It’s a move that took an already good offensive line and turned it into one of the best in the NFL, as he built from the inside out. A year later, Holmes traded up for Jameson Williams — a dynamic talent at wide receiver, but an injured one who would miss the first 11 games of the season. At midseason, he traded 2019 No. 8 pick T.J. Hockenson to a division rival in a move that improved the team’s draft capital. The Lions would go on to win eight of the final 10 games without Hockenson. Holmes took a bit of a victory lap discussing that trade Wednesday, remembering how some at the time viewed it as him waving the white flag. As we know now, it was all part of an effort to improve.


That’s why it’s no surprise that Holmes and Campbell will be looking at everything in the first round. Not just needs, and not just defense.

“I would say we’re not afraid to acquire talent even if we have a couple people already in that position,” Campbell said. “There is such a thing as talent that is hard to pass up, even though we may have a surplus of those players. … We’re looking for guys that upgrade us no matter what they are. If they can play, we’ll find a way to play them. We’ll put all of them out there in some form or fashion.”


Free agency approach


Even though this week is draft-focused, free agency is right around the corner, opening on March 15. The Lions have recently made some moves, like freeing up $10 million by releasing defensive tackle Michael Brockers, to create added spending power. More moves could be on the way. But even though the Lions will have some resources to add, don’t expect Holmes and company to go overboard. That’s not their style.

“We’ll always be selective and strategic in free agency,” Holmes said. “You’ve gotta be really careful in free agency. … It’s all about still finding the right guys. It’s not about how much money you have to spend. Regardless of how many resources, (we’re) always being selective and strategic in that process. We’re just trying to find the right guys.”

“I think, honestly, we both kind of came away and said, all right, here we go, we’re going into year three, yeah, we got a little bit more to play with, we got a little more wiggle room, but it’s like, man … let’s just get better,” Campbell said.

You’ll hear those messages repeated by both Holmes and Campbell around this time of the year, every year. “The right guys,” or “let’s just get better.” It’s how they operate. Improvement comes in all forms. DeShon Elliott was an inexpensive signing who helped stabilize the safety position. Who would’ve thought defensive end John Cominsky, a waiver-wire add rewarded to the Lions over seven other teams, would have such an impact? Even defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs offered value.


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[whatever_gong82]

At the same time, Campbell’s right. It’s Year 3. With that in mind, do the Lions need to be more aggressive in targeting higher-quality free agents? If you consider yourself a playoff team, you have to field a playoff roster. Detroit has work to do in that regard.

But the Lions can get closer this offseason. And do it without breaking the bank.




The ‘it’ factor Campbell looks for


In their first draft together in Detroit, Campbell and Holmes added franchise pillars in Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Both made the Pro Bowl in their second seasons. They’re wired in ways to which the Lions were drawn. They’re all about ball. But the challenge, both this year and beyond, is finding more.

Campbell believes that process is under way.

“I don’t know how many guys we’ve met with at this point,” Campbell said. “Really, over these two to three days, let’s call it 30 guys, 35 guys. And I’ve check-marked four guys. And to me, they got the ‘it’ factor. Just when you sit in there and you hear them talk about football, there’s a fire burning in them. And they can’t sit in their seat. They got to get up to talk. They got to tell you what’s going on. … You can’t fake that. When you have that, you love ball. And you’ll eat and breathe it, do anything for it and do anything for your teammates. And you’re uber-competitive.”

As we learn more and more about the Lions’ regime, it’s easy to identify certain players as Campbell guys. Sewell, St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Malcolm Rodriguez and others come to mind. The guys that not only love football but live it. Meetings like the ones taking place in Indy this week oftentimes help solidify opinions more so than the on-field drills and events. Campbell shedding some light on what he looks for made for some notable insight from Wednesday’s session.

“To them, it’s a competition,” Campbell said. “Like, I’m about to show you how good I can do this. I’m about to show you what I can retain. I’m going to show you that I understand what you’re wanting me to do. And those guys are rare. If you can find those guys and they’ve got some ability — which most guys here do — it’s hard not to like them.”



It sounds like the QB position will be addressed


The way the Lions are currently constructed, the quarterback position will always be a topic of conversation. Jared Goff is the Lions’ starter, and Holmes doubled down on that sentiment Wednesday after publicly backing his quarterback in his January news conference.

But that doesn’t mean the team won’t look to add to the position. Especially as it enters a competitive window.

“I feel like last year, we kind of left training camp kind of sliding into home plate trying to fill that backup quarterback role,” Holmes said. “And that’s on me. I gotta do a better job of making sure that we’re not in that position again. So that is something that we’re gonna need to address, whether it’s here in free agency or upcoming in the draft. But that’s something that we’ve had a lot of conversations about.”

After letting David Blough and Tim Boyle battle it out for the backup job in training camp, Holmes ultimately moved on from both and brought in Nate Sudfeld as the backup. He didn’t see the field that often, thanks to a healthy season from Goff, but if Goff goes down in a year with playoff expectations, is Sudfeld a player who can keep Detroit on track? Or is it worth trying to upgrade?

The other part of this equation, of course, is the idea of drafting a young quarterback. Perhaps as high as No. 6.

Holmes didn’t care to get into the conversation, when asked if that was a possibility. He also didn’t quite rule it out.

“We’re going to get the best football players that fit us,” he said.




Campbell on his new-look staff


The Lions will enter the 2023 season with plenty of new faces. Running backs coach Duce Staley (Panthers), defensive line coach Todd Wash (Panthers) and senior offensive assistant John Morton (Broncos) all departed for other jobs this offseason. Campbell said all of those moves were for family reasons, which is one reason he allowed the coaches to leave.

“Listen, it’s tough,” Campbell said. “When a piece of them is not quite here, I don’t think that’s fair to them or us. And the other thing about it: I believe there are good coaches out there. You can find them. … And I believe we’ve done that. I really do.”

Now with the team: running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, defensive line coach John Scott Jr., cornerbacks coach Dre Bly, senior defensive assistant John Fox and tight ends coach Steve Heiden.

Montgomery interviewed for the Lions offensive coordinator position that ultimately went to Ben Johnson last year. He’s been a head coach, a coordinator, a wide receivers coach, a running backs coach and a play-caller in his career. Having all of that rolled into one coach is incredibly valuable.

Fox is a veteran head coach and was a defensive coordinator with the Giants when Campbell played for the team, which is where their relationship began. In his career, Fox has taken multiple teams to the Super Bowl and has a background as a defensive-minded coach.

As for others, Brian Duker now owns the title of defensive backs coach, overseeing the entire position much like Aubrey Pleasant did before he was let go. He’ll work directly with Bly, whom Campbell praised for his ability to teach technique. The fact that he’s a former Lions player — a Pro Bowler at that — doesn’t hurt. Scott was most recently at Penn State, but has an NFL background as well. Campbell views him as an energetic technician who can teach players how to defend the run and rush the passer. Campbell called Heiden an “outstanding addition.” They entered the league together as players and also began their coaching careers around the same time. The move frees up Tanner Engstrand to work solely as the team’s passing game coordinator.

It will take some time to get everyone up to speed, but Campbell likes what the Lions were able to do this offseason.



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

[ghandi]

I found it interesting that Dan C said the team had interviewed 30-35 players and that 4 of them absolutely had the "it" factor......When I saw the media session with the defensive linemen and the linebackers, they all seemed pretty stoked to me....I couldnt tell if one had the "it" factor over any other.....Dan also says he likes players who have good tape over players that show well at the combine.

[The King]

The QB debate is real because we won’t be picking this high again for a while…..hopefully. It may be our last chance, unless we mortgage the future, to have a guy land in our laps. So we have to do our homework.

[Futureshock]

I found it interesting that Dan C said the team had interviewed 30-35 players and that 4 of them absolutely had the "it" factor......When I saw the media session with the defensive linemen and the linebackers, they all seemed pretty stoked to me....I couldnt tell if one had the "it" factor over any other.....Dan also says he likes players who have good tape over players that show well at the combine.

Talent trumps all still, but, I wonder if a guy's personality and his talent was like Barry would they pick another less talented guy who "can’t sit in their seat. They got to get up to talk. They got to tell you what’s going on."

I think it's quaint and is definitely a part of the success story, but I wonder how much of an emphasis this is. Because Barry, Calvin and even Stafford have never ever been those type of extroverts.

Interesting

[Nick Pappageorgio]

I’m thinking they’re going to shop the 2nd tier with a kid like McKee

[wcfwtf]

And those 3 never had the will to change the clubhouse environment

[froot loops]

No player has that ability.

[Futureshock]

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/3/2/23621781/dan-campbell-squashes-detroit-lions-free-agency-splash-hopes

Dan Campbell squashes hope of Detroit Lions making big free agency splash


Dan Campbell made it pretty clear they are not interested in going after ‘high-level,’ high-priced free agents.

By Jeremy Reisman@DetroitOnLion Mar 2, 2023, 8:00am EST

But Campbell more or less squashed those hopes when he stepped up to the podium on Wednesday.

“Yeah, we’ve got a little more to play with, we have a little more wiggle room, but it’s like, man... let’s not lose sight of—let’s just get better,” Campbell said. “Forget, ‘Well, man, can we acquire this (blue-chip player)?’ Let’s just find a guy that can serve a certain type of role for us. He’s somebody (who) has maybe played some ball, he can start at a certain position for us.

“But we don’t need to acquire these high-level, you’re paying the most for these guys because they’re rated the No. 1 guy in free agency at that position. We just need to get better. Let’s just get better at areas we need to get better at and focus on that. I think that’s always been the focus.”