Lions News

[Sanders Fan]

Doesn’t really sound like he squashed it, but OK.

[whatever_gong82]

First of 5 articles today that are Lions related.

Detroit Lions' plans for explosive WR Jameson Williams could include kick returns in 2023

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


INDIANAPOLIS — The Detroit Lions are making big plans to get more out of explosive wide receiver Jameson Williams next season, and that could include using him on returns.

Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp embraced the idea of incorporating Williams into a return role next season, when the team expects him fully healthy after missing most of last season while rehabbing from a torn ACL.

"I don’t totally know the answer to it, only because he is just kind of coming back," Fipp said when asked if he's open to using Williams as a kick returner in 2023. "He’s done it. I mean, when you talk to him — there’s one thing I love about him. Like, he wants to do everything. The guy loves playing. 'Be a gunner? I’ll be a gunner. I want to be the punt returner, too. I got kick return, too, I would have housed that one.' And I think the great players are like that, and they want to do all that stuff. So we’ll just see how it goes."


Williams returned two kicks for touchdowns in his one season at Alabama, when he averaged 35.2 yards on 10 kick returns. One of the college football's best receivers in 2021, Williams tore his ACL in Alabama's national championship game loss to Georgia and played limited snaps in six games with the Lions last season.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said he planned to use Williams as a gunner on punt team in his first NFL game, but the Lions never got the opportunity as the Jacksonville Jaguars failed to force a punt.

As a receiver, Williams caught one pass for a 41-yard touchdown last season, had three drops on nine targets and had one carry for 40 yards.



On Wednesday, Lions general manager Brad Holmes praised Williams' "rare talent, rare ability (and) serious passion for the game," and said the team was "expecting big things" from last year's No. 12 overall pick in 2023.

"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," Holmes said. "But yeah, we’re just gong 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."


Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Williams is on par with Cleveland Browns receiver Jakeem Grant as the fastest player he's ever coached.

Grant, who is six inches shorter than the 6-foot-1 Williams, has made his biggest impact in the NFL as a return man.

"Obviously, it would be great to see him back there (as a returner) if that’s what his role provides," Fipp said. "But I’ve said this all along a million times is it just depends on their role on offense and defense to what their role is going to be on special teams. Their role on special teams is more influenced by offense and defense than it is on what he can do on teams."



The Lions used backup receiver Kalif Raymond as their primary punt returner and No. 3 running back Justin Jackson as their top kick returner last season. Jackson is a pending free agent, while Raymond is coming off the best season of his career.

Fipp said it sometimes makes more sense to use a complmentary player in a return role so they can devote more energy to the craft, and he cited former NFL receiver DeSean Jackson, who he coached with the Philadelphia Eagles, as an example.

Jackson was one of the NFL's best return men early in his career, but less effective as a returner after taking on a bigger role at receiver.



"It's hard to ask a guy to do all those things at a really high level, and people don’t realize that," Fipp said. "They’re like, 'Well, just throw him back there.' And it’s like, 'Well, yeah, that’s good, but what happens when the ball’s punted to that side of the field, we thought it was going to be over (on the other) side of the field and he’s like, 'Oh, (expletive), I got to go over there.' Like, 'Damn, I don’t think I got that in me right now,' as opposed to the guy who’s coming off the bench and like, 'Dude, I just want to play right now. There’s no way I’m going to let that ball hit the ground. I’m going to go track that thing down.'

"There's just a difference in there, and that difference makes an exponential difference on the field of play with the whole group."

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

[whatever_gong82]

Similar to the last article that I just posted.

Lions' Jameson Williams returning kicks? It will depend on his offensive role

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News



Indianapolis — The Detroit Lions have two first-round selections in the upcoming draft, but at his media session earlier in the week, general manager Brad Holmes was asked if it was almost like he had three, given last year's No. 12 pick, wide receiver Jameson Williams, is expected to be at full strength after spending much of his rookie campaign rehabbing his way back from a torn ACL.

"Obviously, we're expecting big things," Holmes said. "I guess that's a good way to put it. It's kind of like a brand-new first-round pick. You know, the goal when we originally drafted him, we didn't know really how much we were gonna 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 gonna continue to do everything that we need to do to make sure that he's set up to succeed," Holmes said. "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. He's got rare talent, rare ability. He's got a serious passion for the game."

That passion, almost as much as Williams' rare, elite speed, was a lure for the Lions to add him to the program. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, reiterating an observation he made last year, noted the way Williams covered kicks at the University of Alabama — a job star players rarely are asked to do — spoke volumes about his love of the game.


Of course, covering kicks wasn't the only special-teams role Williams had at Alabama. He also served as a part-time kick returner, where he averaged 35.2 yards per attempt and scored twice on just 10 attempts.

That's potentially a role he could reprise in Detroit, according to Fipp, but it hinges on what kind of workload Williams ends up having with the offense.


"I don’t totally know the answer to it, only because he is just kinda coming back," Fipp said. "He’s done it. I mean, when you talk to him — there’s one thing I love about him — like he wants to do everything. The guy loves playing. 'Be a gunner? I’ll be a gunner. I want to be the punt returner, too. I want to kick-return, too, I would have housed that one.' And I think the great players are like that and they want to do all that stuff. So, we’ll just see how it goes."

"Obviously, it would be great to see him back there (as a returner) if that’s what his role provides," Fipp said. "But I’ve said this all along, a million times, is it just depends on their role on offense and defense to what their role is going to be on special teams. Their role on special teams is more influenced by offense and defense than it is on what he can do on (special teams)."



Fipp said it's something that might go unappreciated by outside observers, but having a big role on offense or defense can significantly limit the impact a player can have on special teams. The coach said there are often times he'll opt for a player with less talent but more energy to handle the key jobs with his unit.

He pointed to DeSean Jackson as a point of reference. Fipp coached the former Pro Bowl receiver in Philadelphia, and early in his career, when Jackson hadn't fully carved out a large role on offense, he was one of the league's best punt returners, averaging 11.2 yards and scoring four times. But, as his playing time at receiver grew, his return production dipped. He averaged just 5.7 yards bringing back punts his fourth through sixth seasons.



"It's hard to ask a guy to do all those things at a really high level, and people don’t realize that," Fipp said. "They’re like, 'Well, just throw him back there.' And it’s like, 'Well, yeah, that’s good, but what happens when the ball’s punted to that side of the field, we thought it was going to be over to this side of the field and he’s like, 'Oh (expletive), I got to go over there.' Like, 'Damn, I don’t think I got that in me right now,' as opposed to the guy who’s coming off the bench and like, 'Dude, I just want to play right now. There’s no way I’m going to let that ball hit the ground. I’m going to go track that thing down.'"

As a prospect, some compared Williams' talent to Jackson, but Fipp sees different style players, noting Williams is longer and more of a "build-to-speed" runner as opposed to having elite short-area quickness like Jackson. Regardless, he hopes the second-year Lions wideout will ultimately produce at a similar level, whether it's as a return man or pass catcher.


"The thing about DeSean was his ability to play the deep ball," Fipp said. "He was a small guy, but his ability to finish the deep ball was exceptional. Hopefully, our guy looks like that."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions could find playmaking cornerbacks, depth outside NFL draft's first round

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News



Indianapolis — With all due respect to Amani Oruwariye's six-interception season in 2021, it's been a minute since the Detroit Lions have had a consistent, playmaking cornerback on the roster.

Since trading Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2019 season, the team hasn't been able to find a guy at that position capable of steadily racking up pass breakups and interceptions.

So, with the team perceived to be on the hunt for an upgrade at the position this offseason, it's easy to imagine finding a corner capable of generating turnovers being a priority. After all, the Lions haven't finished in the top half of the league in interceptions since 2017, when Slay paced the NFL with eight picks.


At the NFL Scouting Combine this week, two of the best playmakers from this draft class, Mississippi State's Emmanuel Forbes and Utah's Clark Phillips III fielded media questions from side-by-side podiums. Between them, they intercepted a dozen passes last season, both crediting their film-study habits as a key component to their success.

Neither is being mentioned among the top three or four at the position, but each could sneak into the back end of the first round come April, particularly if they test well at the Combine and/or their pro day. But realistically, largely due to concerns with their size, both are likely Day-2 prospects.


Even before Forbes listed him as a mentor and the player he modeled his game after, the mind drifts to Slay when looking at Forbes. They're around the same height, both long, played at the same college and projected to come off the board in the same range during their respective drafts. The Lions snagged Slay in the early stages of the second round in 2013.


A common football cliché is cornerbacks are former receivers who couldn't catch, but that doesn't apply to Forbes. He intercepted 14 passes across three seasons for the Bulldogs. According to him, his transition from offense to defense was centered around a desire to get away from taking hits to being the one delivering them. The downside, and probably one of the key factors anchoring the 6-foot-1 Forbes' stock, is he weighed just 166 pounds at the Combine.

If Forbes gives off vibes of Slay, it's not a stretch to suggest Phillips could remind Lions fans of Quandre Diggs, another playmaking defensive back the team traded away during coach Matt Patricia's time with the franchise.


Admittedly, that loose comparison is based more on the two players' size, and chip-on-the-shoulder demeanor, than their playing style. Phillips is listed at 5-foot-10, but that measurement hardly impacted his ability to get his hands on throws. Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee called him one of the best cornerbacks he faced in college.

"He flipped his hips," McKee said. "Felt like he was able to disguise what he was going to do, and what the defense was doing, very well."


Phillips also brings versatility. Primarily an outside corner, he'd line up a full game in the slot for some matchups. He said he'd have no reservations about being a nickel back at the next level, if that's what the team that drafts him feels is his best fit.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who played cornerback for more than a decade in the NFL, said he's yet to study this year's group of prospects, preferring to save the position for last. But, he laid out the initial thing he's looking for in a young corner.

"The first thing is personality. Like, how do they come in? How confident are they?" Glenn said. "I can tell right off the top if this is one of the guys that's going to get after it, because of just the way he operates. There is a certain aura about him.

"...That shows up," Glenn said. "And they can't help themselves. Speaking from experience, they can't hide it. And I think that's one thing sometimes people miss on, they don't look at that."


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions seek their Matt Moore — a backup QB who can step, win games if needed

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News

Indianapolis — As usual, the biggest crowds for the media portion of this week's NFL scouting combine were reserved for the quarterbacks expected to go early in the first round of the draft.

Throngs gathered to listen to Bryce Young, C. J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson answer questions less than two months ahead of the draft. Young started Friday's availability gracefully shrugging off concerns about his height and weight, which both check in well below the league's desired standards for the position.

"Yeah, I've been this size, respectfully, my whole life," he said. "I know who I am. I know what I can do. For me, it's fair (the concerns). Everyone can speculate and ask, when the questions are necessary. I'm going to continue to control what I can control. I'm going to keep working my hardest to improve myself at the position. I'm confident in myself. I know what I can do."



Similarly, Richardson faced questions about his subpar accuracy at Florida. He also shared personal stories about helping raise his younger brother while their mother worked two or three jobs at a time. But, when it came time to address expectations for himself, the Florida quarterback set the bar sky-high.


"I want to be a legend," Richarson said. "I want to be like Patrick Mahomes. I want to be like Tom Brady. I want to be one of the greats. I will be one of the greats because I’m willing to work that hard to get to that point. So, to answer your question, I feel like I’m going to be one of the greats in the next few years."

Although we're still weeks away from the draft, it's starting to feel increasingly likely at least two, and potentially all three, of those quarterbacks will be off the board before the Detroit Lions are set to be on the clock with the No. 6 pick. But, even if one, or inconceivably all three, were available, it's tough to suggest the Lions would be interested.


To be clear, general manager Brad Holmes has not said he won't draft a quarterback in the first round. He'll happily tell you the plan is to select the best players for the Lions, which leaves the door open to all possibilities. But, he's also continually thrown his support behind starter Jared Goff, doing so again this week.

"I've had these conversations with Jared," Holmes said. "Look, we love Jared. He's our starter, he's our guy going (forward), but we don't have anything behind him."


Holmes hasn't been shy about acknowledging the need to do a better job addressing the backup spot. He compared last year's scramble to find a solution at the end of training camp to "sliding into home plate." And while the team never needed that player, Nate Sudfeld, to play meaningful snaps during the season, the team wants to be better prepared if they were to experience something like they did 2021, when Goff was forced to miss three games.


"I gotta do a better job of making sure that we're not in that position again," Holmes said, specifically referring to last year. "So, that is something that we're gonna need to address, whether it's here in free agency or upcoming in the draft. That's something that we've had a lot of conversations about. I gotta do a better job of making sure we get that rectified."



As alluded to, there are different directions the team can go, in regard to adding a veteran or a rookie. On top of that, there are also options with playing styles. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was asked if it was better to have a backup who closely mirrored the starter's skill set or one with different tools that could trouble an opponent if they were forced to enter the game. In Detroit's case, that would mean pursuing a QB with more of a dual-threat skill set.

Johnson said there are merits to both ways of thinking, but there's one overarching priority when attempting to fill the role.

"My personal philosophy has been to give us the best guy that can win a game for us," Johnson said. "And so when I look at a backup quarterback, the two areas I start with are third down and two-minute (drill management), because that's where they really have the most impact."

Johnson said you can cover up many quarterback weaknesses in neutral situations with a running game and play-action passes, but what makes a backup stand out is the ability to extend drives on third downs and handle the pressure moments at the end of each half.


"There are a number of backups out there, the majority of the backups out there, where it's just keep the train on the tracks and let's manage this thing," Johnson said. "The really good ones, the best backups, they're the ones that can still win a ballgame for ya. I think if you look at the win-loss record for backups in the league, it's hard to find ones who are over .500.

"The guy we had in Miami was Matt Moore, and I think Matt Moore was one of the best backup quarterbacks," Johnson said. "He had a winning record as a starter, and we knew if the game was on the line, he could come in and we wouldn't miss a beat. And the guys believed in him. And he was a great teammate. So there are all these different qualities that you need, probably more so than, 'Hey, does he have the running ability, or this or that.' It's really, at the end of the day, does he fit the room, does he fit what we need, and can he help us win a game if it's on the line?"


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

A lot of options for the Lions to pursue with this year's draft, along with Free Agency.

Lions DC Aaron Glenn wants athletic defensive tackles, and draft has options

Nolan Bianchi

The Detroit News

Indianapolis — Oil and water. Orange juice and toothpaste. Running quarterbacks and the 2022 Detroit Lions.

The Lions gave up more rushing yards to quarterbacks than any team in the league by a substantial margin, allowing a whopping seven yards per carry last season.

As the quarterback position features more athleticism with each year that passes, performing better in that area is at the forefront of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's mind.



"Defensively, man, you want to build it with a lot of good athletes, a lot of good players that can run. So, even though (the quarterback) might check in and out of plays, we got athletes that can just go and play," Glenn said. "You have to build your defense that way with the evolution of all these running quarterbacks coming in.

"So, the more athletes you can get on the field that have the mentality of being violent and being physical, so now it doesn't take away from what their No. 1 job is, but (they're still) able to play in space against some of these quarterbacks. They're usually getting space now, and that's what we're trying to do."

Credit where it's due: Detroit's defense made an emphatic turnaround after the halfway point.



But, even as the defense at large progressed, the Lions' inability to plug the interior escape valve was concerning. Justin Fields' 105-yard rushing performance in the first quarter of the Lions' home finale against the Chicago Bears was a stark reminder that old habits die hard.

To continue improving, the Lions will need to add some beef — and talent — up the middle during free agency and the draft.



Enter: A defensive tackle class without much true star power outside Georgia's Jalen Carter (and his pending legal battles have many wondering where he'll even go in this draft). Though there might not be a home-run interior option for Detroit with the sixth pick, this class looks as though it'll provide plenty of value for a team with five picks in the first three rounds.

One second-round option for the Lions could be Wisconsin tackle Keeanu Benton. He admittedly needs work as a pass rusher — he turned 14 quarterback pressures into two sacks last season — but has demonstrated an ability to manipulate the defensive interior with his strength. If a player like him hits his potential with Detroit, it could go a long way.




"I can hold blocks. I can hold double-teams. I can split double-teams," he said, adding that he's still building his repertoire as a pass rusher.

"Just getting after the (passer), making my movements decisive and taking those milliseconds off so I can get sacks, rather than quarterback pressures."




Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee started out as a popular mock for the Lions at the top of the draft, but he has seemingly slid down draft boards in recent weeks. There are questions about his durability and the sample size of his recent work, but when it comes to the athleticism like Glenn talked about, he's got it in spades.

"I think I'm a unique player," Bresee said.

"I lean on my athletic ability, playing out on the edge as a 300-pound guy. That definitely helps, but then also playing inside, I'm 6-5, 300 pounds, so I'm able to play the run game inside, but also rush the pass from the outside."




Other defensive tackles who tested well athletically at the Combine were Gervon Dexter (Florida), Colby Wooden (Auburn), Dante Stills (West Virginia), Jalen Redmond (Oklahoma) and Zacch Pickens (South Carolina).

Pitt's Calijah Kancey (6-foot-1, 281 pounds) is an undersized interior lineman who will unfairly draw comps to fellow small-ish Panther alum and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald. He ran the fastest 40 time (4.67) for any defensive tackle in Combine history, breaking the record set by Donald himself.




He named Grady Jarrett, Javon Hargrave, Quinnen Williams and Donald as players he models his game after.

"They paved the way for smaller defensive tackles and showed we could play at the next level," Kancey said. "Lots of quickness, speed, technique, block shedding and aggressiveness."

Though his reach will be an issue for some teams, he's hoping the rest of the package will offset that.

"I just know I have to play with great technique and use my speed to my advantage," he said. "It's my speed and my quickness, playing with good leverage, getting underneath the thigh pads of bigger offensive linemen — that's my advantage I have against bigger offensive linemen."




Bigger, faster, stronger — Glenn and Co. would ideally prefer a few guys who give them a combination of all three. But they'll be satisfied with any personnel combo who can close the escape valve, and there are a few guys in this draft who provide just that.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @nolanbianchi

[The King]

He wants a guy like Bresee

[whatever_gong82]

New Lions RBs coach Scottie Montgomery grew up dreaming of a better life in Detroit

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Scottie Montgomery’s late mother, Vera, was a hardened lady who worked a mill job in rural North Carolina.

She got up at 4:30 a.m. to make breakfast for her family so she could be to work by 6, and sometimes worked a second job at night.

So when Montgomery would gripe and complain about his playing time or any of the other obstacles he faced in life, Vera Montgomery would put her son in his place.

“The expectation was if she was going to sacrifice at 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then work another job later in the evening, then our sacrifice would be we’re going to do whatever we have to do to make sure that we were successful for her making these sacrifices,” Montgomery said Thursday at the NFL scouting combine. “(I complain about getting) two carries? ‘You got to be kidding me. I was up at 4:30 this morning trying to get breakfast ready so I can go to work at 6 a.m.’ So, no, that didn't go over very well.”

Montgomery inherited his late mother’s selflessness, and as the Detroit Lions’ new running backs coach and assistant head coach, he said that’s one trait he wants his backs to embody in Detroit.



“If I had to put three words together, it's smart, tough and reliable,” Montgomery said. “We got to protect the quarterback and protect the football. 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. It's the brotherhood, right? We talk about it. It's not going to always be in my hands. The football’s not going to always be in my hands. It may be in someone else's hands, but we got to cheer and we got to be there for our brother just like if we were the ones carrying the football.”

The Lions hired Montgomery in February to replace Duce Staley, after Staley left to take the same position with the Carolina Panthers so he could be closer to his ailing mother, a two-time cancer survivor, in South Carolina.

Montgomery’s addition comes a year after he interviewed to be Lions offensive coordinator.







Though he was passed over for that job in favor of Ben Johnson, Lions coach Dan Campbell said Montgomery impressed during the interview, and Montgomery said he and Campbell hit it off to the point “it was like I met Dan and then I had known him for 25, 30 years.”

“It didn't work out, but it was good to be able to get in front of them because of this opportunity,” he said. “And we're really happy about it.”



Montgomery’s wife, Ebony, is a Detroit native, and along with being closer to her family, Montgomery, who starred in football at Burns High in Lawndale, N.C., population 606, said coaching the Lions is in some way fulfilling a boyhood dream.

“A lot of people say they want to go to New York, right? A lot of people, 'Yeah, I want to go to New York. I want to go to L.A.,’” Montgomery said. “Well, 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 that we had from Detroit were families — and not making this about minority or non-minority, but African-American families that were together, that were led by a mother and a father, and everybody was dressed so nice. The hats that my family members used to come back with when they would visit Detroit, everybody was dressed to a T, everybody was hard-working. The education was phenomenal. So it's motivating to go somewhere with a history like that.


“So we're blessed to be able to not only come to a place we spent a lot of time in anyway, but also the history of being able to, when I was a kid, thinking, 'Man, if I could just finally, if I could just get to Detroit, it's going to all change. Everything will be — we won't have dirt roads, there’ll be streets and nice cars, and maybe one day we'll work for Ford and then we'll go from there.’”





Montgomery, of course, is working for Ford — Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp, not the auto company. And he takes over a rushing attack that ranked 11th in the NFL last season at 128.2 yards per game but has personnel questions heading into the offseason.




The Lions are working to re-sign leading rusher Jamaal Williams before he hits free agency March 15. Williams has made it known he wants to return to Detroit, and his representatives met with the Lions on Wednesday at the combine, but he is expected to garner interest from the Panthers, Buffalo Bills and others on the open market.

Backup Justin Jackson also will be an unrestricted free agent, and D’Andre Swift has one year left on his rookie deal but has had battled injuries throughout his career.

Montgomery said he’ll work with Campbell and the Lions’ strength staff to develop a plan to keep Swift healthy and on the field, and he said he’s looking forward to coaching whatever collection of backs he has in Detroit.






“One of the most important things that I think that I've seen since I've been there is just that everybody's on the same page,” Montgomery said. “Like, all the way from the head coach to all of us as assistants, and trying to support Ben and trying to support Dan the best that we can possibly do. And that's the goal, man. We know that we can take another step and that's what I'm hopefully coming to be a part of, taking the next step, continuing to polish.”





Silicone valley


Montgomery wore a dark blue, silicone bracelet on his right wrist as he talked with reporters Friday. The bracelet said, “Indianapolis Colts,” on one side — Montgomery coached running backs and was assistant head coach for the Colts last season — and said, “Keep tight,” with an image of a first on the other.

Montgomery explained the bracelet was something Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley gave select assistants last season as the Colts struggled through a tumultuous 4-12-1 season that included an in-season coaching change.


“We went through it a lot,” Montgomery said. “(Gus) was great during the process, and during that process he gave out to certain people this thing that says, 'Keep it tight,' and there's a fist. And that means that any time it feels like you’re a little bit worried, or things are not going the right way, or this is going on and you've got no control over it, you can't control it, so let's just keep it tight. Let's all stay tight in here together and keep it tight.

“So I was going to give this back to him this week because I'm taking it off and giving it back to him. He's going to cry, but I'm giving it back, because we did, we kept it tight, but now I can't wear this shit anymore.”

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

[whatever_gong82]

This is first of two parts:

A true puff piece article. Only posting it due to the slow news day today, and that this was posted online yesterday.

Detroit Lions president Rod Wood talks Calvin Johnson and why ticket prices went up a bit

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


Detroit Lions president Rod Wood sat down with the Free Press on Monday to discuss the state of the team after its 9-8 season and heading into a big offseason.

Wood said the Lions are top candidates to play a game in Germany this fall and the team is waiting until 2024 to make uniform changes, and he addressed several other topics.

Here are some highlights of Wood’s interview. Some questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

What’s the latest with Calvin Johnson’s relationship with the team. From comments he’s made recently, it sounds like it’s trending in the right direction.


A “Yeah, and I’m not, and he acknowledged, directly involved. I kind of handed it off to Mike (Disner). Maybe new face, new person. But I think Brian (Facchini)’s talked to his folks a little bit. We’re working on a couple things hopefully to get him not only closer to the team but even involved as an ambassador, maybe even a sponsor if we can ever get the CBD thing approved by the league, so things are progressing in a very positive way. He’s in town. He’s responsive to meeting with Mike and he’s got a representative that Brian and Mike have been talking to on a regular basis so I think there’s some good things to come.



“I did text with him when he got in the Hall of Fame and he texted me back and so it’s not like we’re – we’re cordial.”

I know some people close to Calvin have encouraged him to mend fences with the team.

“I think it’s better for everybody, him and us. We kind of went through the same thing with Barry (Sanders) for a long time and I was at least partially responsible for helping get that mended and I think Calvin will see the same benefit if he comes back. He only wore one jersey his entire career.”


How optimistic are you it can happen this fall, a retirement ceremony?

“Possibly. Possible. It’s coming. I don’t know if it’ll be this year, but it’s coming.”


In retrospect, what are your thoughts on being in “Hard Knocks” last season?

“I think it was good.”

One player at the Senior Bowl told me he was a big fan of Dan Campbell because of it.

“And Brian and Eamonn (Reynolds) did a really good job I think of maximizing it. I knew if we were on it we would come off positively, just because of the coaching staff that we had. And we were going to do it the right way and I did somewhat volunteer for that, too. I knew we were eligible. I knew we were one of like three or four teams and I called and said if we’re chosen I guarantee we’ll do a good job. And I thought coming off of a 3-13 year, get some shot of energy from it. And then I think it turned out even better than we thought. The crew from NFL Films was great. We had some great characters — and some of them they just lucked into. (Malcolm) Rodriguez, how do you know that’s going to work out? And how do you know that (Aidan) Hutchinson’s going to do 'Billie Jean'? There’s some things you can’t script that just worked out great. And the viewership was (the highest since the original season).”


Are you interested in doing the in-season “Hard Knocks”?

“Probably going to take a year off. … So the two teams that have done it the last two years (the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts), it didn’t work out too well for them, either. Both those coaches are (gone).”


It sounds like season ticket prices are going up in 2023?

“Yeah, we did, with the early renewal — we had an early renewal during the season, it worked out to like a 4% on average (increase). Some were up a little more, some were flat, and then with the new season tickets that we’re selling now, people are just putting deposits down. We haven’t even decided what the price is going to be. It’s probably going to be even a little bit higher than 4%. We’re kind of waiting to see what the final demand comes in at.

“But really, across the whole stadium we lowered prices after ’18. I don’t know how much of that ever got out, but what we did was we took some areas that were tougher to sell and we lowered those prices, and so when you put the whole aggregate in, it was down about 4%. So that 4% increase just got us back to 2018 pricing. And then you had the COVID year and coming out of COVID, we had pretty light attendance. I think team performance and COVID (impacted attendance in) 2021. So 2022 I think is like the first year that you can kind of go back and compare to like 2018, so now ’23 we’re going back to the 2018 pricing, maybe a little bit higher for the new season tickets.”



continued...

[whatever_gong82]

Ford Field is getting new turf for 2023. What else is in store?

“We did a couple big things last year with the new store. It’s very cool. Much bigger. That helped. We took what was the store and we converted it to a grab-and-go for season ticket members. There’ll be a few concession things, but the turf was the big thing. And then we’ve got a full roster of events this year with the USFL playing, concerts, WWE 'SummerSlam.' Brian said like over 20 different events when you add in the USFL games … So it’ll be a busy season at the stadium.”



You’re entering your eighth full season as president, how much longer do want to do this?

“I got some years left.”

What else do you want to accomplish as president?

“What do I want to accomplish? I’d like to have that trophy.”

You’ve made a lot of updates to Ford Field over the years. Anything else in that regard?

A. “I guess the one, other than Ford Field, we’ll continue to keep it current I think is the most important thing, there’s a few things around the stadium that I’d like to improve maybe. It’s to get in and out, especially when we’re 65,000 people. … And yeah, we’re kind of stuck geographically where we are but there’s a few things that we’re looking at. Can we do more parking? Can we do some things to get people in and out faster?

“(The practice) facility is on my mind, too, cause it’s 20-plus years old. Do we keep putting money in here? Is there a new facility down the road that we might want to move? I like this area geographically because it’s easy to get to, it’s close to the airport, which is really important for player workouts and stuff. But we’re also short maybe a full field outside. You’d like to have three, not 2½ or whatever have. We’re limited by how many fans we can get at training camp. You’ve been to camp where we’ve done away and we have (10,000) to 15,000 people, not (3,000). And then coaching staffs are just so much bigger. This building was built when things were very different, so that’s in my mind to analyze that.”



A few years ago, there was a rumor you’d be building a new facility in the Ann Arbor area.

“Nothing imminent. What’s interesting, we’re always kind of staying abreast of what’s going on. But you’d like to have 50 to 60 acres if you were to start again from scratch and there aren’t that many 50-to-60-acre plots anywhere.”


How big is the current plot?

“I think we’re just around 22 or something. And so if you had that much space, you could have more fans and you could have the third field, the building could be bigger. Parking’s an issue when we have the 90 guys here for training camp.”

What role has owner Sheila Hamp played in the franchise’s rebound?

“She’s been great. She obviously worked closely with her mom for a few years but wanted to kind of do things her way without turning the apple cart completely upside down. She’s been here regularly. She comes here at least usually two days a week, meets with everybody. Certainly, she’s present, people know who she is and she knows who everybody else is and that’s a big thing. And then her work really to kind of tear apart the culture that she inherited with Matt (Patricia) and Bob (Quinn) and how do we get this right? And really kind of looking at, you never really know sometimes until people are gone how people really feel cause there is this power structure, and no matter how much people may trust me they’re probably not going to come here and tell me something if their boss is between me and them.



“I think we got a lot of direct feedback from people that they were probably hesitant to share and that informed us a lot on what we didn’t want and how we were going to go about taking this culture to a level where people are feeling like they’re all part of the team, and they matter and their voice matters. And Sheila was an important part of that.”

What was the most important thing you learned from that feedback?

“Setting aside the selection of the two of those guys, I think just making sure that you don’t take anything for granted, try and seek people out and make sure they’re comfortable to tell you if something’s not working. Cause things can kind of catch fire below you if you’re not paying attention to it. And I think Sheila being here, too, people are a lot more comfortable talking to her because she’s around. She’s at every game, she’s at most of the practices. She’s down on the sideline pregame, so the players all know who she is, which is, it’s a big deal for them. And she’s in town here. She’s not flying in for the games on the weekend.”


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

[whatever_gong82]

Why Ben Johnson returned to the Lions, and what comes next for rising star

By Colton Pouncy

8h ago



INDIANAPOLIS — As Ben Johnson navigated the wide-ranging halls and patterned carpets of the Indiana Convention Center last week, he couldn’t help but draw attention. It’s different these days than when he first entered the NFL about a decade ago. In many ways, it’s so vastly different from last year. More glances in passing, more small talk with peers, more people wanting to introduce themselves. It didn’t go unnoticed.



“I was talking to somebody about this the other day,” Johnson recalled Thursday in Indianapolis. “When you’re a young coach, it’s completely different than when you get five years in the league, 10 years in the league. You just know a lot more people. It’s just different walking through the convention center. Everyone wants to say hello and that sort of thing.”

It’s what happens when you make a name for yourself in this league. Much like Johnson did last year.




Events like the NFL Scouting Combine, where some of the best and brightest minds in football meet annually, offer a vast variety of heavy hitters and up-and-comers. As of now, Johnson resides in the middle. He doesn’t yet have the brand recognition of a head coach strolling through the lobby of the JW Marriott, but he does have their respect — and could one day join them. That alone is impressive.

Around this time a year ago, few could’ve imagined a rise so meteoric. Tight ends coach to first-year offensive coordinator. First-year offensive coordinator to a top-five offense. It’s been quite a year for Johnson, so much so that it impressed his coaching peers and put him on the radar of those with hiring power.

“He was perfect,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Johnson’s 2022 season at the combine. “I probably expected more of a learning curve for a first-time coordinator, and Ben really just aced all of those tests. …I’m not surprised because I know Ben, I know what he’s about, I know the intangibles he brings to the table and the work ethic. He holds himself to such a high standard. I just thought he did an outstanding job.”

That respect for Johnson is evident. His offense averaged 26.6 points per game (fifth in the NFL) and 380 yards per game (fourth). He finished second in Assistant Coach of the Year voting, behind former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. It quickly became apparent during the season that his name had picked up steam. Could Ben Johnson leave the Lions? Will he get a look come January? Are his days in Detroit numbered?





Johnson, of course, tried to downplay it all. Focused on turning Detroit’s season around and putting its best players in positions to succeed, he sidestepped questions about his future time and time again. But it was coming. And he knew it.





When the 2022 regular season concluded, Johnson returned from Green Bay — disappointed the playoffs weren’t on the table but encouraged by the team’s progress. Players cleaned out their lockers. A potentially foundational year for the franchise, one that put Johnson on the map, had just wrapped up. The offseason awaited him. NFL teams in need of head coaches did, too.

That’s when the requests rolled in. The Colts, casting a wide net with multiple rounds of interviews, contacted him. The Texans, equipped with the No. 2 overall pick and major draft capital, did as well. Then the Panthers, the franchise residing in Johnson’s home state of North Carolina, came calling. As the process unfolded, Johnson had 48 hours to collect his thoughts and prepare to interview for a job that only 32 people on this planet can have at a time. The Lions’ brass was supportive throughout. Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell and others offered advice and guidance as he navigated his first offseason as a hot commodity.




“I had no idea what I was getting into at the end of the day,” Johnson said. “But had (an interview with) Houston, I want to say, that Thursday morning. Then Friday afternoon the next day I had Indy. Unique is probably the first thing I learned. Each place is a little bit different. They had their own situations that they were concerned about, but also the format of the interview was completely different for both of them as well.”

Those interviews with the Colts and Texans gave Johnson a taste of the process. They also gave him clarity.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

“There is no doubt that these opportunities aren’t guaranteed,” Johnson said. “They don’t come along very often. There are only 32 of the jobs, and I was honored that I had three requests come out. Did some due diligence on it. … 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 se.”

After talking things through his wife, Johnson informed the Lions that he’d be returning. He removed himself from consideration before a scheduled interview with the Panthers. For a Lions team hoping to continue its upward trajectory and make a playoff run next season, it was welcome news.

In Detroit, Johnson has a top-five offense he feels can get better. Even last week, as he was praised by his peers for the work he did last season, Johnson wasn’t satisfied. When he hears about all that went well for Detroit’s offense, he can’t help but think about the missed opportunities. The fourth-down stops, the big runs that weren’t. It’s how he’s wired.

Now with a year under his belt, he expects even more.



“This week last year, I almost didn’t leave my hotel room except for the interviews,” Johnson said at the combine. “I just stayed locked in there ’cause I was still trying to formulate the foundation and the backbone of what we were going to be. And so to look back where we were then and where we are now, we are so far ahead. That’s where I really think we can take another step because we’ll be so much more detailed as a coaching staff.”

Johnson’s offensive staff has been retooled, but the moves made could aid him in that process. Former Colts RBs coach Scottie Montgomery is now on staff to replace Duce Staley. Talking to folks in Indianapolis, as well as Montgomery himself, he comes across as a diligent and detailed assistant who’s worn a lot of hats in his career. He’s been a head coach, an offensive coordinator and a quarterbacks coach at the college level. He’s been a running backs coach and a wide receivers coach in the NFL. He’s called plays in the past. He even interviewed for the Lions OC position that went to Johnson a year ago. Having a coach with that sort of experience adds another element to this Lions offense and how it game plans this fall.



In addition to Montgomery, the Lions hired Arizona Cardinals tight ends coach Steve Heiden for the same role. Heiden and Campbell’s paths have mirrored one another. They both played the position. They were both third-round picks in 1999, drafted 10 selections apart. They both spent about a decade in the NFL and both got into coaching upon retirement. Tight end was the one position on Campbell’s offensive staff that wasn’t headed up by a former NFL player. He now joins Hank Fraley (offensive line), Antwaan Randle El (wide receivers), Mark Brunell (quarterbacks) and Montgomery.

With Heiden in the mix, Johnson sees Tanner Engstrand’s role on staff evolving. He’ll retain the title of passing game coordinator, as Heiden assumes the TE room. In Indianapolis, Johnson noted that Engstrand was given more responsibilities as the 2022 season progressed. As Johnson tried to manage his time more efficiently, he turned to Engstrand to run the post-practice passing game meetings. He said he felt Engstrand grew into the role.

Smart organizations have succession plans in place, knowing they won’t be able to retain everyone. Johnson clearly thinks highly of Engstrand, and it appears the two have a good thing going. He’s one to keep an eye on, should Johnson eventually depart. Chalk that up as another potential benefit of Johnson’s return.




“Whatever’s coming out of his mouth is an extension of me and as a result an extension of Dan as well,” Johnson said of Engstrand. “He’s done a great job. He brings great ideas, positive at all times, and to see where he’s been since he got in the building to where he is now, he just keeps trending upwards.”

It remains to be seen how long Johnson will remain in Detroit. If he continues on his current trajectory, he should have options. He’s viewed as one of the best young offensive minds in the sport. Those guys don’t tend to stay coordinators forever.

But Johnson is fully aware of what he has in place and believes he knows where this is going. This is a Lions team that will enter 2023 with making the playoffs as a minimum goal. Those in Allen Park still wonder what might’ve happened had they snuck in this past season, and they’ll use that as motivation ahead of an all-important offseason. Helping this franchise become a perennial contender is exactly the sort of transition Johnson wants to oversee while he’s still around.

This week in Indianapolis, that was abundantly clear.




“I want to be around football,” Johnson said. “I want to win football games. I want to be around good people. And when I finally had a chance to step back and take a deep breath and look at it, that was the most important thing. I love Dan Campbell, I’ve known him for a long time, I believe in the direction of this organization. So that truly was the biggest drawing point for me to come back. … What we have here, what we’re building here, is something I want to be a part of.



“I’ve been a part of a number of losing seasons in my 11 years in the NFL. To feel us to get so close to making the playoffs this year and knowing the players we have, knowing what Brad’s been able to do in his short time here in acquiring this talent, this personnel, it really makes me feel like, man, we just gotta kick that door down. Get our foot into the dance, and all bets are off when that happens.”



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]

Detroit Lions' Aaron Glenn wants this trait above all else in the CBs he drafts

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


INDIANAPOLIS — Aaron Glenn played 15 NFL seasons with five different teams. He made three Pro Bowls as a cornerback, and in his second life as a coach, he knows what he wants in the position.

"I think the first thing that (I look for) is personality," Glenn said last week at the NFL combine. "Like, how do they come in? How confident are they? How do they go about opportunity with the installs?

"And, me personally, I can tell right off the top, is this one of the guys that's going to get after it, because of just the way he operates. There is a certain aura about him, and I would say this about a corner and a receiver, that you can get immediately just from personality-wise. That shows up."




The Detroit Lions spent the week at the combine looking for upgrades to their secondary in what is being touted as a strong cornerback draft.

Jerry Jacobs and Jeff Okudah are slated to return as starters in 2023, but Okudah was benched late in the season and most of the Lions' depth at the position — Amani Oruwariye, Will Harris and Mike Hughes — is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Glenn chalked Okudah's late-season struggles up to being part of "the life of a corner."

Okudah held opposing quarterbacks to a 59.7% completion rate on passes thrown his direction last season, according to Pro Football Reference. but he got burned in coverage in December games against the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, was benched for most of the second half of the Lions' Week 16 loss in Carolina and split playing time with Hughes in a Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears before missing the season finale with an elbow injury.

"He has to improve," Glenn said. "I will say that, along with everybody else on our defense. And he knows that, and he did improve. But there is always going to be peaks and valleys when you play that position. You try to stay at the top as much as you can. But it's hard. It's hard. But I'll tell you what, he is busting his butt. His trying his butt off to be at that top of the peak all the time."



Though Okudah is known as a cerebral player, Glenn insisted the No. 3 pick of the 2020 NFL draft has the demeanor he wants in his cornerbacks — one he plans to prioritize going forward.

"I think that's one thing sometimes people miss on, they don't look at that," Glenn said. "They just look at, 'OK, what is a guy talking about when you go through all the installs and all that,' instead of looking at the personality. How does he walk in the room? How does he leave the room? How's he shake your hand? Like all those things. Is it confidently? Is it soft? Is it, man that tells you a lot, especially about that position."




Family ties


Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, one of the top corners in this year's draft, is the brother of Olympic hurdler Melissa Gonzalez, the wife of former Lions quarterback David Blough.

Gonzalez, who is vying to be the first cornerback drafted along with Illinois' Devon Witherspoon and Penn State's Joey Porter Jr., said it would be "a lot of fun" to play with Blough, who is currently with the Arizona Cardinals.


"We're always talking about it," Gonzalez said. "We've never done it. I'd be excited. He doesn't talk the most smack, but he still talks his smack."

Gonzalez had the first four interceptions of his career last season at Oregon after starting the previous two years at Colorado. He said Blough has been a sounding board for him as he prepares for the NFL.




"(He's) somebody that I talked to growing up all the time," Gonzalez said. "He was always around the house. I remember playing with him when I was like 10 years old, just running around and throwing the ball. It's all come full circle and it's been great to have him in my corner."

Gonzalez called his sister the best athlete in the family.

"Olympian, so I'm going to give it to her," he said.

But he said he could beat his sister in the 40-yard dash. Melissa, running for Colombia, reached the semifinals of the 400 meter hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Christian a 4.38-second 40 at the combine this week, seventh fastest among cornerbacks.

"In the 40? Yeah, I got them in that short (distance)," Christian said. "They got the long distance."



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

[whatever_gong82]

Growing optimism about Detroit Lions felt at NFL scouting combine: 'Big offseason' ahead

Rainer Sabin

Detroit Free Press


INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Campbell insists his outlook hasn’t changed in the past 12 months. According to the Detroit Lions’ hyper-caffeinated coach, who guzzles souped-up Starbucks and wants to bite off kneecaps, he was just as enthused at this time last year as he was Wednesday while holding court with reporters at the NFL combine.

“This is a fun time no matter where you’re at — from free agency to the draft,” he said.

But it’s even more exciting when operating from a position of strength, which Campbell’s team attained after winning eight of its last 10 games. The Lions’ upward surge changed the complexion of an organization that has become one of the NFL’s most intriguing franchises with a young core of talent, an innovative offense and a magnetic head coach.



Detroit’s dizzying ascent toward a winning record made believers out of skeptics. On Wednesday, the questions posed by reporters were reflective of the team’s rapid metamorphosis. They asked general manager Brad Holmes whether the sudden revival that materialized after the Lions’ 1-6 start validated their decision to bet their fortunes on Campbell.

Not really, Holmes responded.



“I said as soon as he was hired that he had the elite traits of a successful head coach,” Holmes replied. “I’ve always admired the way that he’s able to make the right decisions, lead the team and pull the team out of a dark place.”

Now that the Lions have emerged from that black hole, Holmes sees them continuing to build toward a promising future.



He asserted multiple times that Detroit is headed in the “right direction.” He added it’s his charge to keep “that momentum going.”

“This is gonna be a big offseason,” he volunteered. “Never like to put too much pressure on myself.”

No worries. There is plenty coming from the outside. External expectations are sky-high for the Lions, who were on the cusp of a playoff berth as they approached the regular-season finale against Green Bay. From Campbell’s perspective, that road conquest of a rival in Week 18 served as a bellwether — showing how far the Lions had progressed since they finished with only three wins in 2021.


“To be able to go out to Lambeau, last game of the year, outdoors at night, against that quarterback, against that team that has won the division repeatedly for a number of years, I felt like that was a barometer of where we’re at, where we started and where we have come to. And man, we just continue to go.”

The Lions rolled full steam ahead into the offseason, looking to take the next step toward becoming a real contender. Holmes, more than anyone else, is aware of how much the franchise’s standing has changed in such a short period.



Go back four months, and his decision then to ship tight end T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings as part of a pick swap was seen by outsiders as a capitulation by an organization headed nowhere fast. Now, Holmes is enjoying the last laugh. With some sarcasm, he said he is glad “we can call it a trade now because it was (considered) a wave-the-white-flag-kind of deal at the time.” The positive results achieved on the field in the aftermath of the transaction reshaped perspectives, as Holmes knows all too well. That point was driven home when a reporter asked Holmes if the Lions are so well-stocked that they view their extra first-round selection in this year’s draft as an indulgence.

“Are we in a position to make that luxury pick?” Holmes echoed rhetorically.

He didn’t really supply an answer. But the mere fact that the question was raised shows how much things have changed for the Lions in the past 12 months as needs have turned into desires.

Campbell may not have broken his brisk stride during that period, bopping along as he always has.



But now everybody has caught up to him, supercharged by the Lions’ improvement.

“We’ve come a long way,” Campbell said.

And now everyone is curious about how far they may still go.

Contact Rainer Sabin: rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin.

[Futureshock]

He wants a guy like Bresee

DTs that have that AA:
Jalen Carter
Bryan Bresee
Calijah Kancey
and maybe Mazi Smith

Benton is another guy but IDK if he could run and chase.

But that's the whole list. Which pushes guys up. IDK if one will be around @ #48. I doubt it. Those first 3 guys are first rounders and when Mazi works out at his pro day, he will be long gone before #48 (UNLESS, the gun charges scare teams away). The rarity (this year) in the position makes all of them more valuable.

As far as Breese (I keep going back and forth), he checks the AA box. He checks the mental box too. You have to love Football to play through what he went through. Some guys would have sat so that they wouldn't mess up their draft status. But, he looks completely rehabilitated and moving well.