Lions News

[dpatnod]

No thanks. Draft the LS of the future.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions hire Denver Broncos' Mike Sundeen as new head athletic trainer


From last night's Freep, it went online at 9:47 PM EST.

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press



The Detroit Lions have a new head athletic trainer.

The Lions hired Mike Sundeen from the Denver Broncos as their new head trainer, the second major addition they've made to their medical staff this offseason.

Sundeen replaces Kevin Bastin, who served as the Lions trainer in 2014-18 then returned for a two-year term early in the 2021 season after stepping away for the final two seasons of the Matt Patricia era.



In February, the Lions hired Arizzona Cardinals physical therapist consultant Brett Fischer as their director of player health and performance. Fischer is widely regarded as one of the top rehab specialists in the NFL, and worked with players from all teams at his Arizona-based practice, Fischer Institute Consulting, in the offseason.


"He’s going to be a big part of our medical and performance advancement going forward," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said at the combine last month. "He came highly recommended. ... We’re always looking to get better in all areas of our organization, and going through this process and getting to know Brett, I quickly saw what everybody was saying about him. He’s a forward-thinking, he’s a collaborator and he will head our medical process, work in conjunction with Mike Clark and we just want to get better at our medical performance in general but most importantly just our player well-being, so I think Brett Fischer, he’s going to be a huge part in that."




The Lions dealt with a string of injuries early last season that contributed to their 1-6 start.

Offensive skill players D'Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds missed a combined 13 games with ankle and shoulder injuries that in some cases limited their production throughout the year; linemen Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Tommy Kraemer and Levi Onwuzurike missed all of last season with back injuries; and safety Tracy Walker became the third prominent Lion to tear his Achilles tendon in 13 months.


Holmes and Lions coach Dan Campbell gave an optimistic update on Vaitai's return from back surgery at the NFL's annual spring meeting last week, but Campbell took a cautious tone while talking about Onwuzurike's recovery.

A second-round pick in 2021, Onwuzurike played 16 games the past two seasons because of an injury he dealt with in college.



"He and Vaitai kind of fall in the same category of we just need to see how it is," Campbell said. "We talked to him a couple of weeks ago, he was doing good, the rehab has gone well, but you just don’t know. You don’t know with a back. But I mean certainly, he’s going to get an opportunity if the body will allow it."

Sundeen has worked for the Broncos since 2014 in a full-time role, according to his profile on the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society website. He also worked for the Broncos as an intern in 2010-12 after studying at Connecticut and Northern Colorado.



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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell explains why he's glad NFL still allowing controversial play

Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press



When push comes to shove, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is happy the NFL is leaving one of its most controversial plays in place.

Speaking at the NFL’s annual spring meeting last week, Campbell said he was pleased the league’s competition committee did not recommend a ban on the push play that rose in prominence last season thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles.



“I’m all good with it,” Campbell said. “I’ve got no problem, man. Because here's why, man. I think of it defensively, man, you've got to have a plan to stop it. And that's what fires me up. We're going to have a plan to stop it.”


The Eagles ranked fourth in the NFL in fourth down conversion percentage last season (68.8%) and converted 34 of 38 quarterback sneaks (89.5%) into first downs, according to NBC Sports.




Playing behind one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, Philadelphia often employed the sneak, with quarterback Jalen Hurts burrowing for yardage behind center Jason Kelce while getting pushed from behind by teammates.

Hurts gained six first downs on sneaks in the Super Bowl, which prompted some in the league to suggest the pushing part of the play should be outlawed.



The NFL previously banned pushing a runner to gain yardage, but modified its rule book in 2005.



“I think some defensive coaches are bringing that up,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said jokingly Feb. 28 at the NFL combine. "No, we'll play whatever rules they have. But it was obviously a very successful play for us. … Very successful play for us, but it wasn't the only thing we were doing off of it. We had some exciting plays that came off of it when the defenses were trying to stop the play they thought (was coming)."



The Lions ranked among the NFL’s most effective fourth down teams last season, converting 40.8% (11th in the league). They were 6 of 10 on fourth-and-1 rushes, but rarely called quarterback sneaks.



“Our analytics crew always is pushing for more quarterback sneaks and I’m all for it,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said at the combine. “But I also love explosive plays. I don’t know how many quarterback sneaks have been explosive over the last few years. We had a couple explosives on short-yardage, both run game and pass game. There is a little give or take.”

Asked if pushing should be outlawed, Johnson said, “I’m good either (way). Will we do it? I’m sure we can, but like I said, to each their own.”



NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay said the topic was debated at rules meetings after the season and talked about again with ownership last week.

The committee, McKay said, is “definitely split on the play,” which was changed in 2005 because downfield officials had a difficult time distinguishing between blocks and pushes on some goal line plays.



“We did not think it would become strategy, and here we are,” McKay said. “But there was no — nobody made a rules proposal nor was there enough support on the committee for us to propose a rules change, so it will stay in. We certainly look at all the injury data, see if there’s anything there (that needs to be changed in the future).”



Campbell said he’s confident defenses will find a way to stop the push play, and once they do, it won’t be an issue anymore.

“That's like my goal is that we come back here next year and it’ll be like, ‘All right, we can't do that anymore,’” he said. “So, listen, you've got something good, then defensively, you've got to find a way to stop it. So this’ll be fun.”



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

[El Axe]

Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell explains why he's glad NFL still allowing controversial play

Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

<clip>

The only reason this play concerns me is the potential for not just injury but scary injury. The forces involved in the play are larger than most. I don't want to think about a ball carrier's head being caught in the wrong position with several lineman on both sides pushing in opposite directions.

[Futureshock]

The last thing this franchise needs is a Nick Fairley 2.0, an underachiever if there was ever one.

If he had 80% of Suh's motivation, he'd still be in the NFL right now.

No. Not true. Man, he had just came off his best season and was really playing well when his enlarged heart issue flamed up and he never played in the league again. It took him 4 off and on type seasons, but he got it together. The health issue is what did him in in the end.

[froot loops]

That's damning with faint praise though. Whoever they draft, they kind of need the player to be locked and loaded in year 1.

[Futureshock]

IDK if they need them rigt now. DT? sure. IDK of any other positions where we need a guy day 1. Maybe CB until Moseley is healthy.

[jaadam4]

IDK if they need them rigt now. DT? sure. IDK of any other positions where we need a guy day 1. Maybe CB until Moseley is healthy.

F’ing LB!! That positional group has been so bad for so long. We def need a DT but the middle of that D isn’t and hasn’t been good .

[jaadam4]

Can the Lions just go ahead and bring A’Shaun Robinson back please? He’s awesome against the run.

[Mainevent]

F’ing LB!! That positional group has been so bad for so long. We def need a DT but the middle of that D isn’t and hasn’t been good .

Is there anything in Holmes background that suggests they will invest a 1st day pick in a LB? Hell, I'm skeptical that the will even spend a 2nd rounder on one, though having 2 2nd rounders may make that more likely. If they came out of day 2 with one of Sanders, Campbell, Simpson, Henley or Overshwon, I'll be pretty happy.

[jaadam4]

I know what you’re saying about history but what’s the need been? If there’s a glaring hole I’m not certain he’d choose something else because it’s his thing.

I hope they fix that group. They’re not great

[jaadam4]

Plus they’ve been trying to fix the trenches. It’s time to get after some of the skill positions

[Mainevent]

I don’t think they see it as a glaring need. At least not one that requires addressing with too high of a pick. They have a starting 3 + Houston who will play some OLB.

(Part of me is probably just trying to talk into existence them drafting a LB by doubting it so much.)

[froot loops]

I don't think linebacker is the glaring hole that Jad thinks it is. Rodriguez was pretty.good last year and Anzalone came on strong in the second half. If you can find a Micah Parsons clone, then go for it but you are much more likely to get a Jarrad Davis.

[jaadam4]

Rodriqo has the head for the game and processes quickly but he's small. The rest aren't good athletically. They're good football players but we need talent there.