Lions News

[The King]

I wish him well. An Achilles is just a death knell for most players, and pretty much a life sentence for a CB. The tea leaves suggest we will draft a CB at some point. So we need his roster spot.

[jaadam4]

I hope DJ Turner is one of the CB’s.

[Topweasel]

This

I am not so sure. Okudah's fall from grace last year seems to intersect with Aubrey's firing.

I don't know how much of that is breaking in the new Achilles or just how he plays corner. But Aubrey if my memory serves me correctly was let go because we were getting nickel and dimed to death and he wasn't having CBs play tight and press off the snap. So every QB could march down the field on 5-7 yard outs. They fired him, played press. Okudah couldn't cover deep unless he spotted the receiver 5-7 yards.

While I am sure Okudah gets more speed back this year. I think his expertise was playing man deep against teams that relied on the run for short to medium gains, and used the passing for chunk pickups. In the NFL with as much shotgun and 1st and 2nd down passing that goes on you can't be spotting the team 5 yards every down.

Again it might be because of how little we saw of him in a team seemingly coached right. It could be his Achilles, but he just might not have been a good fit for the future of the team if Holmes is prioritizing the Dline. It would be nice to have someone with his deep coverage skills for when the Line doesn't produce pressure, but not if it means every other passing play he can be picked on to get a easy first down.

[whatever_gong82]

New Detroit Lions DL coach: Aidan Hutchinson's ceiling 'as high as he wants it to be'


Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


New Detroit Lions defensive line coach John Scott Jr. is still haunted by the last time he saw Aidan Hutchinson on the field.


Scott was an assistant at Penn State in November 2021, and Hutchinson was a wrecking ball in the process of leading Michigan to a 21-17 win over the Nittany Lions.


Hutchinson forced an intentional grounding penalty with a pass rush on the second play of the game, had a run stuff at the line of scrimmage a few plays later and sacked quarterback Sean Clifford to stall the Nittany Lions' opening drive. He finished the game with seven tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.


"I’m glad he’s on my side now," Scott said Wednesday in his first interview since he joined the Lions in February. "We had a tough one the last time I saw Aidan on the field."


Hutchinson had a similar impact in his first NFL season last year, when he led the Lions with 9½ sacks and finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting; Scott said it's his job to get even more out of his talented pass rusher and the rest of the Lions young defensive line this fall.


"The guy’s a high-motor guy," Scott said. "He was extremely productive in college and I’ve watched his games from the NFL, he still plays that way. I think the ceiling’s as high as he wants it to be. He’s a talented guy and he works at it, so super excited to get with him and help him go where he wants to go."


Hutchinson, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 draft, got off to a slow start last season, recording one or fewer tackles in three of the Lions' first seven games. But he benefitted from a slight schematic change in mid-October that let him play more as a stand-up pass rusher and finished the season on a tear.



The NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month in both November and December/January, Hutchinson had three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and five sacks over the season's final 10 weeks.


"He’s an impact player," new Lions senior defensive assistant John Fox said. "I think the fact that he’s kind of a homegrown kid as well I think adds to the allure. And he’s a guy that works hard. You see a lot of strain in his game when you look at him on tape. I just met him a couple days ago for the first time as a Lion, but you see great potential. He had a very, very good rookie season and I think he’ll just be that much better for it, those experiences, and he’ll just get better and better. But he’s an outstanding prospect, an outstanding player and look for a lot of improvement."


If Hutchinson takes another leap forward this fall, that could mean good things for a Lions defense that finished last in the NFL in yards allowed last season.

continued..

[whatever_gong82]

The Lions return every major contributor from their defensive line last season and added three new starters to their secondary in free agency. And Scott said he's hoping general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell give him even more pieces to work with in this month's draft.



"I’ll take as many good defensive linemen I can take," he said. "Obviously, coach Campbell and Brad, they got this thing handled for us so they’ll make the right moves for it. But selfishly, you take as many good defensive lineman that you can take."



Well wishes


New Lions cornerbacks coach Dre Bly was traded once in his 11-year NFL career, in the spring of 2007 when the Lions shipped him to the Denver Broncos for running back Tatum Bell and offensive lineman George Foster.


So Bly has an idea of what former Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah experienced this week, when the Lions pulled the plug on their 2020 first-round pick and traded him to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick in this month's NFL draft.


"Sometimes this happens in the game," Bly said Wednesday. "Don’t really know much about the situation. My job is to coach the players that’s here, but I’m sure he’s going to embrace that situation, that opportunity to go to Atlanta."


Bly said he spoke with Okudah shortly after he was hired in February, but the two never got the chance to meet this offseason.


Bly had one of the most productive seasons of his career after his trade, intercepting five passes in 16 games in Denver. He went on to play one more season with the Broncos and another with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring; he said he hopes Okudah will find similar success in Atlanta.



Okudah had two interceptions in 25 games over three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit. He was fifth on the Lions depth chart at cornerback after free agency, but is expected to compete for a starting job with the Falcons.


"He was a very successful guy in college and so I’m sure he’s looking forward to the opportunity," Bly said. "Wish him well."


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

[whatever_gong82]

John Fox reunites with Dan Campbell in new role on Lions' coaching staff

Justin Rogers

The Detroit News


Allen Park — When John Fox stepped away from the game of football following the 2017 season, he didn't immediately recognize how exhausted he was after working as a head coach 16 consecutive years for three different franchises. It also didn't take him long to start missing it.


"I think you kind of realize there’s some burnout there that you don’t even know," Fox said. "You go three straight jobs; I’m not even sure it's been done before without taking a year off. Once I recovered from the burnout, I think you’ve got a lot more energy."


After just a few months away, he turned to broadcasting to fill the void, working as an analyst for ESPN for two years. But, it wasn't enough. He craved a level of competition only coaching could provide. So, he started looking for opportunities to throw his hat back in that ring. Not as a head coach, mind you. Those days are behind him. But, after sifting through his contacts around the league, he latched on to an opportunity with Frank Reich in Indianapolis, serving as a senior defensive assistant.


Obviously, things went sideways in Indianapolis last season, with Reich getting the hook mid-season. Still, Fox was reinvigorated by the challenge. So, he set out to find another place to continue the twilight of his career, landing in Detroit this offseason. Here, he reconnects with coach Dan Campbell, who was drafted by the New York Giants in 1999, when Fox was working as the team's defensive coordinator.


"The great thing about Dan is what you see is what you get, and he was that way as a player," Fox said. "He showed up every day and worked. He had his lunch pail and he went after it as a player, just like he is now as a coach, which, very proud of him and very proud to have the opportunity to be associated with him as a coach now. He and (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) both, when I met with them, it was kind of a match made (in heaven). I thought it was a great situation and very, very proud to be here."


Fox's value is ultimately his experience. And although he hasn't won a Super Bowl, he's coached in three, one as the coordinator in New York and twice as a head coach, both in Carolina and Denver. As the Lions continue to try and forge their own path to championship contention after spending the past two years rebuilding the roster, Fox is quick to emphasize there are no shortcuts to the top.




"You've got to put in the time," he said. "A lot can be made on the outside about your prospects, but the reality is you're going to get what you earn. If guys put in the time, put in the work, they'll get to reap those benefits. Really trying to get in that mindset that nothing worth a darn comes easy and this is very, very difficult. These divisions are hard to win. You've got to put in a lot of time and effort. I think they've got that mindset. I think this is a tough-minded football team. Saw that when we worked against them last training camp.


"...Hopefully they got a small taste (last season), and now you gotta go put on your big-boy pants and get it done."


Fox also knows it's easy for a team to fall victim to buying into its hype, resulting in falling short of expectations. He doesn't see that being an issue under the watchful eye of Campbell, but it doesn't hurt to echo the warning.


"You can't take days off," Fox said. "About the time you start patting yourself on the back, those types of things, you get bit."




The Lions are coming off a season where they ranked last in total defense, but showed marked improvements down the stretch, particularly with limiting opponents' scoring. A lot of that betterment was due to a young core gaining experience and building chemistry, something Fox expects to continue to track in a positive direction.




"I think of the expectations of the coaches, I think it takes a while for players to get a feel for that," Fox said. "With that comes some growing pains, as far as making changes. So, I'm sure there were some changes, personnel-wise, as part of the march through the season a year ago. You saw those improvements, you saw those young guys getting better with time, and the more you do it, the better you get. I thought there was good evidence of that last season."


Fox isn't signing on to be an overbearing presence. He views himself as Glenn's assistant; an experienced, second set of eyes and ears who can backstop the coordinator's weekly planning. And more than anything, Fox is just happy to be back in the thick of things.




"You miss the closeness of the people, because you work very, very, very close, whether you’re playing or coaching," Fox said. "Naturally, you miss that. It’s like an old boys club, you know? But digging into it, what I missed, I felt, more than just the camaraderie, was the, ‘How can we stop this? How can we mess them up in this area? How can we —’ it’s the chess match part of it. I didn’t realize I’d missed it that much, and really enjoyed that a year ago (in Indianapolis), and looking forward to doing that all over again here. I really like our system defensively and it should be a lot of fun."


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Niyo: With Lions, Dre Bly embraces second chance in second home

John Niyo

The Detroit News


Allen Park — In some respects, Dre Bly reached the pinnacle of his NFL career almost as soon as he started it.


A fan favorite here in Detroit during his prime years as Pro Bowl cornerback, Bly was only a 22-year-old rookie when joined the St. Louis Rams and the “Greatest Show on Turf” just in time to win Super Bowl XXXIV — and then enjoy the spoils of that victory.


“Showing up in Nelly videos, bro,” Bly recalled with a laugh Wednesday, as a 45-year-old father of five who’s now back in the NFL as the Lions’ new cornerbacks coach. “That whole year, it went so fast. But I tell people all the time, I came into the league expecting to win a Super Bowl after that.”


He nearly won another in his third season with the Rams, only to be foiled in the end by a Super Bowl-winning drive led by a 24-year-old quarterback named Tom Brady.


“But after that, I never went back to the playoffs,” Bly said. “Never. I played eight more years in the league and never went back to playoffs.”


Not in the four years he’d spend in Detroit, where Bly signed a big free-agent deal in 2003 and earned it by making the Pro Bowl the next two seasons. And not at the end of it in Denver and San Francisco, either.


So among the lessons he took away from his 11-year NFL career — and chief among those he’ll try to impart now that his football life is coming full-circle here in Detroit — is this: Appreciate the moment.


“Things come and go so fast, and if you don't make the most of it, it can leave you just like that,” said Bly, who racked up as many interceptions (19) as he did wins during his first stint with the Lions from 2003-06.


“Even though I had some individual success when I came here, ultimately I didn't have the team success,” added Bly, who was allowed to seek a trade elsewhere a year into Rod Marinelli’s ill-fated coaching tenure in Detroit. “That's why I'm so excited to be back because I felt like I left some things out there on the field. And to see the way these guys are trending now, and with the leadership that we have, it’s really a blessing.


“I wasn't able to provide something here as a player, but I'm excited to be back to hopefully provide something as a coach. We’re gonna make the most of this opportunity.”


A second home


It’s a big one, no question, landing his first full-time NFL coaching gig with a team seemingly on the rise in a city that has always felt like a second home. Detroit is where Bly made his name as a player in this league, but it's also where he and his wife, Kristyn, started a family.


He spent the last four years as an assistant on Mack Bown’s staff at North Carolina, where Bly was a two-time All-American in the late-1990s. But prior to that, he’d spent time as a minority coaching intern with the New Orleans Saints, working alongside both Dan Campbell — the two actually were teammates in Detroit in 2006 — and Aaron Glenn, one of the veterans he’d patterned his own game after when he was a budding NFL star.


Bly and Glenn stayed in touch after that 2017 season, and when the Lions went looking for an assistant to replace Aubrey Pleasant, who’d been fired last October, there was a natural fit.

“I wanted to bring in somebody that can really show, and let these corners know, ‘This is how a corner operates,’” Glenn said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And I’ll tell you what: He has it. He has it and he’s fun. He’s energetic. He has this aura, this swagger about him that I know for a fact is gonna seep into all of our guys.”

Bly, for his part, admits he grew “a little jealous” last fall watching the Lions having fun again, first on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” and later as they caught fire in the second half and made a late playoff push in the NFC.

“When I heard people talking about the Lions here in this community, and just all across the football world, there was a lot of excitement,” he said.

And you can hear it in his voice now, too, as the coaches prepare for the players to return to the practice facility for offseason workouts beginning next week.



New-look group


The Lions’ secondary was arguably the team’s weakest link last fall, as the team ranked 30th in passing yards allowed. Not coincidentally, it’s the position group that has seen the biggest overhaul this offseason. Gone are former starters Amani Oruwariye, Jeff Okudah and Mike Hughes. And in their place are a trio of free-agent additions — Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson — that possess some of the same traits Bly did as a player:


"One of the things that Dan and A.G. talked about was having high ball-production guys, guys that make plays,” said Bly, who’ll also work with some key holdovers in Jerry Jacobs, Will Harris and Chase Lucas. “It's either in you or it's not in you. And I think we've been able to bring in three guys that have been highly productive, Three veteran players that have been successful in this league. Cerebral players that are smart, good leaders in the meeting room and off the field.”


Players who remind him of someone he knows well, too. Bly smiled Wednesday when he was asked about Sutton, who signed a three-year, $33 million with the Lions last month after spending his first six NFL seasons in Pittsburgh.


“He's like another coach on the field,” Bly said. “He's one of those guys who is going to be in your office all the time talking ball, asking questions. He's going to be one of the first guys in the building, one of the last ones to leave. And so as a coach, as a former player, that's what you love to hear.


“At the end of the day, this is why Dan coaches, this is why A.G. coaches, and the rest of the guys on staff who are former players. We want these guys to learn from us, but also have a chance to do what we weren’t able to do. That's the whole point of us coaching, is to pass the torch, helping these guys have the chance to be better than us.”

It's a chance Dre Bly is ready to make the most of now that he's been given a second chance in Detroit.


john.niyo@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @JohnNiyo

[whatever_gong82]

Rejuvenated John Fox adds extra set of eyes, ears, experiences to Detroit Lions defense


Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


John Fox figured he was done with coaching when he was fired by the Chicago Bears the day after the 2017 season ended.



Fox was drained from a lifetime in the sport, including nearly two straight decades as a head coach with the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Bears.



He found work as a studio analyst at ESPN and retired to Florida with his family during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as life got back to normal and football moved on without him, Fox discovered there was something he was missing.


"I think whenever even ex-players, a lot of players that I’ve coached, when they get out of the game, you miss the camaraderie, you miss the day-to-day, you miss the closeness of the people cause you work very, very close, whether you’re playing or coaching," Fox said. "So I missed that. Naturally, you’d miss that. It’s like an old boys club.




"But digging into it, what I missed I felt more than just the camaraderie was the, 'How can we stop this? How can we mess them up in this area?' It’s the chess match part of it. I didn’t realize I’d miss it that much, and really enjoyed that a year ago and looking forward to doing that all over again here."



Fox returned to the NFL after a four-year hiatus last season as a senior defensive consultant with the Indianapolis Colts and was hired for a similar position with the Detroit Lions this winter.



In announcing the move at the NFL combine in March, Lions coach Dan Campbell, who played for the New York Giants when Fox was an assistant there in 1999-2001, said Fox would play a "pivotal" behind-the-scenes role assisting Aaron Glenn on defense, similar to what Dom Capers did on Campbell's first Lions staff in 2021.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

Capers served as a senior defensive assistant and sounding board for Glenn before leaving for the Broncos last spring. The Lions did not have a senior defensive assistant last season, but employed John Morton as a senior offensive assistant.



"A very successful head coach," Campbell said of Fox in March. "Three different teams in this league and, man, 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. 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."


One of seven coaches to reach the Super Bowl with multiple teams and one of four to win conference titles in both the AFC and NFC, Fox's exact duties will be fleshed out as the season progresses but he described his role Wednesday as being "another set of eyes" for the Lions' young defensive staff.


Glenn is entering his third season as coordinator, and position coaches John Scott Jr. (defensive line), Kelvin Sheppard (linebackers) and Brian Duker (defensive backs) have two seasons or less of experience apiece as primary position coaches in the NFL.



"It’s not anything (like) I’ve got the master key to anything," he said. "It’s just another set of eyes, another thing to look at, maybe another set of experiences to draw from. Just here to help anyway you can. It’s exciting. You’ve got a good bunch of guys and guys that are willing to listen. And if they don’t want to listen, that’s fine, too. It’s just another set of eyes and ears and experiences."


The Lions finished last in the NFL in total defense and near the bottom of the league in points allowed last season, but Fox said he sees promise in a still-young group that projects to have at least four new starters this fall.




The Lions return their entire front seven from last year's 9-8 team, but signed three new starters for their secondary in free agency — Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson — and expect to get safety Tracy Walker back from a torn Achilles.



The five rookies who played key roles on defense last season — Aidan Hutchinson, James Houston, Kerby Joseph, Josh Paschal and Malcolm Rodriguez — should improve with experience, too.



"I think statistics are kind of odd because once you sink pretty far down it’s hard to recover," Fox said. "And so I think the end-of-the-year stats weren’t that impressive, but the most important stat is the win-loss column and they finished strong and not just as a football team they did, but I think particularly on defense they got better as they went and now we get an opportunity to build on that."


Though Fox has no previous working relationship with Glenn, he said he had "great respect" for Glenn as a player and was impressed with the Lions' defense during joint practices last summer in Indianapolis.



As for reuniting with Campbell, Fox called it "a perfect situation."


"The great thing about Dan is what you see is what you get," Fox said. "And he was that way as a player, he showed up every day at work, had his lunch pail. He went after it as a player, just like he is now as a coach, which very proud of him, very proud to have the opportunity to be associated with him as a coach now. He and A.G. both, when I met with them, it was kind of a match made (in heaven). I thought it was a great situation and very, very proud to be here."


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

[whatever_gong82]

Lions look to improve on defensive line with new coach John Scott Jr.


Justin Rogers

The Detroit News



Allen Park — If there's been a roster deficiency the Detroit Lions have yet to address this offseason, it's the team's subpar run defense from a year ago.


For all the improvements Detroit made defensively down the stretch of the 2022 campaign, stopping the run wasn't among them. The team allowed 5.2 yards per carry during a historically-bad five-game stretch to open the season, but also 5.2 yards per carry in the final 11 contests, after making schematic and personnel tweaks, which otherwise contributed to reduced scoring and the team's 8-2 record in the final 10 weeks.


Run defense starts up front, and so far, Detroit's only offseason moves with its defensive line and linebacking corps have been retaining their own free agents, most notably John Cominsky, Isaiah Buggs and Alex Anzalone. And while there's still the draft, where there's a strong likelihood the team finds some complementary additions, until they do, the issue remains a concern.



To date, the biggest change hasn't been with the personnel, but on the coaching staff. The team allowed defensive line coach Todd Wash out of his contract to join the Carolina Panthers and replaced him with John Scott Jr.


A former defensive lineman who briefly played in the CFL, Scott has been coaching for more than two decades, but mostly at the collegiate level. He did spend two years with the Jets in 2015-16, but only as a low-level defensive assistant. Most recently, Scott was at Penn State. There, he played a role in coaching one of the nation's best defenses. And important to Detroit's deficiency, the Nittany Lions were also one of the best at stopping the run, limiting opponents to 3.3 yards per carry last season.




Asked what makes a good run defense, Scott presented a simple formula.


"I think it's a combination of things," he said. "I think, you know, number one, it starts with being a great technician. I think it's being a great technician, having the right eyes, hand placement, good, proper footwork. You know, a lot of people think playing defensive line is not a technical spot. You can just go, you know, two big people running together and one guy wins. It's a lot more complicated than that.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

"To me, it starts with an attitude and mentality," Scott continued. "Coach (Dan Campbell) has created that attitude and mentality here. Coach Campbell, you guys have seen him, how he works and just applying that to being a technician and finishing plays and things like that. So, I think it starts with the mentality. We have that here and we're just going to continue to work to be great technicians at what we do. I think that's a key for it. I know that's what helped us this year at Penn State."


With the draft right around the corner, it's expected the Lions will add more talent to the defense, particularly the interior of the defensive line. The team continues to do its homework on top prospects, including Georgia's Jalen Carter, and are also reportedly hosting Siaki Ika, a massive 335-pounder out of Baylor, for a pre-draft visit.



Coverage collaboration


It's often said an effective pass defense is the marriage of a team's rush and coverage. The Lions made notable strides in getting after the quarterback last season, but the team's coverage lagged behind. The 7.9 yards per pass attempt the team surrendered ranked 31st in the NFL.


To remedy that situation, the Lions went all-in on secondary improvements in free agency, signing smart, physical cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, as well as safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who finished tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions in 2022.


And while he won't coach any of those players directly, Scott knows the additions have the potential to provide a big boost to his guys up front.


"I just look at what we did last year at Penn State, I think we were fifth in the country in sacks and we were No. 1 in the country in PBUs," Scott said. "We had some pretty good corners. So when those guys can lock guys up, take them off the map, it gives us more time to get to the quarterback. And then flip-side, they know the way we rush they don’t have to cover for long. So, I think it works hand-in-hand. So, any time we get great people in the secondary, as a D-line coach, I’m very excited about that because that gives us more opportunities to get back there, and we just feed off each other."


Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. earned first-team all-conference honors and is expected to be a first-round pick this month. He could be in play for the Lions with the second of the team's two selections in that round, No. 18 overall.


Former foe turned friend


Scott will have the pleasure of coaching second-year defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson, who was a top contender for defensive rookie of the year last season after racking up 9.5 sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries in his debut season.

It's a welcomed change of pace for the coach after experiencing Hutchinson's game-wrecking abilities while at the University of Michigan.


"I’m glad he’s on my side now," Scott said. "We had a tough one the last time I saw Aidan. I think we had six snaps on offense and he had three sacks to start the game. ...That guy is a high-motor guy, he was extremely productive in college. I’ve watched his games from the NFL, he still plays that way. I think the ceiling is as high as he wants it to be. He’s a talented guy and he works at it, so super excited to get with him and help him go where he wants to go."



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers

[jaadam4]

I love that John Fox addition. This front office and coaching staff continually adds a good mix of experienced football minds and youth to their ranks.

It’s really awesome

[Mainevent]

Lions look to improve on defensive line with new coach John Scott Jr.

Well, i would certainly hope they aren't looking to get worse.

[Futureshock]

NEWS Cam Sutton: Lots of Players 'Don't Really Understand the Game'


New Lions defensive back feels he has a deep understanding of NFL football.

BY JOHN MAAKARONAPR 10, 2023 9:14 AM EDT

[Blue Lagoon58]

I still can't believe all the positive around this team from every corner. Something I haven't seen in my lifetime. Kept waiting for the SOL to show up the last 10 games, but never really did. I don't count the Carolina game as that...