Lions News

[El Axe]

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...

Welcome! I hear you. There's no guarantee that this will continue to move forward, but it sure does feel different.

I lived in Chicago in the early 80s when they hired Coach Ditka. Campbell might be the closest thing to him I've seen since. A ton of similarities in management style & personality. Heck, they were both NFL tight ends, too.

[El Axe]

Dan Campbell was on the Rich Eisen show tonight. It was his birthday today (well, now it's past midnight, so yesterday).

[jaadam4]

MCDC is just an awesome coach for the Lions. Couldn’t have crafted a better guy for the job in the D

[whatever_gong82]

Article from yesterday.

New Lions offensive assistant Jim Hostler 'blessed, fortunate' to land job in Detroit


Nolan Bianchi

The Detroit News


Allen Park — Jim Hostler is still not totally certain what, exactly, his new role as senior offensive assistant with the Detroit Lions entails. For the moment, he's just happy to be here.


Hostler played cornerback at Indiana University of Pennsylvania back in the 80s, coached both sides of the ball and made stops at nearly every position group until joining the staff in Detroit this offseason. In a role that encompasses a wide range of topics, Holster's past experience has him ready to deal with any one of them, he said Wednesday at an introductory press conference in Allen Park.


“I played on defense, (worked as a grad assistant) in the secondary, and my first job was coaching the running backs,” Hostler said. “Then he brought me back to the defense, then he sent me over to coach receivers, then came back to defense, then went back over and was coaching quarterbacks and the offensive coordinator.”


It’s quite the resume. More important than the number of positions he’s held, though, is the knowledge that Hostler, 56, has for each position individually.


“There’s a lot of things you can do as a senior offensive assistant,” Hostler said. “Some of it is in the realm of coaching coaches, when you have younger coaches on your staff. Some of it is in the realm of … being advanced in the game-planning, meaning the coordinator spends the week worried about the game, and somebody else can worry about the next game.”



“Not to get into a lot of detail about it, but, that’s kind of some different things you can do. Then, just information. ‘How did you do this? How did you do that? Hey, you know, this is the way that we did it. How did you do it?’ And it’s just another perspective, an educated opinion that might be different from theirs that makes you think about other things.”


All told, Holster isn’t sure how he ended up in Detroit. He was let go by Washington, where he had the same role last season, a bit late in the process and was fortunate enough to have someone from the Lions reach out to him first, he said.


“A lot of this business is about who you know, guys helping you get jobs, their recommendations. For me, (those connections) needed to get a lot younger,” Hostler said. “I was with a younger coach in Washington, Scottie (Turner). I knew his dad, so there was a connection there, but here I didn't know (anyone).


“I was really fortunate to get in on this job. You can imagine the reputation that (offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has), the reputation that the head coach (Dan Campbell) has. There were a lot of people who were interested in this job. I'm really blessed, fortunate that I got it.”



There will be plenty of opportunities to put his wide array of skills to work, and possibly, further his career. Hostler’s new offensive staff is on the younger side, including the 36-year-old Johnson, who after one year as the Lions’ offensive coordinator had multiple suitors for head-coaching gigs. With more than two decades of NFL coaching experience under his belt, Holster is ready to learn from one of the best in the business.



“(Johnson) understands the game. From a football standpoint, also, he understands the complexity of it and how to make it simple,” Hostler said. “This game is a very complex game, and … there are a lot of things going on, but the guys that really have a gift are the guys that can take those complex things and make them simple. And he can do that.

“Simple things show up on that tape, but they show up at the right times and in the right fashion. The way they trained. And that’s kinda the brilliance of it.”


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @nolanbianchi

[Trickalicious]

I heard a "things of that nature" in that interview. What's a coach gotta do to get fired around here?

[whatever_gong82]

New Detroit Lions TEs coach sees 'a lot of room to grow' for James Mitchell


Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions set a franchise record for touchdowns by tight ends last season, with most of that production coming after a midseason trade sent T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings.

But as productive as Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra were in the second half of the season, new tight ends coach Steve Heiden sees plenty of growth ahead in 2023.

“I think in my room, or that tight end room in general, any tight end room, there’s always ways to improve,” Heiden said Wednesday. “It’s a position that you got to be, in the passing game you’ve got to go block a 300-pounder and, next play, you’ve got to go run by a safety. So there’s always things to improve on and we’ll work on that once we get in.”



Wright, Mitchell and Zylstra sit atop the depth chart at tight end with players set to report for the Lions’ formal offseason program next week.

The Lions are expected to add to the position in the April 27-29 draft, after pursuing and missing out on Foster Moreau in free agency. Heiden, who played 11 NFL seasons at tight end with two different teams — he was taken 10 picks ahead of Lions coach Dan Campbell, another ex-tight end, in the 1999 draft — said he has some non-negotiables he looks for in the position.



“To its core, football hasn’t changed since me and Dan were playing the position,” Heiden said. “I think it’s still about physicality first and if you go to the game with that mindset and that approach, for most of the time, the rest will take care of itself. I still think you can win a bunch of games in this league just being more physical than your opponent. Now obviously as you go, you tie other things on top of that. Your technique, your fundamentals, your discipline, your approach to the game, all that, but I think it starts with physicality and I don’t think that’ll change.”

Heiden spent the past 10 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and had a hand in the Cardinals’ decision to spend a second-round pick — their first selection of the draft — on Trey McBride last spring.


This year’s tight end class is considered one of the deepest ever, and as many as three tight ends — Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid and Georgia’s Darnell Washington — could go in the first round.


Last year, Hockenson led all Lions tight ends with 26 catches for 395 yards before his trade, but Wright and Zylstra caught four touchdowns each and Mitchell, a fifth-round pick who missed most of his final college season with a torn ACL, had 11 catches for 113 yards and one score.



“When that trade happened, I think these guys played really well,” Heiden said. “And you could see the growth go as the season went on. I think a lot of that credit goes to the men in the room and I think a lot of the credit goes to (last year’s tight ends coach and current pass game coordinator) Tanner (Engstrand). I think Tanner did a hell of a job with the guys and I think that needs to be said. Brock, James, Shane, they all contributed in their ways and there’s still a lot of growth for each of them. So I’m excited to have them and excited for them to get in here and start working.”


Mitchell, in particular, should see an uptick in playing time this fall after he was inactive the first three weeks of last season and did not catch his first pass until Week 8, two days before the Hockenson trade.



Heiden said he liked Mitchell as a draft prospect and is looking forward to working with him.



“Here’s a kid that was coming off an ACL last year and that’s hard to do,” Heiden said. “I had to do that myself as a player, and you’re really not yourself that whole next year, so it was a lot of credit to him just being out there playing. The things you see on tape, you see the athletic tools and some of the things he can do movement wise, and we’re going to grow and build off of that as we go this year. So I’m excited to get him his second year off the ACL. I think that’s an important year to grow and develop. I think there’s a lot of room to grow there for him.”


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

[whatever_gong82]

New TE coach Steve Heiden brings old-school ethos to Lions: 'Physicality first'

Nolan Bianchi

The Detroit News


Allen Park — New Detroit Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden has one of the youngest position groups in the league.


But if anyone thinks he’s shaping his coaching philosophy around that — well, think again. When it comes to his overarching ethos as a coach, there isn’t much wiggle room.


“To its core, football hasn’t changed since me (Lions head coach and former NFL tight end) and Dan (Campbell) were playing the position,” Heiden said. “I think it’s still about physicality first, and you go into the game with that mindset and that approach.

“Most of the time, the rest will take care of itself.”



Heiden, who played 11 years in the league with San Diego and Cleveland before retiring in 2009, comes to Detroit after a decade with the Arizona Cardinals. He got his start as an assistant special-teams and assistant tight ends coach in 2013, then spent a year as an offensive line assistant before working four years as tight ends coach (2019-22).


“I still think you can win a bunch of games in this league just being more physical than your opponent,” Heiden said. “Now, obviously as you go, you tie all the things on top of that — your technique, your fundamentals, your discipline, your approach to the game and all that, but I think it starts with physicality, and I don't think that'll change.”



Though he’s still digging into the Lions’ tight ends situation as a whole, he took notice last season that the group actually became more productive after trading away T.J. Hockenson, a former top-10 pick and one of Detroit’s top pass-catchers.

Still, he’s not oblivious that young players may require a different type of teaching and that having a young group comes with its own set of benefits and disadvantages.


“The pros are there’s always growth to be had. You can kinda mold what you want out of these players,” Heiden said. “And like I was saying with the position, there’s so many specific things we need to do in both the run and the pass game that we can really grind away on these techniques and fundamentals that we want to work on, and I can mold them a little bit into what I want out of a player.

“That’s the neat part about it.”



On Mitchell


Many mock drafts and projections have the Lions destined to take a tight end. Heiden was reluctant to specifically address what the Lions might be looking for from the upcoming draft’s class of tight ends.


“Overall, yeah, it’s a good class,” he said. “We’ve obviously done a bunch of work on it, but I think I’m not going to get into the details on the players or any stuff like that.”


He did, however, have great things to say about second-year tight end James Mitchell, a fifth-round pick by Detroit in 2022 who was still rehabbing a torn ACL during the most crucial parts of his rookie offseason.


“I liked him coming out, so I know that. Here’s the thing: Here’s a kid that was coming off an ACL last year, right? That’s hard to do,” Heiden said. “I’ve had to do that myself as a player, and you’re really not yourself that whole next year. So, there’s a lot of credit to him just being out there playing.”


Mitchell wound up appearing in 14 games for Detroit, catching 11 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

“The things you see on tape: You see the athletic tools, some of the things he can do movement-wise, and we’re going to grow and build off of that as we go into this year,” Heiden said. “So, I’m excited to get him his second year off the ACL. I think that’s an important year to grow and develop.

“I think there’s a lot of room to grow for him.”


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @nolanbianchi

[edindetroit]

The Home Run Swing — and eventual successor


Campbell, not known for his poker face, has done his best to keep things close to the vest re: the QB conversation. At the combine, Campbell spoke highly of Goff. But in the same breath, he mentioned that Goff, only 28, won’t play forever. At the owners’ meetings, Campbell again publicly backed Goff while also noting the Lions will look to upgrade wherever they can — QB included.


Depending on your read of the situation, it’s either an attempt to pave the way for a young quarterback or one to blur the lines of Detroit’s true draft plans. But at the very least, the Lions are doing their homework. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is scheduled to meet with the Lions on Tuesday.


“I would say this, man,” Campbell said. “This year, as with most, you’re always looking to upgrade. And free agency has given us the ability in areas to, man, we can do whatever we need to do in the draft. We feel pretty good about that. We don’t feel forced to do anything. … It doesn’t matter what the position is. If we can upgrade our team top to bottom, we will do that.”


If the Lions select one of the top five quarterback prospects later this month, it’ll be a swing at an upgrade to eventually replace Goff. No other way to put it, and the reasons why it could be on the table have been well-documented.


Goff is an above-average starting quarterback who is capable of leading this team to the playoffs. After all, he almost just did it, and he could have several more years of quality football ahead of him in the right situation. Holmes helped draft him with the Rams and traded for him with the Lions. There’s a plausible scenario in which Detroit moves forward with Goff in mind and works to build around him rather than replace him. Why not see where he could take this squad first, ahead of a year with real expectations, before deciding to run him out of town?


At the same time, though, Goff isn’t without his limitations, and there are several questions that go beyond football to consider. What if Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator who helped revive his career, leaves for a head coaching opportunity next year? Is Detroit’s coaching staff stable enough to provide the sort of continuity to maintain Goff’s level of play? If not, and Goff’s production isn’t what it once was, where would that leave the two sides — especially during a competitive window?


Goff’s current contract is fair for what he provided last season, but what about a few years from now? He’ll be due for an extension soon, and quarterbacks these days are making north of $40 million. The Lions will have to pay key players like Jonah Jackson, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown and others down the road. Some teams have no problem paying QBs top money, knowing the guy they have in place is worth the cap configuration. Do the Lions believe Goff is worth it?


And finally, considering Detroit might not find itself drafting this high again — at least not without trading the farm — would Holmes consider drafting a quarterback early and letting him learn under Goff and Johnson before moving forward with him as the starter? Holmes said in January that it’s easier to get worse at quarterback than it is to get better, and there’s certainly logic behind that. This feels like a move Holmes would only make if he were confident in the environment the Lions have built to get the most out of a QB. Detroit has one of the better offensive lines in football, two young receivers ready to go, a solid run game and a veteran QB it can win with in the meantime.


It’s hard to think of a better environment for a young QB than what Detroit has in place. And with the Lions meeting with Florida QB Anthony Richardson at the combine, and Hooker reportedly on Tuesday, it’s among the options they’re clearly considering.

We’ll find out soon enough.


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

At 28 Goff has a lot of years left.

[chemiclord]

At the end of the day, this continues to linger because Goff isn't going to be someone who wows the casual observer.

Personally, Holmes and Campbell are approaching it perfectly. Goff can do the job, but if someone comes along that they think will be an upgrade, they'll pull the trigger.

The question is, do they see that guy in this draft class?

[Whitley]

The only way they go QB is if Stroud drops to them and then only if there is not an excellent offer on the table for 6.

[Mainevent]

I have accepted Anthony Richardson into my life and will be fine with him at 6. If they decide to move up to 3 for a QB, I won’t love that but I would understand, as long as the price isn’t crazy.

[ghandi]

Well with any luck it is the Lions last time picking in top 10 for awhile (barring a trade of course).....This year may very well be their best chance to get a top rated QB.

[jaadam4]

I have accepted Anthony Richardson into my life and will be fine with him at 6. If they decide to move up to 3 for a QB, I won’t love that but I would understand, as long as the price isn’t crazy.

It’s funny the way you phrase that. I’d prefer Levis but Richardson looks like a freak of nature at Qb. I can’t say I’d be mad.

[Mainevent]

Not a fan of Levis, would steer clear of him. This is one stat that had me feeling better about Richardson and a lot worse about Levis:

[jaadam4]

Levis was surrounded by complete shit at Kentucky but I think it won’t matter. Indy will take Levis