Lions News

[Blue Lagoon58]

Rumors are it's not serious. Rumors.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions camp observations: Defense, led by front, starts and finishes in dominant fashion during camp-ending scrimmage


Justin Rogers
Aug 21


Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ 16th and final training camp practice of the 2024 offseason.


● Ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale, the Lions conducted a scrimmage, designed specifically to get their starters a good amount of work in a full-contact setting.

Obviously, the big news coming out of the day was a foot injury suffered by offensive tackle Penei Sewell. That occurred during the back half of practice, and he was able to walk to the locker room under his own power.


● Because Detroit’s emphasis was on their starters, let’s start with those groups. The first-team offense squared off with the top defense eight possessions in the opening half, with the latter group dominating. Let’s break it down, drive-by-drive.


● The opening series was a three-and-out after Levi Onwuzurike penetrated the backfield, blowing up a first-down run, and tight end Brock Wright dropped a pass across the middle. On third-and-long, quarterback Jared Goff threw to no one in particular, as his desired target, Kalif Raymond, was blanketed by rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw.


● The defense stayed hot the second series thanks to more production from the front. The five-play drive saw Aidan Hutchinson bat down a pass in the backfield, Kyle Peko work over rookie offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun for a tackle for loss, and Onwuzurike and Marcus Davenport combine on a sack on third-and-5.


● Things got worse for the offense with their third possession as cornerback Carlton Davis jumped a quick throw to David Montgomery, lined up out wide, returning it 36 yards for a touchdown.


● Goff finally led his unit to points on his fourth try, thanks to a pair of crossing patterns to Raymond and Amon-Ra St. Brown netting 48 yards. But once in the red zone, the d-line stepped up again with Peko stuffing a David Montgomery run for a gain of 1 yard and Alim McNeill batting down the quarterback’s third-down throw, forcing the offense to settle for a short Jake Bates field goal.


● That led into another three-and-out, with Peko staying red hot with a first-down pressure forcing an incompletion, and Goff’s third-down deep shot to Jameson Williams falling incomplete after the receiver angled the route inside and the quarterback was thinking a sideline shot.


● The momentum stayed with the defense the following drive when Goff failed to see Alex Anzalone dropping into an underneath zone on a slant intended for Williams. The veteran linebacker didn’t catch it cleanly, but he was able to corral the deflection for the pick.


● Late in the opening half, the offense finally found the end zone, surviving yet another tackle for loss by Peko. On third down, St. Brown took a short throw over the middle, spun out of a tackle attempt by cornerback Khalil Dorsey, and raced to the 2-yard line where the receiver took a punishing shot from safety Kerby Joseph.

Despite that short field, the offense needed four tries to get across the goal line. Peko had another run stuff, while Brian Branch dropped Montgomery on third-and-goal before Goff found tight end Parker Hesse in the right flat out of play-action on fourth-and-goal.


● The offense threatened to get back into the end zone to end the first half, driving inside the 10 during a 2-minute drill that started at the 50-yard line. But on third-and-6 from the 7, Branch got home on a blitz, forcing Goff and company to settle for another short kick from Bates.


● Speaking of Bates, it wasn’t the best day for the kicker. He missed an extra point, although that was more the result of a bad snap from Hogan Hatten that skipped to holder Jack Fox. Later, Bates had a 48-yard attempt into the wind that sailed well right.


● Moving to the second half after a brief intermission, the offense rebounded to score back-to-back touchdowns. Montgomery kept things alive during the first series, running for a conversion up the gut on third-and-3. Then, with third-and-goal from the 4-yard line, feeling heat from Hutchinson, Goff scampered through an open lane up the middle for the score.

The QB added a nice 2-point conversion, finding Raymond late through heavy traffic in the middle of the field.

Montgomery also delivered the key play on the next drive, gaining 14 yards on a draw to the 6. That set up an easy touchdown to Wright, running a flare behind a pick from the slot receiver to that side.


● Ending things with a two-minute drill, the defense closed the day the way it started. Starting at the 50, down five, with exactly one minute remaining and two timeouts, the offense couldn’t muster a single first down.

That’s largely because Hutchinson badly beat Sewell’s replacement, Colby Sorsdal, for a sack on second-and-10.


● The second- and third-team offenses, led by quarterbacks Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker, didn’t fare much better. They collectively found the painted grass once, when Sudfeld hit running back Zonovan Knight on a short throw near the front right pylon.

Hooker had some ball security issues, which probably weren’t all his fault. A fumble on a scramble certainly falls on the QB, but he also had two botched snap exchanges with Michael Niese, who only recently started taking center reps as the Lions test his versatility ahead of roster decisions.


● The best defensive play from the backups came when cornerback Steven Gilmore made a leaping tip on a Hooker throw across the middle and the deflection was intercepted by rookie safety Chelen Garnes, who had to dive to secure the takeaway.



● Sewell wasn’t the day’s only injury. Reynolds also exited with a lower-body injury and didn’t return.


● In terms of participation, the Lions were without cornerbacks Terrion Arnold (pec) and Amik Robertson, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, running back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, offensive tackle Dan Skipper (ankle) and tight end Sam LaPorta (hamstring).

Robertson was the only new name on the list, although Campbell noted the slot corner would be limited a day earlier. The others have missed multiple practices consecutively, including Melifonwu, who has been sidelined with an unknown ailment after playing 38 snaps in last weekend’s preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.


Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Here are the contenders for the six(ish) roster spots Lions say are up for grabs

Note: This was posted before today's training camp events.

Justin Rogers
Aug 21

Three of the 6 potential new '24 Detroit Lions.jpg

Allen Park — The NFL’s dreaded cutdown deadline, which will bring rosters from 90 to 53 players, is less than a week away. Before that timer runs out — next Tuesday at 4 p.m. — the Detroit Lions have one practice, a couple walkthroughs and Saturday’s preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers to complete their evaluations.

Before this Tuesday’s practice, I asked coach Dan Campbell how many of those 53 jobs realistically remain up for grabs. He offered a specific, narrow range based on a conversation with general manager Brad Holmes the previous day.


“Probably five, six, somewhere in there,” Campbell said. “Five or six, give or take. Some of it will have — one could have a bearing on another position and vice versa. I told the team this morning, for a number of those guys, ‘Man, there are still open spots here. So if you want it, go get it.”

Armed with this information, and what we know about the roster, let’s look at the likely contenders for the remaining jobs.


First, the roster locks:

Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds and Sione Vaki, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond, tight ends Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright, offensive linemen Taylor Decker, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, Kevin Zeitler, Graham Glasgow, and Giovanni Manu, defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike, DJ Reader (if he avoids staying on the PUP list) and Brodric Martin, linebackers Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Malcolm Rodriguez, cornerbacks Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw, Amik Robertson, safeties Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch and Ifeatu Melifonwu and punter Jack Fox.


That’s 36 players. Beyond that group, I’d suggest the following nine players are near-locks:

Quarterback Nate Sudfeld, offensive tackles Dan Skipper and Colby Sorsdal, defensive linemen Josh Paschal, Kyle Peko, Mekhi Wingo, cornerback Khalil Dorsey, safety C.J. Moore and kicker Jake Bates.


That brings us to 45 players. That means there are a couple more the Lions view as certainties where I don’t have enough information to comfortably make those assumptions.

Speculating, I feel pretty good about guard Kayode Awosika, based on what he’s provided the past couple seasons. That said, I’ve seen just enough with his place in the practice rotations to have doubts.


I also think linebacker Ben Niemann will end up with a job. He’s performed well since signing, has extensive special teams experience, and feels like a direct replacement for Anthony Pittman, who departed in free agency.

Let’s call those two veterans on the right side of the bubble. At the very least, it gets us to the six openings. Let’s take a look at where each of those jobs could come from.



Wide receiver(s) beyond the top three

The Lions have gotten creative with their initial 53 during the Campbell/Holmes era, ending cutdown day without a kicker one year and a backup quarterback another. Still, keeping just three receivers is outlandish.

The Lions have been begging for anyone to step up and demand a job. The only one who has is undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams. He’s led the team in receptions each of the first two preseason games, but he’s undersized and viewed as a slot-exclusive receiver, hindering his roster value.


He still has a good shot of making the team, but if he does, it likely means the Lions will carry at least five wideouts into the regular season.

The team hasn’t hidden its desire to have a player with size in the room. That’s been Donovan Peoples-Jones’ role to lose since the 2023 trade deadline acquisition re-signed as a free agent, but he’s been disappointingly inconsistent all offseason, leaving the door open to be jumped on the depth chart by Daurice Fountain or Kaden Davis.


Fountain has come up with some of the best grabs all offseason, but has also battled drops. Davis, meanwhile, has appealing speed and field-stretching ability, but lacks the play strength of either Peoples-Jones or Fountain.

Peoples-Jones benefits from having the best track record, plus being a Holmes’ trade target, but has set himself up to get the ax if Fountain or Davis put forth a notably stronger final audition against Pittsburgh.


Hitting double-digits in the trenches

Does the team need more than one interior backup, particularly if Sorsdal has the versatility to play inside and outside? It’s debatable.


As noted above, I gave the tentative nod to Awosika in the competition to serve as the first backup off the bench, given his experience as an injury fill-in the past couple seasons. Still, the less experienced Michael Niese and Kingsley Eguakun — an undrafted rookie out of Florida — have each made compelling roster cases and are trying to bolster their chances by showing added versatility this week.

Eguakun, a college center, has been taking reps at right guard with the first-team offense, while Niese has been serving as a backup center. That’s flipping the roles they had been filling in recent weeks.


The wildcard in the trenches is sixth-round draft pick Christian Mahogany. He’s currently on the non-football injury list after missing all of training camp with an illness. He recently rejoined the team and is working toward getting physically acclimated.

Mahogany could always stay on NFI to begin the season, but if he gets medically cleared sooner, is his status as a draft pick enough to jump the guys who have been proving their value throughout camp and the preseason? It’s impossible to say.



Break-in-case-of-emergency tight end

Based on last season, the Lions shouldn’t need much out of a third tight end as long as Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright are healthy. But the team will almost certainly carry an insurance policy, one who can both serve as a reliable injury replacement and contribute on special teams weekly.


By next Tuesday, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra or Parker Hesse emerged as the team’s choice to fill the role. It’s probably the tightest ongoing competition.

Mitchell, as a member of Holmes’ draft class, presumably has the upper hand in the race. He’s spent two years in the scheme and knows the offense well, while offering the most well-rounded skill set of the three.


Zylstra, the former college receiver, is the best route runner and pass-catcher from the group, although he’s struggled to maintain his impact on the practice field when he’s seen playing time with the top offense.

Hesse gives the Lions something a little different. He’s probably the slowest and least agile contender, but he’s a better blocker than the others, whether that’s inline or in the backfield as a fullback. Additionally, he’s got notable experience playing special teams, logging more than 200 snaps on those units in 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons.



An extra edge rusher (or two)

Detroit has plenty of edge-rushing options. Behind Hutchinson and Davenport, the projected starters, Paschal, Onwuzurike and Wingo have all seen practice reps on the outside. But you can never have enough talent capable of getting after the quarterback.

It’s likely the Lions keep at least one more. That conversation starts with James Houston, who I’m sure others feel is closer to a lock based on his impressive rookie campaign, when he racked up 8.0 sacks the final seven games of the 2022 season.


The lingering concern with Houston is his limited versatility. He’s too small to defend the run consistently when lined up along the line of scrimmage, has struggled mightily reading keys when he’s been asked to play off the ball, and is a below-average special teams player.

That’s created a roster path for both Mitchell Agude and Isaac Ukwu.


Agude is long and lean, but plays with good power. He’s had a strong offseason, overall, and is peaking at the right time, delivering an impressive performance in last weekend’s preseason matchup against the Chiefs.

Ukwu is another undrafted free agent, and it’s not a coincidence he was highlighted by Campbell in his answer about how many roster openings the team had entering the week.


“When he got in here in the spring, he was last on the depth chart,” Campbell said. “It was, ‘Well where can this guy play?’ He’s not the biggest guy. He’s not really a SAM. Is he a defensive end?’ And he’s just steadily gotten better, and better, and better, and he plays much bigger than he is. He plays longer than his length says. Every time we give him an opportunity, he just shows up. He’s just an example of some guys that we’ve got our eyes on.”

Ukwu might not be the biggest or most athletic edge defender, but he’s thickly built, holds up well against the run, and has impressive pocket-pushing power with his bull rush.



A sleeper defensive tackle

It’s not that I think Chris Smith isn’t a decent player, I just don’t see how the Lions squeeze another defensive tackle on the roster, especially if Reader comes off PUP.

But we’re acknowledging Smith because Campbell brought him up, unprompted, Tuesday.


“We just expect this slow steady climb,” Campbell said. “You get a little bit better every day because there is consistency to that. A guy like Chris Smith does that every day. There will be things on tape that you don’t see. He’s tying up guys, he does dirty work, and he does exactly what he’s coached (to do) and he does it over and over and over again.”

Even if Reader remains unavailable to open the season, the Lions figure to have Onwuzurike, Peko, Martin and Wingo. Plus Paschal, Davenport and Hutchinson can all play inside, situationally. Where does Smith fit within that picture?



A sixth corner, fifth safety or both

Holmes invested a lot into revamping Detroit’s secondary this offseason, particularly at cornerback. The way I see it, the team has nine defensive backs on track to make the roster, and there’s a strong chance they keep a tenth. But will that be another corner or safety?

If it’s a corner, it’s almost certainly going to be Kindle Vildor, who started a handful of contests at the end of last season, including all three playoff games. His reputation is a little tainted with fans because of his role in Brandon Aiyuk’s game-altering catch in the NFC Championship, but Vildor would offer great value as the sixth option on the depth chart, both in terms of his talent and experience.


Alternatively, the Lions could opt to retain Brandon Joseph or undrafted rookie Loren Strickland. In my opinion, the cerebral, playmaking Joseph is clearly ahead of Strickland on the depth chart, but the Lions are intrigued by the Ball State product’s ability to quickly pick up and execute his assignments.

Of course, there’s a possibility the Lions find a way to keep both an extra cornerback and safety, but it would come at the cost of a player somewhere else on defense.



Don’t forget about the long snapper

Finally, I won’t pretend to know who might hold the lead to serve as Detroit’s long snapper in 2024.

Scott Daly, the incumbent, has answered the team’s every challenge to improve, so it’s difficult to suggest the Lions should make a change. But challenger Hogan Hatten is uniquely athletic for the position, providing added ability to contribute on punt coverage.

The decision is definitely more interesting than most years.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[CGVT]

Some FWIW good news

[whatever_gong82]

Pride Of Detroit Direct
By Jeremy Reisman


You hate to see Detroit Lions training camp end on a down note, but that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday. After a solid half of scrimmage play, Penei Sewell went down with a foot injury and the energy felt sucked out of the practice. At this time, I don’t have any more of an update than you likely do, but I offer what I know in today’s edition of the final training camp daily.


There’s plenty more to talk about from Wednesday’s practice, so I don’t dwell on the Sewell injury.


Here’s a breakdown of topics from today’s show.


0:55 – What we know about the Penei Sewell injury

3:40 – Other injury updates and personnel decision

9:00 – Scrimmage observations, dominance from defense

10:00 – Defensive line absolutely crushed it. All of them.

12:40 – Down day for Jameson Williams

14:15 – How the rest of the WRs fared + why you should worry about WR3 too much

18:55 – Why Kayode Awosika may have had the best day of anyone

21:50 – Biggest plays from practice

26:30 – Why my plan for QB2 may not be so simple

29:00 – More inconsistency from Jake Bates

30:30 – An expression of my gratitude to y’all


Thanks again for all of the support you’ve given us during these training camp daily videos. They’re extremely fun to do, and your feedbacks has made them even more enjoyable. <3

[CGVT]

Some FWIW good news

Just to make sure nobody missed it. ;)

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/21/watch-lions-rookie-sione-vaki-shows-off-phenomenal-singing-voice/74896082007/

[whatever_gong82]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/21/detroit-lions-nfl-pa-players-association-jalen-reeves-maybin-talk-of-18-game-schedule-premature/74885676007/

[whatever_gong82]

Reevaluating the Detroit Lions’ wide receivers as cut day approaches

Paywall article from The Athletic.

By Colton Pouncy
Aug 21, 2024

Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. New York Giants.jpg

(Top photo of Donovan Peoples-Jones: Ed Mulholland / Getty Images)


ALLEN PARK, Mich. — You know your roster is pretty set when one of your biggest questions is who will be your third receiver. That’s life for the Detroit Lions these days.

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth discussing, though. The Lions are hoping to keep their potent offense potent. They have an offense that relies heavily on rhythm and timing, and incorporating some new pieces that are taking on bigger roles could lead to growing pains.


So as the preseason winds down and cut day approaches, it feels like a good time to reset the wide receiver picture.



Locked-in: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond


Right now, these three are the only receivers with a guaranteed spot on the roster. St. Brown is the alpha and leader in the room. He somehow looks even better than he did this time a year ago, which led to a first-team All-Pro season. Williams is having his best training camp yet as a pro. He’s been with the first-team offense for virtually every team rep and looks like he’s ready for a consistent workload. He won’t be the possession receiver St. Brown is, but the Lions will use him in the run game and he’s expected to get more consistent looks over the middle, rather than serving as an attention-drawer on vertical routes. He’ll get his touches.


Finally, Raymond’s spot is as safe as can be. He’s a tireless worker — perhaps only outworked on this team by St. Brown — and a class act in the locker room. The coaches rave about him in every way. He’s essentially a captain without the formal title. On the field, he can be a weapon in the return game and has recorded 1,105 receiving yards over the past two seasons. He can easily wind up as Detroit’s WR3 in terms of production. The Lions would just like to diversify their room. That’s where the next tier of receivers factors in.

“He is receiver three right now,” Campbell said Tuesday. “The idea has always been we love Leaf as a returner and Leaf brings a different skill set to the receiver position. He’s got a little gadgetry, he’s got some quickness underneath and he’s a returner. To maximize both, boy, you’d love to (play him) 20 plays a game, 25 plays a game. So, we’d rather not play him 65 plays a game, but we will if we have to. So yeah, he’s receiver three right now and that’s fine. But that’s why it would be nice to have somebody step up because that just helps the room and I think it makes everybody a little more potent, that’s all.”



Fighting for a spot: Daurice Fountain, Isaiah Williams, Kaden Davis, Donovan Peoples-Jones


The fight for WR3 has been ongoing since the departure of Josh Reynolds — a steady and dependable veteran receiver who signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency for $9 million over two seasons, reportedly worth up to $14 million. In hindsight, you have to wonder if the Lions regret not doing what it takes to retain Reynolds. They had the money to make it happen, and despite how the fan base might feel about his drops in the NFC Championship game, bringing back Reynolds was part of the plan this offseason.


“We’re still not done yet, in terms of targets that are still out there in free agency,” Lions GM Brad Holmes said at the owners meetings in March. “Josh Reynolds, he’s one that was part of the original plans. Still having dialogue, we’ll just kind of see where that goes. But that’s really the only one that’s still out there who was in the original plans.”

Those plans had to change. And since then, the Lions have struggled to adapt.

It began this spring with Antoine Green. A former seventh-round pick, Green was given every opportunity to seize the job but didn’t. After an injury suffered in the preseason opener vs. the New York Giants, Green was waived/injured by the team. At one point, Daurice Fountain was the frontrunner. He certainly looked the part as a bigger body. He made play after play in practice and slowly earned first-team reps in the process. He’s still in the mix, but it’s been quiet for Fountain ever since joint practices.

Kaden Davis has been worked into the mix at times, delivering explosive plays in practices and even in Detroit’s preseason win over the Chiefs. And you have to think the Lions would love nothing more than for Peoples-Jones to be the guy. They traded a 2025 6th-rounder for him at the deadline last year, but up until recently, he hasn’t stood out. He’s been better over the last week or so, but questions remain.

Of this bunch, Williams has had the best preseason. He leads the team in yards (106) and receptions (10) and has looked like a reliable target in the process. A talented UDFA out of Illinois, Williams might have done enough to earn a roster spot — whether it’s in Detroit or somewhere else. Here’s what’s against Williams: he has not repped with the first-team offense, usually working with the twos and threes. And Raymond can do everything he can, in a similar build. Ben Johnson expressed interest in having a WR3 with size and length to complement St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Essentially, an X receiver. So even though Williams has been impressive, there might not be enough variance there to warrant a spot.


“You still want to get a look at DPJ and Fountain and Davis and they’re really suited outside so that’s part of the trick here,” Campbell explained. “You do that, then you’re taking away an opportunity for one of those guys to give another look. So, it’s something we’ve talked about.”

One thing is clear: the Lions are begging for more.

“We’re waiting for somebody to step forward,” Campbell said last week. “We’re waiting for any one of those guys to step forward. …We’re dying for somebody to step up and say, ‘Hey man, I’m the guy. I’m the guy you can depend on. I’ll be the same consistent player every day and find a way to make the plays that come my way.’”


External options


As cut day quickly approaches, is it possible Detroit’s WR3 isn’t currently on the roster? Worth asking the head coach himself.

“These guys are here still competing and I would say we’re still looking for these guys to duke it out and see if somebody comes out of this,” Campbell said. “But as with any team, we’re looking all through the waiver wires and Brad and his department are looking at everything. So, we’re going to find the best guy that fits us, whether it’s here or somewhere else.”


After putting out some feelers among colleagues who cover the NFL, a few receivers who could be good fits for the Lions were floated in conversation.

Two Tennessee Titans receivers, Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, would fit the mold of a receiver the Lions could be after. Burks has a first-round pedigree. He hasn’t lived up to it, but might benefit from a change of scenery. Westbrook-Ikhine has totaled 767 receiving yards over the past two seasons. Word out of Nashville is that both will make the roster, despite a projected starting trio of Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd when healthy. But perhaps a trade could entice them.


Jason Brownlee is a player the New York Jets like. He made the 53-man roster a year ago as an undrafted free agent. He’s a bigger body and is in competition to make the roster, but could also find himself on the outside looking in. Word out of New York is that he might not do enough on special teams to warrant a roster spot, which might also work against him in Detroit.

Giants WRs Allen Robinson and Isaiah Hodgins could be available. Robinson isn’t the player he once was, but Hodgins could be a sneaky-good addition. He’s 6-foot-4, has a 36-inch vertical and can block.


There are also free-agent receivers like Julio Jones, Michael Thomas and others. But a cut-day addition feels like it would be higher on the list.

The Lions have options. May the best man win.


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 defense puts offense to work on scrimmage day

Paywall 'The Athletic' article.

By Colton Pouncy
Aug 21, 2024

Detroit Lions Ty Summers, left, and Joel Iyiegbuniwe, right.jpg

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — On the last true day of training camp, with the regular season lurking, Dan Campbell made sure to get his starters some much-needed work they wouldn’t otherwise receive in the preseason. It was scrimmage day.

“Today’s kind of the last big practice before we start to get ready for Pittsburgh this weekend,” Campbell said Wednesday. “We’ll have a lot of ones versus ones work, offense versus defense, and then we’ll have the twos kind of working in between. …We’re going to kind of scrimmage out the first offense, first defense, and then have special teams in the middle, so it’ll be good.”


It’s been a good summer for the team, as it looks to repeat as NFC North champions and win its first-ever Super Bowl. What started in the spring and continued into August is now winding down. This was the media’s final opportunity to watch practice at length before we’re limited to roughly 15-20 minutes of warmups and individual periods when the regular season rolls around. But until then, the Lions tested where they’re at with one final scrimmage.

Here’s what we saw.


Scrimmage recap

This was by far the longest and most extensive scrimmage of the summer for the Lions, who were live in full pads tackling to prepare for Week 1. It was the closest thing we’ve seen to a game-like environment for the starters, as the No. 1 offense faced off exclusively against the No. 1 defense — with the twos and threes mixed in — for nearly two hours. Here’s a series-by-series summary of those first-team matchups.


First series: Three-and-out for the offense. A six-yard run for David Montgomery, then a drop for Brock Wright and an incompletion to Kalif Raymond deep downfield.

Second series: The highlight was a 19-yard completion from Goff to St. Brown, but the rest of the drive was quickly contained by the defense. Alim McNeill recorded a TFL and a sack on back-to-back plays to end the drive.


Third series: A pick-six on a pass intended for Montgomery, courtesy of Carlton Davis III. Both the first-team offense and first-team defense remained on the field to run it back since the interception came on the first play of the series.

Fourth series: Completions to Kalif Raymond and St. Brown helped the Lions get into the red zone, but the offense couldn’t finish. On third-and-9 from the 13, Aidan Hutchinson deflected a pass intended for St. Brown. It led to a 31-yard field goal for Jake Bates. The kick was good.


Fifth series: Three-and-out after a deep incompletion to Jameson Williams. Disastrous drive. Not good.

Sixth series: A 19-yard completion from Goff to Williams was the highlight for the offense, but the drive stalled when Kindle Vildor blew up a sideline throw to St. Brown for a loss of five. On the very next play, Alex Anzalone tipped a pass intended for Williams and intercepted it.


Seventh series: Finally, a positive for the offense. St. Brown came through with a 60-yard gain to put the Lions deep in the defense’s territory, and after a few goal-line stops, Goff found Parker Hesse for the offense’s first touchdown of the scrimmage.

Eighth series: Drive started on the 50. The offense moved in chunks, but Brian Branch put an end to it with a sack. Settled for a 24-yard Jake Bates field goal.


**HALFTIME**


Ninth series: Another score for the first-team offense, with Goff finding Raymond for a touchdown at the 2-yard line on fourth down. The tight ends did much of the damage here, highlighted by a Wright 22-yard gain and a 19-yard Shane Zylstra reception on the series.

10th series: Another score, after a 13-play drive. The offense had to work for this one, but it came through by setting up a first-and-goal and ending the drive with a touchdown to Wright.


11th series: Fourth quarter. Final series of the day, in need of a score to take the lead. Goff overthrew Williams on a deep ball. Then, Goff was sacked by Hutchinson. Then, a pressure from Alex Anzalone led to an incompletion. And finally, on fourth-and-18, Goff’s completion to St. Brown didn’t pick up the first — stopped well short. Good stand for the defense.


Takeaways: After a putrid start for the offense, the second half of the day was much, much better. It should be noted that the first-team offense was down multiple starters (Kevin Zeitler, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta), but the defense certainly held its own and made the offense work for everything it got. This unit feels confident it can go toe-to-toe with offenses around the league. We’ll find out soon enough.

Penei Sewell with foot injury_8-21-2024.jpg

News, notes and observations

• Lions RT Penei Sewell left practice Wednesday and did not return. It was hard to tell what happened, but Sewell lingered on the ground after the play. After about a minute, he emerged and limped off the field without assistance. Trainers took his cleat off and appeared to be looking at his ankle. The Lions are officially calling it a foot injury. The next media availability will be after Saturday’s preseason finale vs. the Steelers. For what it’s worth, Branch said he didn’t think it was too serious.


• RB Craig Reynolds also left practice and did not return. The team is calling it a “lower-body injury.”

• Aiden Hutchinson had two pass deflections and a sack during the scrimmage. Alim McNeill had a sack and several TFLs. They’ll anchor Detroit’s defensive line.

• Kingsley Eguakun has repped with the first-team offense at right guard the last two days, in place of Kevin Zeitler. He’s in the mix for a roster spot, likely competing with Michael Niese and Kayode Awosika. However, it was not his best day. Going up against McNeill will do that.



• Kyle Peko played the majority — if not, all — of his snaps with the first-team defense. He’s a lock to make the roster at this point. The Lions could have one of the best interior defensive line rooms in the league when Reader returns and if Levi Onwuzurike is the player they’ve been hyping him up to be. They’ve been excellent all summer.

• Carlton Davis III picked off a pass intended for David Montgomery and returned it for a touchdown. Really nice play for the veteran outside corner, though he would later leave practice (but remained in pads on the sideline).

• Kindle Vildor got the start at outside corner opposite Davis III with Terrion Arnold still out. He’s had a good stretch the last week or so. If the final cornerback spot comes down to Vildor or Khalil Dorsey, it’ll be a tough decision.


• When the Lions were in 11 personnel, the first receiver with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams was typically Kalif Raymond. No surprise. He’s the third-best receiver on the roster at the moment and made plays on Wednesday.

• Donovan Peoples-Jones was worked in with the first-team offense on occasion during the scrimmage. He had a couple of catches and one bad drop. The usual from him, but a good sign nonetheless.

• Brian Branch is ready for safety. During a goal-line handoff to David Montgomery, Branch stormed in for a TFL and blew up the play. Getting Montgomery on the ground is no easy task. It was for Branch.




• Hendon Hooker and G/C Michael Niese had some trouble on various snap exchanges. There were at least two fumbles off the snap. They were spotted getting in some extra work on the side when the first-team offense was back in the game.

• The receivers working with the second-team offense: Peoples-Jones, Daurice Fountain, Kaden Davis and Tom Kennedy. Didn’t see Isaiah Williams too involved.

• Jake Bates was 4-of-5 on PATs and 2-of-3 on field goal attempts. It looked like the missed PAT was the result of a bad snap. The missed field goal was from 48 yards out. Wide right.


(Top photo of Ty Summers, left, and Joel Iyiegbuniwe: Carlos Osorio / AP Photo)


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]

Lions' Brian Branch: 'Sky's the limit' for revamped secondary

Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Allen Park — This is the time of year for bold proclamations and unwavering confidence.

Fresh off an ankle injury that caused Brian Branch to miss all of OTAs and get a late start on training camp, he thinks the Lions could have one of the best front sevens in the entire league. As for his own unit — a revamped secondary that struggled down the stretch in 2023 — he said the “sky’s the limit.”

“It’s scary, the potential our defense could be,” Branch said after Wednesday’s practice.


Branch is anticipating taking on an entirely new role this season after finishing fourth in All-Pro voting for slot cornerbacks as a rookie in 2023. The team wants to use him more as a high safety, which he believes will open up an opportunity for him to make more plays.

The Lions added cornerbacks Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to the fold this season, which has allowed defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to get creative with Branch's deployment.


In his limited time on the practice field, Branch clearly has developed as a blitzer and takeaway artist. His ability to punch and strip the ball out has been evident in one-on-ones, seven-on-seven and team drills — if there’s a play to be made on the ball, he’s trying to make it.


As Branch develops into a full-time safety, he said he's been making the biggest strides in his game by watching film, particularly that of two-time All-Pro and Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III. He wants to think less and react more.

"I feel sometimes I find myself slowing down, trying to work a move on a running back (when I'm blitzing)," Branch said. "This year, I just gotta — shoot, can't take the foot off the gas pedal, just keep on going and run through 'em."


Including regular season and playoffs, Branch had 51 pass-rush snaps last season and accumulated 10 pressures with two sacks. Last week, Glenn said the revamped backfield will give the secondary more blitzing opportunities.

"We do have some guys that can go out there and play press-man coverage, we do have some guys that can attack the quarterback, and the more guys you have like that, the more you try to put them in position to go and do it,” Glenn said.


Branch showed off the full range of tools in Wednesday’s practice in Allen Park, which was a scrimmage mainly involving the first-string squads. On a run play near the goal line, Branch shot up the middle like a missile to stop running back David Montgomery in his tracks for no gain.

On another — when Jared Goff was trying to fit a ball to Brock Wright in the “turkey hole” (between the corner and safety) — he spared the life of Detroit’s tight end by casually cracking him in the chest as the ball sailed incomplete.

“(Goff) shouldn’t make that throw,” Branch joked. “That was a bad read.”



nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

Lions' Mitchell Agude shows consistency Dan Campbell craves while pushing for roster spot

Paywall News article.

Richard Silva
The Detroit News


Allen Park — Dan Campbell wants his players to develop like his football team.

The Detroit Lions are in a much better spot than where they were when Campbell initially arrived in 2021, and it's been an incremental climb along the way with a six-win leap coming between Years 1 and 2 and a three-win jump happening from Year 2 to Year 3.


That steady improvement is obvious when looking at the state of the roster. With roster cut-downs approaching, Campbell said Tuesday there were "five or six, give or take," spots on the 53-man roster still to be decided. That's in stark contrast to the up-for-grabs approach the Lions were forced to take three years ago.

"It’s changed significantly. I mean, shoot, ‘21, we were wide open, literally wide open," Campbell said Wednesday. "... Now, here we are, and you feel like you’ve tied down most of these spots. We’re going to have to let go of some good players, ultimately, that I think can play in this league at some point here in different positions, and that’s a hard thing to do."


Second-year defensive lineman Mitchell Agude hopes to not be one of those players having to look elsewhere for an opportunity this season. His steady incline — a trait Campbell has noted multiple times he desires — from summer workouts to this point in the preseason is helping his case.

"No, I see growth," Campbell said when asked if Agude had plateaued after a strong start. "We like Mitch. Mitch, he's another guy (who) just busts his rear. He gives you everything he's got out there, and he's got some rush ability. He's strong, quick off the edge."


The Lions have experimented recently with Agude, who is a natural defensive end but has seen some reps at SAM linebacker. Agude doesn't have much experience as an outside linebacker — he was largely an end during his time with UCLA and Miami, as well as his two-year stint in junior college — but aside from being in space a bit more and having some more coverage responsibilities, he doesn't see much difference between the two positions.

"The more I can do, the better it is," Agude said.


Campbell doesn't think SAM is "necessarily the perfect position" for Agude, but he's pleased with the way Agude has approached the opportunity and noted how he can still switch back to end if needed.

Agude went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft and spent his first preseason with the Miami Dolphins. After getting released as part of final roster cuts, Agude made his way to Detroit's practice squad and went on to sign a reserve/future contract in January.


This preseason has been kind to Agude, who has eight tackles (two for loss) through games against the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. Agude had a particularly nice play in the win over KC, where he identified a screen early and slammed running back Carson Steele to the ground for a 9-yard loss.

"I think I bring the aggression to stop the run," Agude said of what he does well at SAM. "I've just got to make sure that I do what they need me to do. I think my ability to just be aggressive, knock back, that's what's going to help me beneficial to the team."


Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said last week the Lions are trying Agude at SAM in an attempt to take advantage of his speed and length off the edge: "Big, long, athletic (and) can rush the passer. ... Use that long arm; that’s one of his best moves, and then he has some counters off of that. I'm excited to see him play in this preseason a lot to see exactly what he brings to the table."

To earn a roster spot as an edge rusher, whether that's as an end or at SAM, Agude likely has to beat out undrafted rookie Isaac Ukwu and former Canadian Football League standout Mathieu Betts. Ukwu and Betts have both made plays as of late, each recording a sack against the Chiefs.


"I'm just taking it day by day right now," Agude said. "Just trying to put my best foot forward, because that's all I can do — control the controllables. I'm just letting the cards lay as they go."

The trio of Agude, Betts and Ukwu will have one more big opportunity to show why they should be kept in Detroit's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.

"I think I was productive during the last two games, and I want to keep that (going)," Agude said. "I want to be consistent."


rsilva@detroitnews.com

rsilva@gannett.com

[whatever_gong82]

Pressers and scrums: Dan Campbell shares how he's improved and which safety is Brian Branch studying?


Justin Rogers
Aug 22



Allen Park — Last week, I received an email from a reader with a bunch of questions they wanted me to ask Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell. Not that any of them were bad, but many were big-picture philosophy queries that wouldn’t organically fit into the flow of a day-to-day press conference.

But as these emails often do, it got me thinking about the topic of Campbell’s growth as a coach during his three-plus years at the helm. This week, he’s often talked about his staff’s desire to see steady improvement from individual players, so with that in mind, I asked Campbell where he’s seen personal growth, even throwing in the coach’s signature hand gesture to symbolize improvement.

I found Campbell's answer interesting and informative. He said his biggest area of growth is his ever-expanding understanding of situational football, which is an area of emphasis with the team’s offseason (and likely regular season) practice routine.


“That’s why I try to keep those (situations we practice) as fresh as possible, and you try to fabricate as many difficult decisions that you can put your team in, and yourself,” Campbell said. “…You get in the middle of those and the players need to live it — (backup quarterback Hendon) Hooker needs to live it, I need to live it, (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson) needs to live it. And those make you better.

“So as many of those as you can fabricate, I think it makes you a much sharper, much more prepared coach.”


As a coach, nothing gets put more under a microscope than how you manage the clock and handle situational decisions. It’s no secret Campbell is one of the NFL’s most-aggressive coaches. Between the special teams fakes and regularly going for it on fourth down, all while leaning on his gut as much as the analytics, consistently opens himself up to criticism.

But what people don’t understand is how much thought and preparation go into those decisions long before they’re made. I followed up, asking Campbell how his process for making those in-game decisions has evolved since taking the helm in 2021.


As he’s done in the past, Campbell shared credit the team’s lead football counsel, Jon Dykema, for his role before, after and during games.

“He gets the eye in the booth, before I do, and so I've got to rely on him on some things,” Campbell said. “We worked together, really the first time was 2022. We had to get through some rough spots and now we flow pretty well. …He knows exactly what my thought process is.”


In addition to providing immediate input during a game, Dykema compiles postgame reports of every decision the Lions faced that week, noting the situation and time on the clock. The two then analyze what went right and where the coach can be better.

But just like all things in football, the biggest factor with improvement is repetition.

“I just think when you do those over a certain amount of time, you get better,” Campbell said.



● Speaking of gradual improvement, I checked in on how Campbell feels defensive tackle Brodric Martin has developed during his second offseason. To this lesser-trained eye, the former third-round pick has been flashing more frequnetly, both in practice and the preseason games.

“When it’s good, it’s good, and then when it’s not, it can be glaring,” Campbell said. “And so it’s just that consistency of it. The good news is that he can get in there, use his wing(span), strike blocks. He’s strong, he’s physical, and then it’s just a matter of doing it over and over and over. He’s got to be able to just do a yeoman’s job, play in, play out.

“Look it’s a thankless job, it’s selfless,” Campbell continued. “You’re in for the long haul when you play that position, the nose tackle. But he has grown, he’s gotten better, and that’s ultimately what you’re looking for.”


The comments are about what we’ve come to expect from Campbell. He’s not going to hand out over-the-top praise to a player not yet deserving. But the team is clearly encouraged by Martin’s progress.

How much last year's third-round pick will see the field to start this season will likely be determined by how quickly DJ Reader is ready to go. As of now, veteran Kyle Peko is looking like the primary fill-in for Reader’s reps, while Martin has a good chance of scooping up the scraps in the early-season rotation.



● For Georgia fans and the family members of quarterback Jake Fromm who were hoping to see the former Bulldog in the preseason finale, don’t get your hopes up.

“That’s tough, because we haven’t really gotten to see much of him,” Campbell said. “When we brought him in, it was dependent on when Hooker can or can’t come back (from his concussion earlier this month).


“I don’t anticipate really getting to see him,” Campbell said. “I don’t want to say absolutely not, but I think the priority (against Pittsburgh) will be Hooker, and I think we need to get Nate (Sudfeld) some reps. Then we’ll see what’s there with Fromm.”

Our of curiosity, I looked up how much Fromm would earn as a short-term insurance option for the Lions. The 2024 training camp salary for veteran players is $3,200 per week, so he’ll get double that after signing on the 12th.

That’s not a lot, relative to NFL salaries, but not too shabby for a couple weeks of minimal work. Of course, I imagine he’d take less if he got a chance to put down some tape against Pittsburgh.


● Behind the scenes, the Lions have been running their annual rookie talent show. According to Sports Illustrated’s John Maakaron, running back Sione Vaki wowed teammates with his singing.

Campbell, doing his best Simon Cowell impression, tempered the enthusiasm.

“Well, I don't know if it's the best performance, but as far as the best voice that I've heard, probably, it's up there,” Campbell said. “Now, (rookie defensive lineman Isaac) Ukwu has got a damn good voice too, all right. They may be singing a duet today after practice.


“(Vaki's) performance was, ‘Meh,’” Campbell said. “The voice, it was pretty phenomenal. It really is. So maybe he'll sing for you guys sometime. You need to ask him.”

Well, guess what? We did. And damn, voice of an angel. I guess Vaki just didn’t bowl his coach over with his stage presence.



● Brian Branch prepared for his shift to safety through extensive film study, even more than usual for the former Alabama standout. And he’s been watching one NFL safety closer than others: Atlanta’s Jesse Bates III.

“You can tell he be in the film room, just how his instincts are and just how cerebral of a player he is,” Branch said.

It’s almost too perfect. Like Branch, Bates is both a playmaker and underrated. A two-time, second-team All-Pro, he intercepted a career-high six passes in his first year with the Falcons, while also establishing a new personal best with three forced fumbles.



Branch has shown a knack for popping the ball free from his teammates' grasp this camp, jarring one out of the hands of Jameson Williams earlier this week.

“Just seeing how the receiver holds the ball, there’s a tell to it,” Branch said. “And AG (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) is always preaching ‘punch at the ball.’ So just create habits and hopefully I can do it in the game.”



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[Cody_Russell]

Thank goodness for Justin Rogers and his source. He wouldn’t put that out there if it wasn’t reliable.

Sewell is the 2nd most important player on this team behind Goff. Fair to say he’s one player the Lions can’t afford to lose for many reasons. Value of the position, depth, and a domino effect of making Goff + others look worse.

Rest up Sewell. He’s the best.

[wcfwtf]

Saw yesterday Campbell said starters would be good to go for week 1 against Rams
That was after Sewell injury