Lions News

[CGVT]

[whatever_gong82]

Expectations high for Lions' Jameson Williams as on-, off-field maturation continues

Paywall News article.

Richard Silva
The Detroit News


Allen Park — NFL teams don't play around about first-round picks — or any picks, for that matter.

But certainly those first-rounders. They're multi-year, multi-million-dollar investments that can either make a general manager look like a genius or set a franchise back with the wrong decision. Poor choices happen, of course, and some players will inevitably bust. But it's often not due to a lack of effort from the organizations. They try to learn all they can about potential draftees, both on and off the field.

The Detroit Lions are no different. The success they've found in acquiring talent under GM Brad Holmes is no accident. Of the 29 players selected by Holmes, 27 remain with the team, either on the active roster or practice squad. At least 18 of those players are expected to play key roles this season, and at least 11 are set to start.


All six of Holmes' first-round choices are anticipated starters, including receiver Jameson Williams. Holmes traded up to get Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in 2022, and he admitted Thursday he knew when making the pick that Williams was going to have to grow.

"We do a lot of research and background on these players that we acquire, and we had a good sense of who Jamo was as a person," Holmes said. "But we definitely felt comfortable that he was gonna be a fit for us, and he’s shown the growth. So, when we drafted him, we said, 'He’s gonna need to grow up a little bit.'


"And he did. It’s been right on pace."

Williams has had obstacles — some out of his control, some his own doing — through his first two seasons. He missed the first 11 games of his rookie year while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered at Alabama in the national championship, and he was held out of the first four contests of 2023 due to a violation of the league's gambling policy.



"(What) happens in life often is that you think you’re encountering a setback and it ends up being a blessing in disguise a little bit," Holmes said. "I think those first two years ... he showed tremendous growth, showed tremendous growth as a person and as a player. So, I see it as, actually, it’s been a good thing. Because now he’s out there and you can clearly see the maturation in his game, and it’s been a joy to see this year.”

The Lions need a big year from Williams, especially after losing Josh Reynolds and his 608 receiving yards to the Denver Broncos this offseason. Williams has 395 receiving yards through the first 18 games of his career, but he closed last season on a relatively strong note — averaging 53 yards per game in his last three appearances — and flashed his star potential at Alabama, using his game-breaking speed to rack up nearly 1,600 yards from scrimmage as a junior, in 2021.

Williams has had a strong preseason, especially early on. It appeared his chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff was growing, a much-needed development for a Detroit offense that was already a top-five unit last season but could use some more over-the-top, big-play ability.


"First of all, I think you can see the growth, tremendous growth in this kid as a player and a person," Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew added Thursday. "I think he’s attacking the game as he should attack it: Like a professional. His route running has improved; his catching of the ball has improved. He’s an exciting kid to watch play. I’m expecting big things out of him this year. ... I know how the kid’s built, and I know how he’s wired. There’s no lack of confidence, so this kid, expect big things out of this kid."


Williams doesn't necessarily need to be a star for the Lions this season like he was for the Crimson Tide; Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta can handle the majority of the burden in the receiving game. But what Detroit needs from Williams is consistency.

His speed will always be a threat for defenses to stress about. But can he round out the rest of his game? Can he learn the intricacies of the position from St. Brown? Can he lean on Kalif Raymond, who teammates have previously highlighted as someone to follow?


Ahead of Williams' third season — perhaps the most important of his career, to this point — Holmes sees no reason why the answers to those questions can't all be positive.

"You can clearly tell he’s put the work in, and he’s been working even harder," Holmes said. "And it means something to him. I mean, this kid loves football. I mean, he loves football. I think it’s very evident in the results that you saw this training camp, that work he’s put in."


rsilva@detroitnews.com

@rich_silva18

[whatever_gong82]

Lions GM Brad Holmes: Detroit is 'the most passionate' football city in NFL

Another paywall News article.

Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Allen Park — Brad Holmes’ career in pro football has taken him from St. Louis to Los Angeles to Detroit.

No disrespect to those first two places, but his current stop is a cut above the rest.


“This is completely different than I’ve ever experienced in my entire life, and I truly mean that,” Holmes said Thursday.

In 2021, the Lions hired Holmes to be the general manager and Dan Campbell to take over as head coach. The city’s — and the nation’s — love affair with Campbell has been documented far and wide.


For once, Detroit has a coach that makes fans of other teams point and say: I wish my team had that.

If fans of other teams aren’t also saying that about Holmes, it’s only because they haven’t been paying attention. Holmes is just as important to the operation as Campbell, and, locally, he’s built a legacy just as quickly as he’s built a Super Bowl contender.


Through his first three years, Holmes made 23 draft picks. Two members of his first draft class who’ve set the standard for Detroit’s gritty, hard-working culture — wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell — are All-Pros.



Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta made the Pro Bowl as rookies in 2023, while defensive end Aidan Hutchinson also received the honor in his second season. All but two Holmes picks are still with the team in some capacity.

And it all came to a head — for the first time, anyway — in January, as the Lions claimed a playoff win over Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, the franchise with whom Holmes gave nearly two decades of service to while climbing his way up the ladder. The Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round the following week, reaching the NFC Championship game for just the second time in franchise history and the first time since Jan. 1992.


Even as a man who mostly operates in the shadows, assistant general manager Ray Agnew can’t even go to his favorite wing spot without getting recognized and told, “You guys are doing great.”

“I’ve enjoyed every minute here in the city of Detroit,” Agnew said. “I probably don’t get noticed as much as my buddy (Holmes) here, but it’s been great, and the fans are all great.”



After the Rams game, Holmes was videoed in an elevator at Ford Field, screaming “Yeah!” over and over again. Many Lions fans could relate. It was the type of run that invoked pure catharsis and joy, and for some of those fans, it was decades in the making. Around that time, running back David Montgomery told a story about a woman approaching him while he was pumping gas, with tears in her eyes, to thank him for the first playoff win.

Holmes might not have been here for all those decades of suffering, but he received a firsthand account from his uncle Luther Bradley, a first-round draft pick of the Lions in 1978, about the type of audience he would have in Detroit.


“He told me, ‘Brad, this…fan base, they’re about as passionate as they can get.’ So I’m thinking, ‘That’s what you’re supposed to say, whatever,’” Holmes recalled. “But no. … I would put our fan base up versus anybody in the league and have full confidence that we are the most passionate.”

While the Lions’ success under Holmes and Campbell has brought out the best types of fan interactions, Holmes didn’t need to wait three years before feeling the love. He remembers his first few months on the job — when he “was a little naïve,” he said — before the Lions had ever played a game and getting stopped by fans while walking through downtown Birmingham.



“I was thinking that I would just be the behind-the-scenes guy that just helps build the team. So, me and my family, we were shocked. And we were thinking, ‘OK, this is a one-off,’” Holmes said. “But it just kept happening, kept happening, kept happening, and this is all while (we’re in) a three-win season.

“And during a three-win season, it was not, ‘Brad, get the heck out.’ No, it was like, ‘Hey, I’m riding with (you).’ That’s a special group, and it’s always been positive.”



Through all the losing seasons in franchise history, there have been flashes of success that distract from the suffering. But even at their greatest heights, no Lions team has ever felt so built to last as it does in this current era.

Holmes said he still doesn’t have a pair of Cartier Buffs sunglasses, Detroit’s signature accessory. He hopes to get some soon. And for a man who spends all day staring into the Lions’ future, it’s probably a good idea to protect himself from the brightness.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[Iron Lion]

Man, Lions beat writers, podcasters, etc. sure are hitting the jack pot at the moment. They've all got to be fans instead of just pros about it now.

They were pros?

[CGVT]

I miss Tom "Killer" Kowalski. Justin is good, but Kowalski had the perfect sense of humor to report on the team

[chemiclord]

I miss Tom "Killer" Kowalski. Justin is good, but Kowalski had the perfect sense of humor to report on the team

During Killer's era, you kinda had to.

[Mainevent]

Kyle Meinke is good, but he sounds like he’s 15 years old. Always throws me for a bit of a loop.

[Topweasel]

Oh I'm just saying cuz they didn't resign Reynolds and then the allusion that all the WR wanted to come here but they signed a couple guys who are looking washed to differing degrees. I don't believe Holmes is doing that ... just wondering a bit if they could've brought in somebody who was a safer bet to warrant playing time

The suggestion was that all the managers of recent 53 man cuts wanted to come here. Because they knew we had room for a receiver or two and look like a good team. None of these guys are great. Even when projecting cuts and suggesting who the Lions might want to keep an eye out on, we got 2 of them with Patrick and Robinson.

THe end answer is in retrospect we should have kept Reynolds. But remember it's being frugal with these mid level guys that had us get Monty for less than what they offered Jamaal. They brought in like 5 Xs and thought they were good with one of them but he got injured and the rest failed to step up. It's definitely a bad check mark on Holmes' off-season, but pretty sure he put in some effort.

[NewOrleansLion]

Killer’s magic was it felt like he was a fan who won a contest to be a beat writer for the Lions, but he stayed impartial and professional. He straddled that line between fan and writer better than anyone else I’ve read.

[whatever_gong82]

Burning Questions: What must Lions answer to maximize defensive potential in 2024?

Justin Rogers
Aug 31


Jack Campbell_vs_Tampa 2023 season.jpg

Allen Park — With the start of the 2024 season around the corner, here are six key questions the Detroit Lions will look to answer on defense.


What’s the next level for studs up front?


Aidan Hutchinson is a star and Alim McNeill isn’t far off from being viewed in the same light. What should be abundantly clear is both defensive linemen are on the verge of massive paydays. In Hutchinson’s case, it will be his second after scoring more than $35 million guaranteed as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Through two seasons, Hutchinson has been worthy of that selection and the contract that came with it. He’s paced the Lions in sacks each of the past two years, dropping opposing quarterbacks 11.5 times in 2023. His impact as a pass rusher is accentuated by 101 total pressures, which were second only to Dallas’ three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons.


What separates Parson — and some of the league's other elite edge rushers — from Hutchinson is the consistency of their production. Parsons had a sack in 11 of 17 games in 2023, only registering a goose egg in back-to-back weeks once. Hutchinson, meanwhile, had four stretches where he went multiple matchups without a sack, including six of seven games from Week 5 to Week 12.

Still, Hutchinson earned Pro Bowl recognition last year. He’s a good player. No, he’s a very good player. But to join the conversation of the league’s elite at his position — the best five or so players — he has to eradicate that inconsistency.


McNeill’s currently more between good and very good. After two OK years primarily serving as a nose tackle, his move to 3-tech — and the physical transformation that accompanied the switch — paid immediate dividends. Despite missing four games with a knee injury, he finished with five more QB pressures and quintupled his sack total from the previous season. He also maintained his reputation as an elite run defender, despite dropping 20-30 pounds.

While we should always be wary of camp mirages, McNeill has looked even more dominant entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he can increase his pressure and sack totals another 20-30%, while maintaining his prowess as a run-stopper, we’re going to be talking about one of the league’s better interior linemen. His bank account will reflect that, as well.



Will an edge-rushing complement finally emerge?


I said it above, but I'll repeat it for good measure: Hutchinson is great. But teams can gameplan around a dominant edge rusher, making a capable complement critical to the success of the overall defense.

In 2023, no one on the roster stepped up to adequately fill the role, at least from a pass-rushing perspective. Charles Harris and Romeo Okwara could never reach previous levels of production, James Houston broke his ankle in Week 2, John Cominsky regressed and former second-round pick Josh Paschal didn’t take a step forward. Things were so bad the team temporarily brought in 36-year-old Bruce Irvin to provide some life to the rush.


It’s probably not a coincidence the Lions changed position coaches this offseason, bringing in the well-regarded Tyrell Williams to take the reins. His teaching should have a positive impact, across the board, but doesn’t lessen the need for someone in the room to step up.

Marcus Davenport is expected to get the first crack at it. The former first-rounder is big, athletic and rushes the passer with power, just like the Lions desire. His production has been sapped by injuries the past couple of years, but he’s a guy who has demonstrated an ability to disrupt the pocket, tallying 9.0 sacks in 2021.


Additionally, the team will look to Paschal to break out in a rotational role. Under Williams’ guidance, Paschal is trying to tap more into a power-rushing mindset this year. That identity could be the key to unlocking his potential.

And who can forget Houston, who racked up 8.0 sacks in seven games as a rookie? He might never be the well-rounded defender the Lions hoped, but he can still get after the QB with the best of them when allowed to pin his ears back.



Is it finally Onwuzurike season?

Levi Onwuzurike smiling on sidelines.jpg

We’ve been waiting and waiting, and it appears it’s finally time for former second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike to realize his potential.

Understand, his lack of production hasn’t been his fault. His body betrayed him, leading to a significant back surgery in 2022. The Lions eased him into things last year, avoiding unnecessary overexertion. That led to some promising flashes, but a cap on excitement given he was limited to just 132 defensive snaps.


During camp this year, there were three-day stretches where Onwuzurike matched that workload. Not only that, you saw a mean streak and regular penetration into the backfield. That's what drew the Lions to the talent coming out of the University of Washington.

Can he carry that performance into the season, maintaining it through all 17 games plus the postseason? If Onwuzurike is who they thought he could be, it would provide a major boost up front.


Can first-rounder make significant second-year jump?

Jack Campbell had a solid rookie season, but it was far from spectacular. And, let’s face it, when a team bucks positional value to select an off-ball linebacker in the middle of the first round, it’s OK to admit you expected a little more.

Campbell pairs modern athleticism with a throwback mentality. He only knows one speed and he’s never going to ease up when delivering a hit. He’s at his best coming downhill and is already arguably the team’s best second-level tackler.


His next steps should be improved coverage and playmaking. With rare size and length for his position, combined with exceptional acceleration, speed and explosiveness, he has all the tools to make a developmental leap. It boils down to play recognition and the refinement of his instincts through experience. The 639 defensive snaps he saw as a rookie should serve him well.

Improved positioning in coverage should lead to increased playmaking. That’s where tipped passes and interceptions develop, which we saw hints of during the offseason program. Add in a few forced fumbles after zero his rookie year and using a first-round choice on Campbell will start to look as savvy as the equally questioned Jahmyr Gibbs selection in that same draft.



Did Holmes score big on cornerback shopping spree?


No position group got more of Brad Holmes' attention this offseason than the cornerbacks. After another year of struggles in the back end, the general manager aggressively remade the room, trading for Carlton Davis III, signing Amik Robertson and drafting Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw.


Three of those four are expected to start, with Davis and Arnold manning the outside and Robertson in the slot. On paper, the upgrades feel massive, and in the limited practice reps the trio worked together, you could see the vision. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t lingering concerns.

With Davis, who projects as Detroit's No. 1 corner, will the Lions ask him to play one side, like Tampa did last year, or will he travel with the opposition’s top receiver? Some more interceptions would also be nice after he recorded just four the past three seasons.


For Arnold, it’s a matter of how quickly he’ll adjust to this level. A pectoral injury in camp sidelined him for the final two preseason games, putting his development slightly behind. Before he went down, he looked better than Darius Slay did as a rookie. Then again, Arnold wasn’t having to defend Calvin Johnson daily, which would break any rookie mentally.

Finally, Robertson is a feisty playmaker, but he’s been notably less effective playing the slot than outside during his career. He had a big blunder in the preseason, getting caught flat-footed and beat for a long touchdown against the Chiefs. He’s unquestionably been Detroit’s best option during camp, but any sign of struggles could open the door for a timeshare with Rakestraw.


How will the defensive back rotation take shape?

Ifeatu Melifonwu waving to Detroit home fans 2023.jpg

As part of Detroit’s secondary shakeup, Brian Branch is moving from nickel to safety. He was outstanding in his previous role, but his workload was too often dictated by the opponents’ personnel groupings. By shifting him to safety, the young playmaker shouldn’t need to leave the field.

The downside of the change is it appears to push Ifeatu Melifonwu to the bench. That’s a tough pill to swallow when you consider how impactful he was down the stretch last season, both in coverage and as a pass-rusher.


Of course, the Lions aren’t strangers to rotating their safeties. They found a way to do it late last season, after C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned from injury and he, Melifonwu and Kerby Joseph each played around two-thirds of the defensive snaps.

Based on recent practice rotations, that hasn’t looked to be Detroit’s plan going into 2024. But given Melifonwu is presently banged up, maybe it isn’t an immediate issue. Of course, once everyone is full-strength, coordinator Aaron Glenn has a (good) problem on his hands: Finding playing time for all of his worthy contributors.


Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

[CGVT]

Killer’s magic was it felt like he was a fan who won a contest to be a beat writer for the Lions, but he stayed impartial and professional. He straddled that line between fan and writer better than anyone else I’ve read.

Yep. It felt like he was "one of us"

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes targets Super Bowl as he discusses 2024 roster

Paywall article from The Athletic from 2 days ago.

By Colton Pouncy
Aug 29, 2024


Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell at '24 training camp.jpg

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — A quick Command + F search through Brad Holmes’s 2023 end-of-camp transcript will show precisely one result for the words, “Super Bowl.” It was in response to a question about opening the season against…the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs.

The Lions were careful about their words this time a year ago. It was about winning the division, getting into the playoffs and seeing what happens. This year, though, the Lions from top to bottom as an organization have been more open than ever before discussing their goals for the year ahead. That’s what happens when you make it to the NFC Championship game, return the core of your roster and address your biggest weakness in the offseason. The proof of concept is there, and the Lions have set themselves up for another run.


That’s why, when asked for those goals on Thursday, Holmes’ answer was rather blunt.


“To win the Super Bowl,” he said.

Here’s more from Holmes’ season-preview press conference.



Holmes on contract extensions


In the NFL, the sooner the better when it comes to contract extensions. The Lions understand this better than most.

They’ve made it a point of emphasis to beat teams to the market, knowing their star players were due extensions. Deals given out to Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff have already been topped by various players, with those teams having to pay a premium because of the Lions. The San Francisco 49ers, for example, are dealing with holdouts for stars like WR Brandon Aiyuk and tackle Trent Williams. It’s made for a turbulent offseason. But not for the Lions.

“We’ve always felt the earlier the better for everybody,” Holmes said. “First of all, I know that the player doesn’t wanna wait around and be strung along and us, as an organization, we do a lot of planning and preparation to reward these players as early as possible because you don’t know what’s gonna happen the next week, the next month. We just gotta worry about what we have to do and we try to do the best we can in terms of prediction and operating with discernment with all that stuff, but that’s how we choose to operate.”


It’s been mentioned by multiple players this offseason, but when your stars get deals they deserve — especially early on — it sets the tone for others in the locker room. It tells players they’ll be rewarded for their play and contributions to the team. Ray Agnew’s seen it firsthand.

“Coming from a player’s point of view, in the locker room, when your organization takes care of your top guys, it sends a message in the locker room that, ‘Hey, they’re about the right things,'” Agnew said. “So, that’s what’s been most exciting for me as a former player, what the locker room sees when you pay a St. Brown and a Penei Sewell, who deserve to get paid. I think that sends a great message to a locker room and does a lot for the psyche of our players.”


Saving money and keeping your players happy. A win-win for all parties involved.

Next on the list is fourth-year defensive tackle Alim McNeill — set to enter the final year of his contract. Holmes says he and McNeill’s camp are in the “infancy stages” in terms of dialogue, but the Lions have made it clear they want to keep him around. And for what it’s worth, McNeill isn’t concerned in the slightest. He told his agent to worry about it while he focuses on football.


Holmes on the WR position


One of the most talked about storylines of the offseason has been whether or not the Lions have enough at wide receiver. Holmes shed some light on those discussions and the players who’ve competed for the job.


On Antoine Green: “I think the unfortunate part that happened was, right when Antoine Green’s injury came, I thought that’s right when he started showing the growth and that he was about to really take the lead in it, in my opinion, but unfortunately, that happened.

On Tim Patrick: “I thought it was really cool to see Tim Patrick, after everything that he’s done, move around the preseason: Run routes, show that he can still drop his weight, snap down, get out of breaks and still catch the football. So we were excited to add him.”


On Allen Robinson: “He was a guy that we wanted to add in free agency a couple years ago. Obviously a Detroit kid, from here, but that’s not the reason why he’s here. He’s another guy who can step in and we know he can play.”

It’s interesting that Holmes felt Green was about to take the lead in the WR3 competition, and unfortunate that his season came to an end before it even began. His absence ultimately left the Lions with a handful of receivers fighting for the X — none that were able to stand out enough. That led the Lions to bring in Patrick and Robinson. They’re two veterans with a ton of experience, though injuries and age have left their marks. The Lions also signed Donovan Peoples-Jones to the practice squad. The hope is that at least one of them will emerge and provide the Lions with a big-bodied X receiver who can block, be where he needs to be, and catch the ball when thrown his way. They’re not asking for much.


Jameson Williams at '24 training camp.jpg

Jameson Williams’ much-anticipated season


No Lions player on this roster draws more attention in this market than Jameson Williams. For varying reasons.

For a while, it was hard to tell how the organization felt about him. There was a grace period during his rookie year as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in college. There were expectations ahead of his second year, but those quickly evaporated when he was suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy. The comments made about Williams from that point on were reserved, somewhat guarded. They needed to see him take things seriously, to mature before he became one of the guys. Slowly but surely, they watched him become one by the end of the year.

“First of all, I think you can see the growth, tremendous growth in this kid as a player and a person,” Agnew said of Williams. “I think he’s attacking the game as he should attack it, like a professional. His route running has improved, his catching of the ball has improved. He’s an exciting kid to watch play. I’m expecting big things out of him this year, and I’m sure he is, too. I know how the kid’s built, and I know how he’s wired. There’s no lack of confidence, so this kid, expect big things out of this kid.”

“I want to say on Jamo, too, and not just him specifically, but in a lot of different situations, (what) happens in life often is that you think you’re encountering a setback and it ends up being a blessing in disguise a little bit,” Holmes said. “I think those first two years — obviously we knew he was going to be recovering from his injury that first year, so we knew that. And then he had another hurdle the second year, but those two years, he showed tremendous growth, showed tremendous growth as a person and as a player. So I see it as actually it’s been a good thing because now he’s out there and you can clearly see the maturation in his game, and it’s been a joy to see this year.”

Williams has earned the right to have meaningful expectations again. Looking back, as he enters a much-anticipated season, it was the sort of reset needed to get to where he is now. It certainly feels like he’s ready to contribute and be a difference-maker in this offense. And while it’s ultimately on Williams to perform up to those expectations, the fact that he’s put himself back in the conversation is what you want to see.


Quick hits

• Holmes said in the past that it took a lot of convincing to get agents to send their players to the Lions. That’s changed these days. “It makes you feel good that we’ve done something, we’ve accomplished some things that these agents want to send their players here.”


• Lions DL John Cominsky was moved to injured reserve this morning. Peoples-Jones was added to the practice squad. C.J. Moore was released from the practice squad.

• The Lions claimed LB Trevor Nowaske off waivers. After losing him a year ago, Holmes was excited to get him back: “We were disappointed when we lost him last year. We were just in one of those spots where you’re trying to sneak a guy through. I don’t know if there’s any sneaking anymore in this league. But we couldn’t. …He does have a lot of upside with his size, his straight-line speed, he’s tough, he’s physical, he has instincts for special teams.”


• Holmes said Jake Fromm overtook Nate Sudfeld for the third QB job in the preseason finale. Matches what Campbell’s said about Fromm.

• In case you were wondering about James Houston, here’s Holmes: “He’s got a tremendous ability to bend, change directions, counter. He might not be the power rusher that Aidan is. He’s a completely different flavor. But that’s what we like about him, too, as well.”


• Holmes on Jake Bates: “I know that one thing about kickers is you have to be wired a certain way. We learned early on that he’s wired right. That’s one of the smartest moves that we didn’t make — is that when we had Badgley go down and we did not bring another kicker in.” Holmes did say the Lions will look to bring in another kicker for the practice squad, but they’re good with where Bates is at and want to see this through.

• Agnew on Loren Strickland: “Strickland just showed up every week. He wasn’t a guy that was talked about a lot early. He just kept coming, kept going, every day, every practice. Kept making plays, special teams-wise. And the guy was tough, he was gritty. He’s a Lion.”


• Agnew on Hogan Hatten: “The guy’s just extremely athletic. The guy just made plays all camp. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. It’s a production business, and he was productive and he made plays all day and he earned his spot.”

• Agnew on Isaiah Williams: “Isaiah just made plays when he got the ball in his hands. So those guys, all three of them earned their spots. It wasn’t given to ’em. They earned it and they deserved it.”


(Top photo of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell: Eric Seals / USA Today)


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]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/08/31/detroit-lions-james-houston-completely-different-flavor/75012108007/

[chemiclord]

That was going to be the most likely spot for him, as a pass-rush specialist. The Lions spent the last couple preseasons trying to see if he could be an every-down linebacker, but it doesn't appear that he's got that in him. The big question was if the Lions were going to have a spot for a guy whose skill set was that limited.

[Iron Lion]

That was going to be the most likely spot for him, as a pass-rush specialist. The Lions spent the last couple preseasons trying to see if he could be an every-down linebacker, but it doesn't appear that he's got that in him. The big question was if the Lions were going to have a spot for a guy whose skill set was that limited.

Seeing as how we've yet to have 53 guys, we've apparently always had room.