The Detroit Lions Podcast

New pivot and CB3 clarity The Detroit Lions Podcast carved up a busy slice of NFL free agency. The team introduced new signings to the media, including Cade Niese and Isaiah Pacheco. The headliner is a new starting center on a three-year, $25 million deal with $14 million guaranteed. Cade Meeks steps into the middle and replaces Glasgow at center. Personality-wise, he mirrors Frank Ragnow. That should play well in Detroit. On the outside, Rock returns on a one-year, $4 million contract. He slots as the number three outside corner. That price fits the role. He played well last season. Amik moved on and got paid by Washington. Slot grit: Christian Isian's fit Detroit moved to fill the slot with Christian Isian from Tampa Bay. He is undersized at around 5-foot-9 but scrappy. He tackles. He defends the run. Coverage results have been mixed. Tampa Bay let him go and replaced him with last year's third-round pick. Isian offers positional flexibility, but the slot is his best home. The Lions learned with Amik that fit matters. Keep him where he wins. Expect a feisty presence inside and a tone-setter on run downs. Tackle depth and draft signals Larry Borom arrives on a one-year, $5 million deal. He has NFL starts at tackle and guard. He will compete with Giovanni Manu to be the number three tackle. The current mix with Penei Sewell, Borom, Manu, and maybe Myles Frasier does not feel final. Depth remains a need. The draft hints are clear. Edge rusher stands out as the top priority. Edge number two probably is not on this roster yet. Tackle also profiles as an early target. The sequencing could be edge in the first round and tackle in the second. Free agency has set that board. CB room churn and a miss in the market The cornerback room turned over again. Rock is back at CB3. Amik is out after landing a bigger deal elsewhere. The slot flips to Isian. One notable miss hit the market ticker. Muhammad signed with the Buccaneers. That stings for a team still searching for pass-rush help. The best remaining free agent edge option is a looming question. For now, Detroit's free agency added a center, a slot fighter, and versatile line depth. The edge solution likely comes next, and the draft is the cleanest path. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #cademays #amikrobertson #larryborom #nflfreeagency #bradholmes #christianizien Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Free Agency Day, Real Moves The NFL's free agency window finally turns official at 4:00. The market already feels volatile after a reported Max Crosby deal fell apart on medical review. That backdrop matters for the Detroit Lions. Big names tempt. Medicals and money complicate. The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on what actually changed in Detroit today. Cap Reset: What Goff's Move Signals Jared Goff restructured his contract, converting $40 million of base salary into a signing bonus and adding another void year. The move frees up $32 million in 2026. Detroit was not pinned against the cap, but the team needed room to do anything meaningful. This creates it. The Lions did not max out their options. They could have cleared up to $40 million this year by converting almost the entire salary to bonus. They chose restraint. The contract now runs with a void through 2029, with that final year voided. Cap figures spike in 2028 and 2029, but another adjustment then is expected. The point today is flexibility. Expect measured signings at the same tier we have seen, plus the breathing room to stage extensions for Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Branch, and maybe Sam LaPorta. You need upfront space to absorb signing bonuses without creating a bigger balloon later. Detroit will not do restructures just to admire cap space. There is a purpose coming. No Crosby Splash for Detroit The Crosby situation underlines why. A reported Raiders-Ravens deal is off after Baltimore reviewed his medicals. The Cowboys are said to be out, too. Crosby is a good player. The health flags are real in this market. Given Detroit's recent injury frustrations, passing on that kind of swing makes sense. The hypothetical of sending two first-round picks and then backing out on medicals is a cautionary tale. You lose time. You lose leverage. You invite chaos. Detroit's approach reads like discipline, not hesitation. Depth Chart: Rodriguez and Bridgewater Back While driving home last night, the news hit: the Lions brought back Malcolm Rodriguez and Teddy Bridgewater. Rodriguez's return locks in the top reserve linebacker role. He drew interest from the Houston Texans and some from the Seahawks, but he stays in Detroit. Contract terms were not disclosed. The team still needs another linebacker. Coverage has been a known limitation for Rodriguez, so competition and roles will matter. Bridgewater's return stabilizes the quarterback room behind Goff. Continuity counts in March. It keeps the offense aligned while the front office works the margins on defense and special teams. As free agency formalizes this afternoon, expect the Lions to keep pressing the same smart, steady pace. Cap clarity. Targeted adds. No forced splashes. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #jaredgoffrestructure #nflfreeagency #malcolmrodriguez #teddybridgewater #cademays #isiahpacheco #lionsdraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Departures define Day 1 One day into the NFL legal tampering period, the Detroit Lions saw exits, not arrivals. Four Lions agreed to terms elsewhere. Those agreements are not official until the league year opens Wednesday. Nothing meaningful has landed on the incoming side yet, especially on defense. It is early. Less than 24 hours in. But the shape of the roster is shifting. Alex Anzalone to Tampa Bay Linebacker Alex Anzalone is headed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The reported deal is two years for $17 million. He is 32. He has an injury history, though he has been largely durable in Detroit outside of a broken forearm. Tampa Bay gets help. Detroit loses a starting linebacker. Taylor Decker was released. He is no longer with the Detroit Lions. That move stood out as the only fully completed transaction on Day 1. Cap math squeezes the middle This is the cost of a top-heavy roster. Big deals for core stars like Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Aidan Hutchinson, and Kirby Joseph crowd the middle tier. The Lions also chose to pay Derrick Barnes on a three-year, $24 million deal. You cannot carry that many linebackers at premium rates. Paying a third linebacker $8.5 million per year does not fit when the top of the pyramid is that heavy. Decisions have consequences. Scheme pivots and the RB plan Detroit leaned on three-linebacker packages more than any other team last season. With Anzalone gone, a pivot makes sense. A 4-2-5 structure is on the table. Two linebackers with five defensive linemen in certain fronts. A full-time slot defender. More snaps for a hybrid linebacker-safety type. That path matches the personnel pressures and modern NFL spacing. The backfield changes too with David Montgomery departing. Late last season, once Dan Campbell took over the offense, the second back settled into 8–12 touches per game. That should hold. Feature Jameer Gibbs. Keep the ball with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta. The No. 2 running back should complement, not command, the attack. He will not be the reason you win many games. Day 1 brought more subtraction than addition for the Detroit Lions. The next moves will signal whether this front office leans into lighter boxes, faster coverage, and a clearer pecking order at running back. The window just opened. The blueprint is already visible. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nflfreeagency #taylordecker #cademays #alexanzalone #bradholmes #larryborom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Legal tampering is here. Recent history speaks The NFL legal tampering window opens in hours. The Detroit Lions have three recent free agency classes that frame expectations. The 2022-to-2023 line marked the pivot from rebuild to contender. The record since then shows real swings, timely hits, and costly misses. It also shows that the front office does, in fact, go after top-tier veterans. 2023 swings: one clear hit, several misses Detroit targeted premium talent among outside free agents. David Montgomery arrived as the No. 3 running back on the market and was paid the second-most at his position. He outplayed the higher-paid back and delivered strong production in Detroit. That was a clear win. Cam Sutton was the No. 3 cornerback on the board and commanded major money. The signing was graded as an A- at the time and was widely viewed as aggressive and on-target. It did not work. Beyond off-field problems, the on-field fit sagged, and Detroit overpaid for a corner who never synced with the scheme. C.J. Gardner-Johnson entered as the No. 3 safety and became the fourth-highest paid safety from that class. He brought tone and edge to the locker room, but the move failed, in part due to injury. He missed all but two games. Emmanuel Mosley, ranked eighth among cornerbacks, never got on the field because of injuries, though his deal was low budget. Marvin Jones returned in a fan-pleasing move but retired soon after. Jalen Reeves-Maybin also returned in that class. Those depth bets did not move the needle. 2024 outcomes: quiet headlines, subtle value DJ Reader was the fifth-rated interior defensive lineman and signed the fourth-richest deal among his peers. The move even drew an A+ grade at the time. Reader underwhelmed some fans on the stat sheet. The film told more. He kept linebackers clean and helped Aleem grow into a higher-impact interior presence. That value matters on early downs and in money downs alike. Kevin Zeitler arrived as the No. 10 interior offensive lineman in his class and outplayed at least eight players signed above him during his year in Detroit. Then he left for Tennessee on similar money. It stung because the team expected him back, but the one-year return was strong value for the cap dollar. What this pattern says about the next 48 hours Across 2023 and 2024, the Lions targeted players near the top of consensus rankings and paid near the top of market at select positions. They took calculated swings at cornerback and safety that missed, landed a back who fit, mined value on the interior of both lines, and absorbed injury risk on short-term flyers. The evidence is clear: Detroit signs players in free agency, aims high at priority spots, and lives with variance. With the NFL's window opening, expect targeted aggression, not inactivity. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nflfreeagency #lionsfreeagencyhistory #bradholmes #djreed #djreader Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From a hotel breakfast room in Michigan, Jeff Risdon set a practical free agency roadmap for the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The legal tampering period opens Monday. Signings start Wednesday. Expect targeted moves over splashy pursuits. Free Agency, Not a Spending Spree Big-ticket names sit out there. Hendrickson was the example. Tyler Lindenbaum at center came up too. Both would be great. Both feel unlikely. A bidding war does not fit the Lions plan. The focus is cost, fit, and familiarity. Scheme matters. Character matters. Past connections to Lions coaches and staff matter. That is the lane. Smart contracts for players who match what the Detroit Lions do, not headline chases. The door is open to being surprised, but the expectation is restraint. Quarterback Room: Keep It Steady The quarterback spot is simple. The team is built around Jared Goff. Kyle Allen as a solid No. 2 works. Bring him back and keep the operation clean. If Allen returns, there is no need to add another veteran. Detroit can still bring in a project as a No. 3. Think a UFL quarterback or an undrafted rookie. Even a low-cost trade for a developmental arm was mentioned. Sam Howell was floated for a laugh more than football reasons. Status quo at quarterback is fine. Backfield Help and a Budget WR4 Running back is a need. The question is investment level at RB2 now that David Montgomery is gone. Detroit wants a complement to Jamir Gibbs. Eight to twelve touches per game. Reliable hands. Good pass protection. A runner who hits the crease without delay. Wilson was the top name on the realistic board. A sturdy between-the-tackles runner with dependable receiving. He has been a second option before and can be that again next to Gibbs. Later in the market, an Isaiah Pacheco type fits too. Downhill. Short-yardage strength. Willing in pass protection. A past knee injury was noted, but the style matches what the Lions can afford if they avoid high prices. At wide receiver, the top three are set, with Saint Jr. and Teslaa among the group. They will command most of the targets. Kalif Raymond can return as the kick returner on a short deal. Another team might view him as a WR3, so price matters. Detroit should not pay a premium for WR4. A ring-chasing veteran could still make sense. DeAndre Hopkins fits if the number is small. Think a one-year, 3.5 million dollar deal with incentives. Strong hands. Savvy routes. Willing blocker. He knows he is not the feature. It is not a priority, and the money may play better elsewhere, especially with internal options like Dominic Lovett coming. But if the price is right, it helps the room. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #legaltamperingperiod #hendrickson #tylerlindenbaum #jaredgoff #kyleallen #uflquarterback #undraftedrookie #rb2complement #jamirgibbs #davidmontgomerydeparture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News about Taylor Decker hit during a long drive to Marquette. The Detroit Lions asked their veteran left tackle to take a pay cut. He did not agree. He then asked for his release. The tone on the Detroit Lions Podcast shifted from relief over his return to urgency. The NFL calendar keeps moving. Detroit needs clarity at left tackle, and fast. Decker Pay-Cut Shock and Fallout Decker announced he was coming back, and the room was excited. The pay-cut request surprised him more than many expected. His reaction on Instagram suggested he felt blindsided. The team viewed the request as reasonable. It was tied to risk. The situation escalated when he asked for his release. That put Detroit right back where it was weeks ago. The need for a starting left tackle returned to the top of the board. This is not an easy split. Decker has been well paid. He has also battled through a lot. But the timing and the price point clashed with the team's plans. No one likes the optics. Everyone understands the stakes. Injury Reality and Contract Math Decker's 2025 form slipped. The shoulder injury mattered. He could not practice consistently. There was little confidence it would improve. The Detroit Lions asked him to share the financial burden for that risk. He declined. He has openly weighed retirement. This looks like his last year. He is not getting another big deal. An $18,000,000 one-year number is hard to justify for a player in this spot. He wants to maximize earnings. The club wants protection. Those positions collided. Assigning blame is tricky. Communication could have been cleaner. Preparation could have been better. But the facts are simple. The Lions tried to right-size a number. Decker did not accept it. Now both sides face consequences. Draft Board Tilts to Offensive Tackle Detroit planned to draft an offensive tackle regardless of Decker's status. That part has not changed. The urgency has. A first round pick at tackle now feels close to mandatory. The Lions need a starter at left tackle right away. The board offers options. Blake Miller from Thompson profiles as a target. Caleb Lomu is in the mix. Monroe Ferland might not be there when Detroit picks. Fit and availability will decide it. The path is clear. Stabilize the edge. Protect the quarterback. Rebuild the line's future while respecting its past. The Detroit Lions Podcast framed it plainly. Set the price, set the plan, and stick to it as the NFL Draft approaches. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #taylordecker #lefttackle #paycut #shoulderinjury #practicelimitations #releaserequest #offensivetackle #firstroundpick #nfldraft #blakemiller #caleblomu #monroeferland #retirement #$18 #000 #000one-yeardeal #detroitlionsoffensiveline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mailbag After Indy, With a Fresh Trade in the Rearview The Detroit Lions Podcast mailbag hit right after the NFL Combine and right after the David Montgomery trade. The timing sharpened every question. Subscribers asked for specific names and roles. They got them. The conversation opened with a quick nod to the community. Questions came in from the Detroit Lions Podcast Slack. It was an honest, on-the-fly session. No scripts. Just straight answers. Combine Risers the Lions Could Target Chase Besantis stood out. The Texas A&M guard moved with clean agility and poise in on-field work. He has some length questions, but the tape and testing say top-60. He belongs in the mix if the Detroit Lions stay at pick 50. There were athletes who tested as advertised. Allen Green, the Arkansas quarterback, showed the traits of a position-switch candidate. He profiles as the kind of NFL utility piece who can help on specials and handle gadget snaps if needed. Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt flashed as well. Sonny Styles had himself a week. Dylan Tieneman earned a real conversation at 17. He fits the Detroit Lions mold and checks toughness and processing boxes. Red Flags and Availability Concerns One prominent faller was Manu McCoy, the Tennessee outside corner. He has not played in almost 18 months after a knee injury. He was expected to work out. He did not. For a corner who wins with athletic ability, that is a bad signal. Mock drafts that pair him with Detroit at 17 look aggressive now. Availability matters. The point landed hard: do not draft injured players who stay injured. Chris Rakestraw was cited as a painful reminder. Diego Pavia did himself no favors either. The performance and the claim that he is the best quarterback in the class did not help his outlook. Roster Holes and a Pragmatic Draft Plan Confidence is high that Detroit can fill needs for a deeper playoff push. This is not a star-laden class. That is fine. The Lions already have stars. They need B and B-plus contributors who are ready to roll. Linebacker is rich. Running back offers real depth. Day-two and early day-three should deliver instant help. Jeremiah Lovett came out as another big Combine winner. He participated, competed, and should go in the top five. That pushes more value down the board. Offensive line help is available at center and tackle. With Decker coming back, Detroit can target the right profile and timeline instead of forcing a reach. Two quick notes closed the mailbag. The broadcast marked the eighth anniversary of a MAB award for a Sunday morning tailgate show. And there is more on the air next week, with hosting duties on The Huge Show across Michigan. A Munich trip is on the wish list too. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #davidmontgomerytrade #nflcombine #nflfreeagency #lionstargets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Montgomery to Texans, Gibbs takes lead The Detroit Lions traded David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. It was a business decision. The return matters, and so does the timing. Free agency is a few days out. The Detroit Lions Podcast framed it around role and value. Amon-Ra St. Brown said on his podcast that Montgomery wanted a bigger role. The Lions are prioritizing Jameer Gibbs. That tracks with how the backfield evolved. Paying heavily for a clear No. 2 over the next two years did not fit the plan. The haul: Day 3 picks and Juice Scruggs Detroit landed a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. That was more than many expected. Those selections become currency on draft weekend. They let the front office move around the board. The deal also brought interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. He has center and guard versatility and around 20 career starts in Houston. The appeal is obvious. He can step in across the interior and stabilize depth at a low cost. The read here is that he looks better at center than at guard. Backfield usage and value calculus Gibbs is the priority. He earned it with early-career production. The Lions will feature him and live with that decision. Montgomery is a good NFL running back. He could start for several teams. At times, there was frustration about his usage in Detroit. He set a tone as a runner when fed. But giving premium dollars to a No. 2 while preparing to extend Gibbs is tough. This move aligns resources with roles. Detroit can add a complementary back through the draft or free agency if needed. The key is volume and fit next to Gibbs, not a one-for-one replacement. Center question, free agency clock Scruggs also touches the bigger question inside. Center is unclear right now. The position will have people guessing until the moves land. Scruggs profiles as a swing interior player who can handle snaps in a pinch. Free agency arrives soon, and the board will shift quickly. The NFL combine chatter feeds that, and the Lions will have options. With two day-three picks added and a flexible interior piece, Detroit gained room to operate. This was about clarity. Prioritize Gibbs. Add picks. Fortify the line. Then attack needs when the market opens. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #davidmontgomerytrade #jahmyrgibbs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chasing the Champs, Skipping the Myths Michael Grey and Jacson Bevens from The Cigar Thoughts Podcast have an offseason check-in built around one question: how do you chase a champion without convincing yourself there is a secret code? Bevens shares his insights fresh off a Seahawks title run he says he is determined to savor. He remembered how the first championship a dozen years ago got blunted by the way the following Super Bowl ended. This time, he is taking nothing for granted. That perspective anchored a clear theme. Everyone in the NFL tries to reinvent the latest champion. Mock drafts pile up. Free agent priorities harden. Armchair GMs get loud. But this Seattle season did not look preordained in September. By December, it did. The shift matters for Lions fans trying to separate lessons from mirages. Health, Schedule, and a Thursday Night Pivot Bevans traced two pillars. First, health. He called it the tie that binds Super Bowl champions. Seattle stayed remarkably healthy by modern standards. Second, the league's shape helped. Expected powers stumbled. The Chiefs cratered. The Bills were good, not great. The Ravens cratered. The Lions cratered. The Eagles stacked wins without looking convincing. The Niners took a ton of injuries. Suddenly there were good teams but not great ones in the AFC, and in the NFC it was largely Seattle and the Rams. One inflection point stood out. A Thursday night win over the Rams pushed Seattle into pole position. From there, they held serve. Bevans also admitted he was bullish early. The opening win total sat at seven and a half. Last year's team had won 10. He put his biggest sports bet on Seattle to clear it, and they did so with room to spare. Detroit Lions Takeaways for a Real NFL Sprint So what should the Detroit Lions actually copy? Start with availability. Health powered Seattle's sprint. Next, accept evolution. September narratives lie. December decides. There is no single formula to import. Defensive head coach talking points will surface all offseason, but context and roster shape matter more than slogans. Grey framed it as an offseason mandate. Build smart. Own free agent priorities. Treat mock drafts as tools, not gospel. Avoid chasing a dynasty script before you win the next game. The Seahawks were not crowned in camp. They earned status piece by piece, then protected it. That is the blueprint worth stealing for the Detroit Lions in a ruthless NFL. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #seattleseahawks #nfcrace #ramsthursdaynightwin #superbowlchampions #wintotal7.5 #injuriesandhealth #mockdrafts #freeagentpriorities #armchairgm #quarterbacksmith #dkmetcalf #afchadnogreatteams #ninersinjuries #bestteaminthenfl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Combine fallout reshapes Detroit's No. 17 board The Detroit Lions Podcast finally hit the post-combine reset after a chaotic week that included a David Montgomery trade and the release of Graham Glasgow. Jeff Risdon and Michael Grey used Indy results to revisit the five most likely options for the Detroit Lions at pick 17 in the NFL Draft. Three names from the pre-combine slate remain. Two dropped out for clear, on-field reasons. The three still standing at 17 The core of the list holds: Auburn edge Keldrick Falk, Clemson edge TJ Parker, and Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller are still in play at 17. The Lions' needs on the line of scrimmage keep all three relevant. Detroit values trench versatility and production, and each brings a different answer to that profile. Why Keldrick Falk fits Detroit's front Falk checks the size and power boxes as a crush the can edge who can also reduce inside. He is young and very athletic, even if not a classic twitch rusher. His floor arrives with elite run defense. His ceiling rises with inside-out flexibility. He can play a big end role, then kick to three-tech on passing downs. Detroit has mixed five-man fronts and odd looks, moving bodies to find matchups. Falk fits that menu. Post-combine, his range tightened. He could be gone by 17. Dallas is a possibility. Miami is a possibility. There is even outside buzz about Kansas City at nine. He remains a strong Lions match if he lasts. TJ Parker's stock rebounds in Indy Parker stacked a strong combine on top of earlier production. He moved himself more firmly into the 15-to-20 range. His past billing in some mocks as the first defensive player off the board slipped during the season, but he explained the context well and showed maturity. Traits, motor, and makeup line up with what Detroit wants on and off the field. He is a devoted father, a motivated worker, and a confident finisher. Parker could still be there at 17. It also would not shock if he goes just above Detroit. Either way, he is squarely in the tier the Lions are weighing. Who fell off the board at 17 Caden Proctor slid out of round-one consideration for Detroit at that slot. His wave drill was rough, and the consensus view now leans guard projection. Many see him in the 25-to-40 range as a supersized interior lineman. His athletic background at Alabama, including tight end and short-yardage running back snaps, does not fully translate to NFL offensive tackle. Monroe Freeling went the other direction. He became a combine darling. He looks likely to be gone well before 17, perhaps even the first offensive lineman taken and a candidate in the top 10. That makes the Freeling-at-17 dream unrealistic for the Lions. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #2026nfldraft #combine #keldricfaulk #tjparker #blakemiller #monroefreeling #dillonthieneman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Detroit Lions turned the page at center. The conversation zeroed in on why the job is open, who is in the mix, and how the scheme should fit the winner. Center Shake-Up: Glasgow Out, Scruggs In On Monday, the David Montgomery trade with the Houston Texans delivered interior help. The Lions acquired Choice Scruggs, a former second-round pick out of Penn State, who played his best snaps in 2024 at center in Houston. The Texans later moved him to guard after adding Jake Andrews from the Patriots, a center-only piece who struggled but still stayed in the lineup. The vacancy in Detroit became real when the Lions cut Grey Glasgow to free cap room. The move was expected. Glasgow posted a thank-you within minutes of the release going public. He is widely respected in the building. He gave what he had. The last couple seasons were uneven, especially in the run game. Context matters. Frank Ragnau retiring when he did put the team in a massive pinch. Coaches asked Glasgow to execute things Ragnau could do. Very few can do what Ragnau did. That mismatch hurt the line. That is on the approach as much as the player. Early Depth Chart: Real Competition Scruggs immediately joins a live competition. Seth McLaughlin is in that fight too. He is a former Alabama and Ohio State center who missed his rookie season with injury and spent time on the Bengals practice squad. He needs to be healthy and will have to earn it. Nothing should be handed out. This is the type of battle that defines camp reps. It also clarifies protection rules and run fits. The Detroit Lions Podcast framed it plainly: the best center must match the assignment load and restore timing in the run game. Why Tate Ratledge Makes Sense in the Middle Tate Ratledge can play center. He logged some snaps there last year. Combine comments indicated the team moved him to right guard because it was easier on him, and he was very good at right guard. There is a case to put him back at center. At guard, he can struggle when squaring up defenders not aligned over his face. If a rusher shades an outside or inside shoulder, his first reaction can be a tick slow. Climbing to the second level from that stance was also a problem at times. Experience can clean up part of that. Center naturally mitigates those issues. The cone of responsibility is tighter. There are fewer immediate threats from wide angles. That buys time, trims the aiming points, and lets his power and balance show. If Detroit wants quicker run fits and a cleaner ID process, Ratledge in the middle is a real option to weigh against Scruggs and McLaughlin. The job is open. The skill set must match the asks. Detroit needs the right center, not just a center. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #centercompetition #grahamglasgow #frankragnow #juicescruggs #houstontexans #davidmontgomerytrade #sethmclaughlin #tateratledge #bradholmescombinecomments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Montgomery Dealt to Houston: Terms and Timing The Detroit Lions traded David Montgomery to the Houston Texans on Monday morning. Detroit received a 2026 fourth-round pick, a 2027 seventh-round pick, and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. The move followed a tense 24 hours in which Montgomery publicly pushed back on reports of his trade request. He wanted out. The compensation includes a fourth Houston owns among multiple selections. Another Houston trade also hit earlier in the day, adding to the churn. Why Detroit Moved On This came down to role, cost, and touches. Montgomery was the NFL's 12th-highest-paid running back. His workload slipped to about 10 touches per game behind Jameer Gibbs. That math did not fit the Lions cap plan. Detroit frees money with the deal. The staff valued his production. He was more efficient in 2025 than in 2024. He was also a very good pass protector. That skill will be missed. But paying starter money for a No. 2 back on a light workload was not sustainable. Roster Fallout: RB2 Search Starts Now The depth chart has a hole at RB2. Vaki was drafted to play special teams. Injuries have slowed his work at running back. The staff does not see him as ready for a bigger role. Jacob Saylors remains in the room. The Lions must add another back. Third-down protection and short-yardage snaps are now open questions behind Gibbs. The front office saw this coming and acted fast. They refused to let a noisy situation linger. Scruggs Arrives, Houston Reacts Detroit adds Scruggs to the offensive line mix. The expectation is utility and competition on the interior. On the Houston side, reaction is mixed. The Texans traded Titus Howard earlier in the day. Fans there like Montgomery's durability and lead-back traits. They also worry about who will block for him after the Howard move. From Detroit's view, the fourth-rounder helps stock draft capital. The seventh adds a swing. The lineman gives depth now. The cost was a productive back who wanted a larger role. The Lions reset the room and keep building for 2026 and beyond. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #davidmontgomery #jameergibbs #rb2hole #passprotector #caproom #houstontexans #juicescruggs #2026fourth-roundpick #2027seventh-roundpick #bradholmes #dancampbell #jacobsaylors #vakispecialteams #10touchespergame #12th-highest-paidrunningback Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Montgomery's Status and the Salary Math Episode 604 of the Detroit Lions Podcast opened with the biggest topic from Indianapolis. David Montgomery's future. A report from the combine week suggested he wants out. Montgomery pushed back publicly. The timing still raised eyebrows. Context matters. Brad and Dan went to the podium in Indy and talked about smoothing things over with Montgomery. That is not casual podium talk. His role dipped last fall. He lost about six touches per game between rushes and receptions. He is 28. He is currently the 12th highest paid running back in the NFL. Here is the crunch. Jameer Gibbs is headed for a massive payday. Carrying a top-tier contract for Gibbs while keeping Montgomery at his current number is tough. Especially when the Detroit Lions have one defensive end on the roster, two healthy safeties, and are out a starting linebacker. Roster needs meet running back economics. That is the conflict. Gibbs' Deal and the Roster Squeeze If Gibbs signs soon, Montgomery becomes a high-priced No. 2. Teams can often find backs who replicate most of that production for far less. That pressure is real. It also tests locker room chemistry. Being a good teammate gets harder when touches shrink and the market says your role is replaceable. Montgomery spoke the right words during the season. He has said he likes Detroit. He also returned to Twitter after nearly two years to address the rumor. That is not nothing. It signals a player guarding his salary and his standing while the Detroit Lions weigh cap priorities. No one here is questioning his effort. The question is fit and cost after Gibbs gets paid. Combine Reactions and Draft Board Ripples The show framed the NFL Scouting Combine as more than testing numbers. It clarified needs. Edge, safety, and linebacker sit on top. That aligns with the depth concerns mentioned on air. The big draft board will reflect that urgency. Indianapolis also delivered insider buzz. The Montgomery item surfaced there and intersected with podium hints from leadership. Public negotiation talk does not sit well. The Detroit Lions typically keep business quiet. That is why this flare-up hit so hard during combine week. The takeaway is simple. The Detroit Lions must balance a potential Gibbs deal with immediate defensive needs. They also need to keep Montgomery aligned with his role. The calendar will force decisions soon. The cap, the board, and the backfield are colliding. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #davidmontgomery #jameergibbs #nflscoutingcombine #bigdraftboard #contractextensionconversation #onedefensiveend #twohealthysafeties #startinglinebacker #touchespergame #rolediminished #jeremyfowler #bradanddanatthepodium #indianapolis #runningbacksalary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday testing sorts the board for Detroit The edges, defensive tackles, and off ball linebackers hit Lucas Oilfield and brought clarity. Several headliners crushed testing and pushed firmly out of Detroit Lions range at 17. Sonny Styles had a day. He looked like a top-two selection after the work he put in. Arnold Reed will not be there at 17 either. David Bailey's surge put him on wish lists, not draft boards in the teens. Not everyone went. Room Maddox did not work out. Akeem Mesador sat as well. Kendrick Fox did not run the 40, and another Jones skipped a key portion too. The top of this NFL class made itself scarce for Detroit, and that matters. For a Lions roster looking to add juice on the edge and speed in the second level, Thursday underlined how the board may force a different path. Malachi Lawrence puts himself on the Lions radar UCF edge Malachi Lawrence delivered the kind of profile the Detroit Lions covet. He clocked a 1.58 10-yard split, leapt 40 inches in the vertical, and posted a broad jump just shy of 11 feet. That burst showed up in every drill. His get-off was immediate. His hands stayed active. He won with speed first, then mixed in power. The overall athletic score matched the eye test. The Lions have talked to him, including prior to Indianapolis. He is not a pick-17 projection. He looks like a second-round target who could line up across from Aidan Hutchinson and change the cadence of Detroit's four-man rush. He is not the cleanest finisher and the tackling consistency needs tightening, but the traits translate to the NFL. Put his name in ink on the board of realistic upgrades. Day-three value from Iowa: Max Allen's clean work Max Allen from Iowa is a different kind of find. Tall and angular, he moved with surprising smoothness. In the position drills he stayed on schedule. No extra gather steps. No wasted feet. He looked like a power-based edge who can kick inside when asked and win over either shoulder of a tackle. The profile echoes Romeo Oquara. Allen is not an exceptional tester, but he is good enough and well coached. Fourth or fifth round feels right. For the Detroit Lions, that is the sweet spot to fortify the rotation with a versatile, durable piece who brings baseline strength and sound mechanics. TJ Harper reframes a rocky year TJ Harper owned the room at the podium. He entered 2025 as a potential number one overall pick. The season did not deliver the numbers. He explained the context clearly and maintained he played better, which his tape supports. It was direct and measured, the kind of response teams want when the stat line dips. For the Detroit Lions Podcast audience, Thursday in Indy underscored two truths. The elite rose out of reach. The smart value sits right where Detroit can strike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m0rF9mCM3o #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #malachilawrence #nflscoutingcombine #2026nfldraft #tjparker #jackkelly #maxllewellyn #terrionarnold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside a Quiet Combine Day for the Lions Jeff Risdon checked in live from Indianapolis on the Detroit Lions Podcast. Thursday at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine brings the first on-field work across the street. Wednesday was lighter. For the Detroit Lions, it was mostly defensive podium sessions. Useful, but limited. You learn how prospects communicate. You hear how they talk football. You watch poise and clarity. You do not get many hard answers. What Detroit Looks For in Combine Meetings The NFL churns on the question, did you meet with the Lions? It is a weak tell. Teams meet for different reasons. The Detroit Lions use those rooms to learn the person. Competitiveness. Ability to be coached. How a player meshes with coaches. The whiteboard matters, but less than with some clubs that grill pure X's and O's. Others will demand a defensive tackle recite gap fits from a specific snap. Detroit more often probes mindset and fit. Do not overread formal versus informal. Kirby Joseph had only an informal visit at the Combine and left thinking the Lions were not all that interested. He became a Detroit Lion anyway. There is also a player from this regime who was drafted with no Combine meeting at all. On the flip side, a prospect two drafts ago helped himself with a strong interview. The door swings both ways. Timing matters too. Podium appearances happen before many meetings. Prospects stay in town through workouts. A player who says he has not met Detroit yet on Wednesday might sit down with them Thursday night. Keep that context in mind when the meeting lists hit social media. Kelvin Shepherd's HC Interview Was Real One media session cut through the noise. The Dolphins GM discussed their head coach search after moving on from Mike McDaniel. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Shepherd interviewed for that job. Some dismissed it as a box-check. The GM made it clear Shepherd was a serious candidate. That resonates in Indianapolis. It reflects how league decision-makers view Detroit's staff after back-to-back ascents. It also underscores why interviews at this NFL event are about people as much as plays. There is broader chatter. Miami's situation drew side-eye. Questions linger about Tua. There was even speculation about who will play quarterback for the New York Jets. Kyler Murray's name came up. It is not a great year to need a quarterback. None of that changes Detroit's plan this week. Watch. Learn. Separate signal from noise. The Combine is about stacking small edges. The Lions are sticking to it. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nflscoutingcombine #indianapolis #podiuminterviews #formalmeeting #informalvisit #whiteboardx'sando's #defensivetackle #abilitytobecoached #kirbyjoseph #dolphinsgm #mikemcdaniel #tua #kylermurray #newyorkjetsquarterback #kelvinshepherdheadcoachinterview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad and Dan speak at the Combine The Detroit Lions hit the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday with clarity at a critical spot. Minutes after Dan Campbell wrapped his podium, Taylor Decker posted that he is coming back. The timing sharpened the conversation that both Campbell and Brad Holmes started in Indianapolis. Plan as if Decker might not be there. Welcome him if he is. Now he is. That stabilizes left tackle. The Lions still want a real plan B at tackle. Even with Decker back for 2026, they need depth and a future answer. The return eases the pressure to chase a plug-and-play starter immediately. It also widens the draft choices. Detroit can shop for value instead of forcing the board. Ready-Now vs. Upside at Tackle, and the Ripple at Edge With Decker in place, the Lions can consider a developmental tackle at 17 or 50. That shifts the calculus between floor and ceiling. Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa are widely viewed as the most NFL-ready. They might not reach Detroit. The alternative is betting on growth. Caleb Lomu fits the long-range model. Monroe Freeling does too. There is even patience baked in for an injured stash like Isaiah Wood on Day 3. Freed from a must-start tackle search, Detroit can let the best player win the room. The vibe in Indianapolis points to edge and offensive line as the early pillars. Safety lingers as a swing factor. The first two rounds still look like edge and offensive line, with safety in the mix if the board breaks right. Safety Health Clouds the Secondary, Card-Ready at 17? Both leaders addressed the safeties' health. The update on Kerby was cautious. More will be known in about a month. The staff is probing his recovery and realistic timeline. It did not sound overly promising. Branch tore his Achilles late in the season. A return before the start seems unlikely, and peak form could take time in 2026. The defense felt that loss. When the NFL's interception leader went down with a knee injury, the secondary buckled and the unit needed weeks to adjust. That context keeps safety very live on Day 1 or 2. If Cam Dow is there at 17, the card goes in. Otherwise, Detroit can let a deep edge class meet a flexible tackle board and take what the NFL gives. One more steadying note from the Combine floor: the defensive coaching staff stays intact. Campbell is energized by that continuity. The Detroit Lions Podcast will have more as medicals and workouts reshape this board in real time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OzHbLEbLDg #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #taylordecker #bradholmes #dancampbell #nflscoutingcombine #lucasoilfield #offensivetackle #edgerusher #spencerfano #francismanu #caleblomu #monroefraley #isaiahwood #kirby #branchachilles #pick17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Detroit Lions Podcast lit the fuse on NFL Combine week with real news and real stakes. On Bish & Brown, Scott Bischoff, Russell Brown, and Chris reacted in real time to Taylor Decker signaling Year 11, then zeroed in on what the combine means for Detroit and this draft class. Decker's Year 11 and What It Means at Tackle Mid-show, Decker posted “Year 11” with a tunnel photo. The room shifted. His return stabilizes left tackle and the Lions' core up front. It does not end the draft conversation at offensive tackle. The hosts said pick 17 could still be in play, citing Monroe Fraley out of Georgia as a target they have championed. Depth, succession planning, and premium position value keep the door open. Trent Williams chatter framed the urgency earlier. Decker's post clarified the baseline: Detroit can build from strength instead of scrambling at a cornerstone spot. Defense on the Clock, Injuries in View The offseason remains complex. The discussion turned to veterans like Graham Glasgow and David Montgomery, and the ripple effects of injuries on defense. The Lions may not have Kirby Joseph or Ryan Branch to start the year. That uncertainty shapes free agency and draft priorities. The hosts stressed that this week is a launch point, not a finish line. Decisions on defense will hinge on medical timelines and what value appears after the combine testing and interviews. Combine Week: Drills, Data, and Day-Two Targets This is a true preview. Not every prospect will run or test. Some will skip the 40 yard dash. Others will pass on bag drills or the three cone drill. The hosts plan to stack 10 to 12 players each, from top names to day two guys, and let the tape and testing meet in the middle. Thursday will reveal who works and who waits for pro day. Spotlight: Jeremiah Love's Rare Movement Skills Potentially the top player in the draft depending on who you ask, Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love drew a long look. One host admitted there is no path to Detroit for him, but the evaluation matters. Love is different. Lateral quickness. Smooth stride. He glides and explodes. He was used more down the field in the passing game this year and looks like a three down, workhorse type. The measurables feel secondary because the movement is so clean, but the compare-and-contrast on change of direction against this running back class will be telling. He is viewed as far and away the superior runner in the group. That context helps calibrate the board for where the Lions do shop on days two and three. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nflscoutingcombine #taylordeckeryear11 #trentwilliamsbuzz #grahamglasgow #davidmontgomery #kirbyjosephinjury #ryanbranchinjury #daytwoguys #40yarddash #threeconedrill #bagdrills #jeremiahlovenotredame #offensivetackleatpick17 #monroefraleygeorgia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coaching Staff Set: Titles, Roles, Continuity The Detroit Lions locked in their coaching staff on Monday, and the announcement landed with steadiness, not shock. Dan Campbell remains at the top. Drew Pessing is confirmed as offensive coordinator. Scotty Montgomery holds the associate head coach title. Safeties coach Jim O'Neil adds the assistant head coach role. Continuity is the headline. Caleb Collins is listed as a defensive assistant. Fraley is back as a running coordinator. Bruce Gradkowski, a former NFL quarterback, moves into the assistant wide receivers coach spot after a year as an offensive assistant. The Lions like his trajectory. Other teams do too. That momentum matters. One familiar name returns in a fresh lane. Dan Skipper is now an offensive assistant. The role is nonspecific by design. Expect Skipper to live in the film room, move between position groups, and serve as a trusted bridge between players and coaches. He just retired. He knows the locker room. That can pay off on long practice weeks. Defense: Why They're Running It Back The defensive staff remains intact aside from O'Neil's added title. That decision stirred reaction after uneven results. The context matters. Before the bye, with a healthy secondary, Detroit ranked as a top-eight defense in scoring and yards per game. The plan worked when the pieces were available. Then injuries hit. Results slid. Late in the year, Kelvin Sheppard mixed things up. Fronts changed. Coverage rules shifted. Blitz patterns evolved. The staff adjusted to the talent on hand and found gains in the final two games. That flexibility is part of why they are running it back. The defensive line is the pressure point. Kacy Rogers returns after a difficult first season. There were late signs of progress. Work with Tyleik Williams and Roy Lopez began to show. More technique wins. Better finish on plays. Year two needs to convert flashes into production. New and Notable: Passing Game and Specialist Roles David Shaw stays on as passing game specialist after previously serving as passing game coordinator. He arrived with John Morton, who is back in Denver at his old job. The shift from coordinator to specialist narrows his scope and clarifies lanes around the passing game build. Indianapolis Notes and Draft Buzz The Detroit Lions Podcast checked in from Indianapolis on a frigid morning with early draft rumors floating in the air. Most of the NFL arrives today. Brad and Dan are scheduled to speak this afternoon, with Pessing also set to meet with the media on Tuesday. Those sessions will shape how the finalized staff plans to deploy scheme tweaks, personnel development, and the next wave of additions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v7HazlUBgM #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #detroitlionscoachingstaff #indianapolisdraftbuzz #2026nfldraft #lionscoaches #kelvinsheppard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defense Set the Tone Across the NFL Michael Grey welcomed Kevin Kugler for one last look at the 2025-26 NFL season. The Detroit Lions Podcast audience got a simple theme. Defense carried the year. Teams with great defensive play stayed in the mix. Seattle did it. Houston did it. Denver did it. Cleveland had a good defense but lacked answers elsewhere. The lesson was clear. Pair a good defense with at least a serviceable offense and you can go a long way. Seattle's Surprise and the Sam Darnold Question Seattle opened with questions everywhere. How good would the defense be? How good would the coaching staff be? Could Sam Darnold hold up? They found answers. The defense led. The offense stayed steady. Darnold avoided the meltdown many expected. Even late, including the Super Bowl, he did not have that three interception game. It was not flashy. It was solid. That was enough. Limits Exposed: Houston, Denver, Cleveland Houston rode defense while searching for consistent quarterback play from CJ Stroud. The running game never really arrived. Still, Houston reached the divisional round because the defense was that good. Denver showed the other side. When Bo Nix went down, the margin vanished. Even a strong defense has limits when the offense dries up. Cleveland offered a final reminder. A pretty good defense, by itself, is not a plan. You need something to go with it. Copycat Season, Combine Clock This is a copycat league. Teams will try to become the next Seattle. Good luck. Finding another Nick Emmanwori will be hard. Replicating what Mike McDonald did with the Wolverines and in Baltimore will be harder. The search will expand to the transaction wire. Who is the next Sam Darnold? Who is the next Daniel Jones before injury? Veterans will get long looks. The combine is underway. The draft is coming fast. Balance is the goal. Lions fans know the assignment. Build a roster that marries reliable offense with a defense that can win field position and save possessions. That is the blueprint that traveled, week after week, across a long season in the NFL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPUL186C-ek #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #seattleseahawks #samdarnold #houstontexans #denverdefense #clevelandbrowns #cjstroud #runninggame #divisionalround #copycatleague #mikemcdonald #baltimore #bonix #danieljones #combine #draft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Combine Week Opens Under a Storm Cloud The Detroit Lions hit Indianapolis as travel trouble grips the NFL combine. Flights from the East Coast stalled. Media and colleagues got stuck. Coach and GM podiums scheduled for Tuesday could shuffle. Brad and Dan are slated to speak, but timing depends on who makes it into town. Indianapolis feels familiar. This is the sixteenth combine trip for our on-site voice. He arrived late Friday and is here through Saturday night. The weekend included a stop at the Indiana Volleyball Academy for his daughter's tournament. The weather is stubbornly Grey. A move to a new hotel happens tomorrow to escape the road noise. Lions, Gibbs Eye Highest-Paid RB Deal The headline in Detroit is clear. Multiple reports indicate the Lions and Gibbs are closing on a contract that would make him the highest paid running back in the NFL. The expected figure hovers around $20 million per year on a three- or four-year deal. Gibbs earned it. He changed the offense. Explosive runs flipped field position. Catch-and-run plays from simple swing passes created 25-yard first downs and red-zone setups. He is not a standard running back in this scheme. The Lions built calls to maximize his space and speed. He is indispensable to what the offense wants to do. Market context tracks with that price. Recent top deals include Saquon Barkley at $20 million, Christian McCaffrey at $19 million, with James Cook and Jonathan Taylor lower due to production and injury variables. Age matters. Production matters more. Gibbs checks the boxes for Detroit. Cap Mechanics and What Comes Next Expect the familiar structure. The Lions use void years to ease the early cap hits. Front-loading flexibility keeps space for other premium contracts. That matters because more big checks are coming. Two years from now, more core pieces will need new money. The cycle continues if the window is to stay open. The order of operations explains the timing. LaPorta is still injured. Branch is still injured. Jameson Williams is already handled. Jack Campbell could be next, but Gibbs sits at the front of the line now. The calculus is simple. The Lions do not win as often without him. So the week begins with two watch items. First, how the combine schedule adapts to the travel mess. Second, whether the Gibbs figures solidify near that $20 million average with three or four years attached. The Detroit Lions Podcast will ride both stories from downtown Indianapolis as the interviews start and the deals take shape. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #jahmyrgibbs #contractextension #scoutingcombine #akheemmesidor #joshcuevas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Bischoff and Russell Brown returned to the Detroit Lions Podcast with a tight focus. What should the Detroit Lions do at No. 17 in the NFL Draft? The board points to two paths. A press corner who fits the defense. Or an offensive tackle that stabilizes the offense under Drew Petzing. They set the table, compared notes from recent film, and laid out the cases. Press Corner Case: Colton Wood at No. 17 Colton Wood drew early attention. Scott called him a stylistic match for the Lions. Press traits. Physical hands. A willingness to tackle. He steps up and hits. The profile checks out. At six foot and around 195, he looks built for press man. He anticipates routes in off coverage. He stacked a strong Senior Bowl week. The questions are clear. How does his long speed hold when asked to recover? Can he stay clean at the line and finish reps downfield? If the Lions want to roll with press outside, Wood is one of the class options they would stare at. Scott also left the door open for a different DB at 17. A possible safety, or a very aggressive slot corner, could still drive how this defense operates. That aligns with how they want to play. It would not be tackle or edge, but it would fit the identity. What a Corner Pick Signals for Detroit Russell weighed the room. He noted the club already spent money for DJ Reed and used draft capital two years ago for Terry Ryan Arnold. Taking a corner at 17 could say a lot. It might mean they are out on Rakestraw. It would add real competition. It could push the depth chart and sharpen the group. He would be fine with Wood there. The tape shows consistent, physical play and sharp route awareness. But he flagged the cost. Corner at 17 tips the hand and reshapes expectations across the room. Offensive Tackle or Bust, and Blake Miller Russell kept circling back to one thing. Offensive tackle or bust at 17. The offense under Drew Petzing makes that path compelling. Protect the quarterback. Keep the run game square. Create balance. That set up his recent study of Clemson's Blake Miller. The lower body movement jumped out. The footwork and range looked promising. He expects Miller to test well. The takeaway was simple. If the Lions want a long-term bookend, this draft gives them a chance to get one without forcing the board. Combine Watch and What Comes Next The hosts will dig into drills and events next week and push a deeper combine preview before 3 PM Thursday when the combine kicks off. They plan to track corners in press periods, safeties and slot players in space, and offensive tackles through movement testing. The evaluations will tighten. The board at 17 will come into focus. The Detroit Lions Podcast will have it covered. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1128gDn0Ok #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfldraft #coltonwood #pressmancorner #pick17 #safetyorslotcorner #seniorbowlweek #blakemiller #clemsonoffensivetackle #drewpetzingoffense #rakestraw #djreed #routeanticipation #combinedrills Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pre-Combine Focus on Pick 17 Jeff Risdon set the stage on the Detroit Lions Podcast with a clear mission. It is Friday, February 20, and the NFL Combine is next. He heads to Indianapolis early tomorrow. The focus is pick number 17 for the Detroit Lions. Interest around that slot is intense after Daniel Jeremiah's press conference. Based on current projections, five names stand out heading into the week. The board can change after testing and interviews. For now, these are the most likely targets. Keldrick Falk fits the Lions' blueprint Auburn edge Keldrick Falk leads the defensive options. He plays with power to speed and a crush-the-can style that pairs with Aidan Hutchinson. He is 20 years old. He owns exceptional football character. He was a team captain and a culture builder by reputation. Production has not matched traits yet. Auburn used him as an end in a three man front last season, not a four man front. That put him in the b gap and exposed him to extra blockers from guards and tackles. His get-off is not twitchy, but he showed late-season growth shedding outside blocks and finishing. He has workable pass rush moves. Athletically, he compares favorably to Levi Onwuzurike. If the Lions go defense at 17 and skip offensive tackle, Falk is the pick on this pre-combine board. He sits as No. 22 overall here, so it would be a slight reach. The combine could tighten that gap. Tackles on the board: Monroe Fraley, Blake Miller Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Fraley surged after Jeremiah's praise. He is a left tackle who has played some right tackle. He is long and balanced. His pass protection improved over the season. He stays square with shoulders, hips, and feet aligned to the rusher. That trait shows up in elite NFL tackles. Fraley's run blocking needs cleaner technique. He lunges more than he attacks at times. Still, the pass pro floor and size profile fit what the Detroit Lions value. Right tackle Blake Miller, from Jackson, is gaining momentum as the combine nears. His name rose alongside Fraley in recent conversations. If Detroit prioritizes tackle at 17, both belong in the discussion. TJ Parker's surge and Hatten Proctor's case Clemson edge TJ Parker used the Senior Bowl to recharge his stock. He looked more like the early-season version of himself and answered some questions. He slots into the edge mix behind Falk as a viable play at 17 if the board breaks right. Alabama's Hatten Proctor continues to land in mocks for Detroit. He remains a frequent projection even if the preference leans elsewhere. The buzz is steady enough that he cannot be ignored at 17. This is the pre-combine snapshot. Testing, medicals, and interviews in Indianapolis will move names up and down. For now, those are the five most likely paths for the Detroit Lions at pick number 17. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #picknumber17 #nflcombine #keldricfaulk #monroefreeling #blakemiller #tjparker #kadynproctor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Jeremiah dropped real Detroit Lions intel on a two-hour NFL pre-combine conference call with roughly 150 media members. Three Lions-centric questions made the queue. The answers steered straight to offensive tackle and contingency planning. This Detroit Lions Podcast zeroes in on what matters for pick 17 and March. OT at 17: Monroe Freeling and Blake Miller Asked about offensive tackles at No. 17, Jeremiah immediately named Monroe Freeling of Georgia and Blake Miller of Clemson as fits he believes the Detroit Lions could consider. It is early in the process, and these are his opinions, but those were the first two prospects he tied to Detroit's draft slot. Both are squarely in the conversation before the NFL combine. Why Freeling resonates: learning curve and toughness Jeremiah outlined why Freeling stands out. Quick learner. Still improving. Limited experience but trending up. He added an off-field note with on-field value: Freeling's mother is a yoga instructor, which he views as a positive for injury prevention. He also relayed a durability moment. Freeling was expected to miss a game with a high ankle sprain. He said he felt healthy enough to go, entered on an emergency basis, then played the entire game and played well. That combination of growth, recovery habits, and resilience landed with the room. Free-agent tackle buzz and the contingency map Unprompted, Jeremiah said the Lions are sniffing around the free agent offensive tackle class. He did not elaborate. On the podcast, we walked through the practical outcomes of that note. It can be veteran insurance if a rookie tackle is the pick at 17. It can cover the possibility that Giovanni Manu is not ready to be the next man up. It can protect the depth spot that Dan Skipper filled. The class lacks sizzle, but there are playable options. Jermaine Illuminore has had decent starting stretches with the Lions and Raiders. He is not Taylor Decker, but he can start if needed. Braxton Jones is coming off a rough season. Jack Conklin brings a long injury history in Cleveland. Former Michigan State Spartan. Chicago area roots. Tough profile, but questions remain. Many in this market are primarily right tackles. This draft also gives Detroit room to stack swings. Beyond Freeling and Miller, there are many tackles in range throughout the weekend. Names mentioned as possibilities included Spencer Branch Manu, Caleb Holmes, Caleb Tiernan, and Dimitris Brown of Texas A and M as a Day 3 type the Lions could like. Doubling up is not out of the question if the board cooperates. For the Detroit Lions, the path at tackle runs through No. 17 and the veteran aisle. The next two weeks before the NFL combine will sharpen it. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #monroefreeling #blakemiller #freeagentoffensivetackles #taylordecker #giovannimanu #danieljeremiah #highanklesprain #jermaineilluminore #braxtonjones #jacksonconklin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who Makes the Calls in Allen Park Now? Episode 603 of the Detroit Lions Podcast opens with the question hanging over Allen Park. With Rod Wood retiring, who is steering football decisions day to day? The show lays out a direct agenda: assess the cap, sprint through free agency priorities, and prep for the NFL Scouting Combine. The timing matters. Combine week concentrates information, from personnel whispers to process checks. That is where clarity on roles can sharpen. The show centers the concern without panic. The operations list is long. Football choices cannot stall. The Lions have a window to align budgets, targets, and evals before Indy. Rod Wood's Legacy and Ford Field's Staying Power The conversation traces Wood's arc with the Detroit Lions. He worked for the Ford family in one form or another for almost thirty years, with roughly twenty more in investment banking before that. His tenure with the team dates to 2015, the Jim Caldwell era, marked by mediocrity and dead cap. He was involved in the Patricia decision, though he was not the decision maker. The organization even brought in outside counsel, including Ernie Coursey, to shape that process. Wood's imprint shows in concrete ways. Ford Field remains a viable venue, even as it nears thirty years and sits among the NFL's ten oldest stadiums. Built in the late 1990s and opened in 2000 or 2001, it still works because it improved. That is part of Wood's legacy. He also pushed to end an outlier status in Allen Park by securing the Meeks sponsorship for the training facility. The league had moved in that direction. Detroit aligned. Cap Outlook, Free Agency Sprint, Combine Plan The episode maps the near-term workload. First, clarify the Detroit Lions cap picture. Then hit a sprint through free agency to set tiers and timelines. Finally, lock in combine prep. Measurements, interviews, and positional benchmarks drive the board. The show frames Indy as the place to learn not only about prospects, but also about how the league values the Lions roster and decision makers right now. Every day lost before the combine is costly. The Lions need decisions on structure so scouts, coaches, and execs move in sync. That is the task list before wheels up. Why Indy Matters for the Detroit Lions Indy concentrates the NFL. It is where schedules stack, meals turn into meetings, and league perception reveals itself. The hosts emphasize that they learn more there about how the league perceives the Detroit Lions than any other week outside free agency and the draft. That intel feeds back into cap choices, free agency targets, and how to deploy limited time with prospects. Even the small stuff surfaces, from stadium quirks to fan experience notes. A rancid ketchup complaint gets a laugh, but it underlines a core point. Details and decisions both define a franchise. With Rod Wood stepping away, clarity on who makes the football calls is priority one as Detroit heads to the combine. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #rodwood #allenpark #fordfield #jimcaldwellera #patriciadecision #erniecoursey #meekssponsorship #salarycap #freeagencysprint #combineprep #indy #leagueperceivesthelions #episode603 #fordfamily Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anzalone vs. the Lions' social media team The Detroit Lions posted a highlight reel of top defensive pass breakups from last season. Linebacker Alex Anzalone did not appear in it, and that rubbed the pending free agent and team leader the wrong way. Anzalone took to social media to call out the Lions in real time. He called out the team account and the way the breakup was being handled. Other pending free agents were featured in the clip. He was not. The reaction was swift, public, and emotional. Deleted Tweets, Leverage, and a Rising Price The tweets came down. The walk-back arrived with claims of a joke. The damage felt done. Anzalone is set to hit the NFL market and will be 32 this season. He has been vital to the Detroit Lions defense, but he is not indispensable. That reality shapes the negotiation. Roster math looms. The Lions already have money committed to core pieces and emerging ones on the way. Taylor Decker and Derrick Barnes are in the fold. Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs will all command major resources soon. Veterans in Anzalone's tier, and names like DJ Reader discussed previously, get squeezed when the young core ascends. League Eyes and Possible Suitors Other NFL teams noticed the flare-up. That is how the cycle works. When chaos hits one city, rival markets pounce. A Chicago outlet framed Anzalone's likely exit as music to Bears fans. That oversells the moment, but it underlines his respect across the division. The Bears were even cited as a potential landing spot. The market is healthy. Logical fits include the Commanders, Dolphins, Texans, and yes, the Bears. Public frustration can double as a bat signal to bidders. The message is simple. He is open for business. What's Next on the Detroit Lions Podcast The NFL Combine arrives next week. Coverage ramps up for the rest of the week. Today's Prospect of the Day is Oregon IOL Emmanuel Pregnon, who just might be what the Lions are looking for in the second round at guard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaUrNkBG_qY #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #alexanzalone #detroitlionsfreeagency #nflfreeagency #bradleychubb #emmanuelpregnon #lionsfatargets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anzalone, Reader Hit Free Agency; No Tag Coming The contracts for Alex Anzalone and DJ Reader have officially expired. The Detroit Lions are not expected to use the franchise tag on either veteran. This was anticipated. Both players are over 30 and not part of the long term plan. That does not close the door on a return for Anzalone. It simply puts both into the open market. This is routine in the NFL. On the Detroit Lions Podcast, the message was direct. Do not confuse an expired deal with a cut. The Lions did not release Anzalone or Reader. Their contracts ended on the league calendar. You cannot trade expired contracts. They are not on the roster today. Free Agents Are Off the Roster Until They Re-Sign The guidance was practical. Treat unrestricted free agents as off the roster until a new deal is signed. Build your mental depth chart around who is under contract. That includes names like Robertson and Khalif Raymond. They are not Detroit Lions right now. They can return if the sides agree. There is nothing wrong with wanting them back. Just do not plan around it until ink meets paper. The weekend brought noisy headlines. Many framed it as the Lions parting ways. That misreads the process. Free agency is a timeline, not a rupture. Contracts expire. Teams and players reassess. Decisions follow. What Anzalone Gave Detroit and Who Replaces Him Anzalone delivered real value. He arrived from the Saints with injury concerns and rebuilt his stock. He became a leader in the huddle. He handled coverage duties at a reliable level. He even played through setbacks, including a broken forearm in 2024. Jack Campbell is an All Pro. Anzalone is still the better coverage linebacker right now. That is a specific role the Lions must replace if he departs. The answer might not be on the current roster. Detroit must plan for that coverage snap volume. It is not just tackles and blitzes. It is spacing, leverage, and range. Losing that skill set changes how the second level plays. Cap Priorities Shape the Next Moves The Lions operate in a new salary cap reality. Even with a cap bump, every dollar has a path. A Jared Goff restructure is possible, but the future cash points to the core. Think Sam LaPorta. Think Jameer Gibbs. Think Brian Branch. Younger players will command raises. That priority drives today's restraint with veterans over 30. Anzalone wants to stay. If all things are equal, a reunion makes sense. All things rarely are. Detroit will weigh price, role, and timing. Reader's future follows the same logic. The board is set. Now the market speaks. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nflfreeagency #franchisetag #alexanzalone #djreader #coveragelinebacker #jackcampbell #jaredgoffrestructure #samlaporta #jameergibbs #brianbranch #khalifraymond #robertson #unrestrictedfreeagent #salarycappriorities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A personnel-first plan from Detroit's new play-caller Jeff Risdon laid out the biggest takeaway from the new Detroit Lions offensive coordinator's interview: Drew Petzing will build the offense around the players on hand. He said he does not cling to a single philosophy. He adjusts week to week based on personnel and injuries. That mindset hit home. The Detroit Lions need flexible answers, not rigid slogans, in an NFL that punishes sameness. Petzing also values input from defensive coaches. He coached defense earlier in his career and uses that lens to spot tendencies. What are defenses reading from a formation? Which tells need to be broken? That readiness to self-scout should help the Detroit Lions offense stay one step ahead. Fixing what broke in 2025 Last season exposed a costly flaw. When Sam Laporta and Brock Wright went down, the Lions kept rolling out two tight ends and asked backups to do the same jobs. They could not. The staff did not adjust to Graham Glasgow at center instead of Frank Ragnell either. Glasgow has strengths. They are not identical to Ragnell's. That mismatch hurt the offense and it hurt Goff. Petzing's words made clear he will not treat “next man up” as a plan. He will tailor roles to who is actually available. Influences and evidence of adaptability Petzing cited North Turner and Kevin Stefanski as distinct influences. Turner's lineage favors downfield, long-to-short reads paired with a power run game. Stefanski's tree leans to timing, layered route concepts, and pre snap motion. Petzing blends concepts, not labels. That came through in how he explained his Arizona stint. With injuries everywhere, he leaned into 13 personnel. He said they played seven different tight ends, lost their top two running backs, and started 10 to 12 offensive linemen. He adapted to what he had, not what the playbook once assumed. What it means for David Montgomery and two-back looks Talk that Deemo could be on the way out never held up. After hearing Petzing, it sounds even flimsier. Unless David Montgomery wants out, expect him here and featured. Petzing discussed two back sets in practical terms: get the best personnel on the field to attack the situation. His Cleveland experience with varied backfields showed he is comfortable finding value in pairing runners. That matters for the Detroit Lions as they search for efficient answers in short yardage, red zone, and four-minute situations. This Detroit Lions Podcast episode delivered clarity. The coordinator is aligned with what this roster needs: adaptability, self-scouting, and player-driven plans. If actions match the words, the offense will look smarter, faster, and harder to predict. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #drewpetzing #davidmontgomery #jaredgoff #samlaporta #brockwright #detroitlionsjakeslaughternfldraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edge remains a top Detroit need Scott Bischoff and Russell Brown returned to the Detroit Lions Podcast after a week away and went straight back into draft talk. The focus: edge defenders for the 2026 NFL Draft. They have hit offensive tackles two weeks ago and plan to zigzag position groups in the coming weeks. Edge help stays high on the Detroit Lions list. The hosts have grumbled about it since the trade deadline and do not expect that to stop. There is no promise the Lions attack the position at pick 17. They could wait and address it later. But the top of the class offers real juice, and the conversation centered on one name. Ruben Bane scouting report: power, fit, and limits Ruben Bane, the edge out of Miami, landed as the favorite fit between the two hosts. If he is on the board at 17, they are sprinting to the podium. They doubt he lasts that long. The tape points to a down defensive end in a four three who can set the edge versus the run and live in the backfield. The style is attack. He gets up the field, hunts the ball, and harasses quarterbacks. Length shows up on the sheet. The hosts do not see shorter arms as a problem for Bane. He plays with power. He is good with his hands. He wins by shortening the path, leaning with his inside shoulder, and reducing the surface an offensive tackle can touch. Foot quickness and pop in his lower half help him close. He is strong enough to park a block, then rip free and finish. There is a knock to note. Ankle mobility and bend are not elite. At full speed he can run past the spot, then has to gear down to finish a tackle. Flattening to tight angles is not always there. Even so, the overall disruption and physicality fit what Detroit wants at defensive end. Pick 17 realities The hosts framed Bane as a top target for Detroit, but they expect him to be gone before pick 17. If he makes it to that slot, something strange likely pushed him down. In that unlikely case, the card should be easy. If he is off the board, the Lions may pivot and take edge later, depending on how the first round falls. What's next on the board Expect more position swings each week. Tight ends may be next. One early note slipped in: Oscar Delp from Georgia sits as a possible No. 2 tight end on their personal board. The Detroit Lions Podcast will keep rolling through the NFL draft cycle with that plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v4Z49sYrx8 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfldraft #edgedefender #pick17 #rubenbane #edgeoutofmiami #downdefensiveendinafourthree #settheedgeversustherun #shorterarms #goodwithhishands #anklemobility #insideshoulder #footquickness #offensivetackles #oscardelp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Skipper reports for duty on the Lions coaching staff The Daily DLP for Thursday celebrates recently retired offensive lineman Dan Skipper rejoining the Detroit Lions as a coach. While we don't yet know the exact coaching role, bringing Skipper back to the Lions' den is a savvy nod to his grit, as well as his proven leadership with the players on the offensive roster already. Skipper joins LB coach Shaun Dion Hamilton as guys who moved straight from the field into the Lions coaching staff. After working out well in a short trial run coaching tight ends and offensive tackles at the Shrine Bowl right after he retired in January, Skipper is ready. With all the talk about Taylor Decker potentially retiring, and with Frank Ragnow's early retirement still fresh, now some other NFC contenders are facing some potential, unexpected retirements on their offensive lines. How does that impact the Lions, the draft class and the outlook for the Rams and Eagles? The DLP Prospect of the Day is Auburn DL Keldric Faulk, who looks to be a very real possibility for the Lions at No. 17 overall. There is a lot to like about Faulk, but he won't excite every Lions fan for a few reasons. Faulk is only 20 and can play the way Levi Onwuzurike, Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky have done for Detroit recently--and he's healthy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVADSWsYCtI #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #danskipper #assistantoffensiveline #assistanttightendscoach #shrinebowl #frisco #texas #lockerroomleader #sidelinefrustration #hankfraley #dancampbell #giovannimanu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breaking down OL draft prospects with NFL scout Scott DiBenedetto The Daily DLP from the Detroit Lions Podcast features an interview with former Cleveland Browns scout Scott DiBenedetto. He and host Jeff Risdon go over some offensive line options for the Lions in the 2025 NFL Draft. It starts with the offensive tackles, where the Lions have already lost Dan Skipper to retirement and face the potential of losing long-time starting LT Taylor Decker to retirement as well. Penei Sewell is the best in the business at right tackle, but Detroit badly needs to address the other starting spot for the long term as well as the depth. Options are presented for the first round, then Day 2 and also Day 3, with the pros and cons of several different prospects discussed. After wrapping the tackles, Risdon and DiBenedetto go over the interior line options for Detroit, focusing on center but also prospects who can play either guard or center. There are quite a few appealing options as the draft plays on. Calling upon DiBenedetto's background as a former football player at John Carroll University in Cleveland, he offers a breakdown of Senior Bowl star, JCU WR Tyren Montgomery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmuepQ3uFJU #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #detroitlionsoffensivetackle #taylordeckerretirement #danskipperretired #giovannimanu #middleofthefirstround #firstroundoffensivetackles #righttacklestopofclass #procteralabama #campbelllomuutah #rungamefit #conditioningandsizeconcerns #consistencyissues #johndorseydetroit #clevelandbrownsplayoffwinpittsburgh #kevinstefanskicovid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cold offseason is here. The Super Bowl sits in the rearview. The Detroit Lions have work to do. Michael Grey cuts straight to it with fellow DLP'r Jeff Risdon: interior pressure wins. The big game dragged more than it dazzled, but it did spotlight roster building truths. Talent needs a plan. When there isn't one, a player and a team both suffer. Defensive structure set the tone. Playoff blueprint: interior pressure rules January The teams that reached the conference championship games ranked one through four in pressures from the defensive line. Interior rush was the separator. Big-name quarterbacks didn't swing it. Units led by Sam Darnold and Drake May advanced because they could rush, squeeze, and dictate. That's the NFL copycat code for 2026. The Lions have bodies who can do it. They delivered too little of it compared to the top groups. Detroit's front must level up The defense needs its edge star to nudge from excellent to takeover. He's been fantastic, but he isn't at the Parsons, Watt, or Garrett tier yet. Help matters. The interior defensive line was disappointing. Allen had one fantastic game on his return, then went quiet. He has to earn his money. There is optimism about Mills, another year removed from the ACL, but it must show up on Sundays. Tully Williams flashed in the final two weeks. Before that he looked a little too big and unsure. Year two should raise the floor and the ceiling. That's the expectation. It has to be reality. 2026 plan: waves inside, smarter bets Seattle's model is the target: waves of interior rushers who can collapse pockets all game. The Lions tried that approach. It hasn't clicked yet. It needs to in 2026 and beyond. The offensive brain trust keeps growing as Dan Campbell collects coaches like Pokemon. That's good. But the pivot is defense. Interior pressure feeds takeaways, hides coverage warts, and turns third downs into punts. Build the room, trim what doesn't fit, and unleash fresh legs in series. Do that, and the Lions turn January from survival to control. That's the job this Goff season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNokaUW9eXA #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #interiorpressure #interiordefensiveline #insiderush #a-gaps #edgeplay #aidanhutchinson #jelanitavai #dancampbell #goffseason #offensivecoaches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seattle's win reframes the path for Detroit Seattle lifted the Lombardi, and the day after on the Detroit Lions Podcast Jeff Risdon laid it out plainly. The Detroit Lions can follow that model. He even circled February 15 next year as a date this city can chase. Seattle went 10-7 in 2024 and missed the playoffs. They moved on from Pete Carroll. They swapped Geno Smith for Sam Darnold, a quarterback with a lower floor but a higher ceiling. Many mocked that decision. Darnold just won the Super Bowl. That matters for the NFL and for the Lions. Jared Goff can do what Darnold did. Goff is better than Darnold. He does not need to be a lottery-ticket quarterback to win. The league's trend line says a really good team that wins in multiple ways can take it all. That is where Detroit lives. What Seattle did, and how Detroit matches it Seattle won with an exceptional defense. They mixed coverages. Jones and the safeties were disciplined. Devon Witherspoon filled a Brian Branch type of role. The Seahawks generated pressure by committee. No single alpha, but several rushers affected the pocket. It looked more like how the Eagles win than how Detroit typically rushes, but the approach travels in January. On offense, Seattle leaned on a power run game. Kenneth Walker was the MVP. His jump-cut and bounce outside when a linebacker filled the gap flipped downs. Jahmyr Gibbs can do that. He already has. A rookie offensive lineman, Dion Grey Campbell, stepped in and helped. If the Lions are healthy, their line is not behind that group. Taylor Decker's health was a problem last year, but the baseline is strong. Jackson Smith-Njigba took home NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He earned it. Is he that much better than Amon-Ra St. Brown? Different styles, same tier of impact. A healthy Sam LaPorta stacks up better than any tight end Seattle put out there. AJ Barnes, the Michigan man, even snared a touchdown. Detroit has that complementary piece in Brock Wright. The checklist to make it real in Detroit The Lions are close, and the NFL is moving toward how they are built. It still requires boxes checked. Injury luck. A very good Jared Goff season. A strong offseason. Brian Branch getting healthy quickly. More versatility in coverage and sustained pass-rush depth so the pressure never fades, even without one headline star. None of this guarantees a parade. But Seattle proved the window is open for teams like these Lions. The path is not theoretical. It is on film, and Detroit has the personnel to walk it. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #seattleseahawks #samdarnold #genosmith #jaredgoff #jalenhurts #brianbranch #jahmyrgibbs #kennethwalker #devonwitherspoon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super Bowl Eve Spotlight: Why Max Crosby On Super Bowl eve, the Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on Max Crosby as the most polarizing offseason swing. The chatter is not just in Detroit. The Bengals, Cowboys, Patriots, and Falcons have all been mentioned as alleged suitors. Crosby is 28, from Lapeer, Michigan, and came out of Eastern Michigan. He wins with power to speed, has some bend, and never stops. He is comfortable standing up, but he is better with his hand in the dirt. The case is rooted in run defense. The show framed Crosby as the best run-defending edge in football among the elite pass rushers. He owns two of the top ten seasons in NFL history for tackles for loss, in 2022 and 2023. That production sets an edge and closes lanes. It also travels to January. Sacks, TFLs, and Reality Check Crosby's sack totals do not always match his reputation. He had 10 this past season. He posted 7.5 in only 12 games in 2024. His peak was 14.5 in 2023, when he earned first-team All-Pro and piled up 23 tackles for loss. The Raiders have not consistently fielded another threatening rusher opposite him, which has amplified his workload and attention. That profile matters for the Detroit Lions. Pair Crosby with Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill. Add Tyreek Williams, who quietly played well down the stretch, with Jack Campbell behind them. That front four controls tempo. It lets a defense rush with four, squeeze gaps, and dictate drives. The show pointed to the Houston Texans as proof of concept, noting how they almost never blitzed and still dominated both of their playoff games. Turnovers, not defense, flipped those outcomes. The All-In Price Tag There is a catch. Acquisition cost and opportunity cost headline the downside. This is an all-in move. The hypothetical package discussed mirrored the price “Green Bay” paid to get Micah Parsons: two firsts and a third. In this scenario, the Lions send their first this year and next, plus next year's third because they do not have a third this year. To balance that, the Raiders send back their pick at the top of the second round this year, sliding Detroit from pick 17 to around 33 or 34. The Lions would still keep their own second. A 2025 fourth this year may need to be added to make the math work. The upside is obvious. Crosby beside Hutchinson could make the Detroit Lions the NFC North favorite and a top seed contender. The risk is just as clear. Two firsts and more means fewer swings at premium talent, fewer cheap starters, and less flexibility if injuries hit. The debate is simple. How much is one of the NFL's most complete edges worth to a roster already built to win? #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #maxcrosby #aidanhutchinson #alimmcneill #tyreekwilliams #jackcampbell #rundefendingedge #tacklesforloss #fourmanrush #almostneverblitz #twofirstroundpicksandathird Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Detroit Lions filled a key staff spot today. Steve Oliver moves from assistant offensive line coach to tight ends coach. The Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down what it means ahead of the NFL Combine at month's end. Steve Oliver to Tight Ends Coach The Lions stayed in house. Oliver earns the promotion after five seasons in Detroit, heading into a sixth. He played at the University of San Diego. Inside Allen Park, he is known for hands-on work with the tackles. That includes Penei Sewell, Giovanni Manu, and Colby Sorsdal when Sorsdal repped at tackle. Continuity matters for this offense. Oliver knows the room. He knows Hank Fraley and the standards on that line. The move keeps the language and teaching aligned for a position group that touches the run game and pass protection on every snap. Assistant OL Opening and Dan Skipper Buzz One vacancy remains: assistant offensive line coach. Dan Skipper is the name to watch. He coached tight ends and offensive line at the Shrine Bowl the day after retiring from the Lions. He knows the scheme and knows Fraley well. That fit tracks with how Detroit builds staff. The goal is a full staff in place before the combine at the end of the month. Programming note from today's update: there will be a daily show on Saturday, no show on Super Bowl Sunday, and then back on Monday. Stafford's MVP and the Detroit Lens Matthew Stafford won MVP in a very close vote. One ballot for Justin Herbert factored into the margin. At 37, Stafford is the oldest first-time MVP. The award strengthens an already robust career case. Detroit fans remain split on Stafford's legacy. Some still celebrate him. Others have moved on. Today's tone was simple: appreciate the validation and the years of production. His moment on the NFL stage, with family in view, underscored the journey. None of it changes where the Lions are now, but it reframes what he did then. Penei Sewell Misses Protector of the Year The NFL rolled out its inaugural Protector of the Year. Penei Sewell was a finalist. He did not win. The award went to a Bear, a result that stung given Sewell's dominance. By most views, he is the best run-blocking right tackle in football, and arguably the best run-blocking offensive lineman overall. Pass protection tilted the vote. There are tackles a tick better in pure pass pro, and that likely cost him. Sewell is steady about it. Use it as fuel or not, the standard remains high. Elsewhere, former Lions head coach Jim Schwartz resigned as the Browns defensive coordinator today. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #steveoliver #tightendscoach #assistantoffensivelinecoach #hankfraley #danskipper #shrinebowl #peneisewell #giovannimanu #colbysorsdal #matthewstafford #nflmvp #sammonson #justinherbert #protectoroftheyear #jimschwartz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contract structure takes center stage Detroit Lions fans got clarity on a headline decision. On today's Daily Detroit Lions Podcast, Jeff Risdon unpacked why Carlton Davis chose New England and how Detroit pivoted. Dave Burkett, reporting from the Super Bowl, relayed Davis' words: he would have signed in Detroit, and it wasn't about money. It was the structure. Davis, the former Lions starter now with the Patriots, signed a three-year, $54 million deal with $34.5 million guaranteed and a $16.5 million signing bonus. No void years. He started slowly but improved as the season went on, then played very well in the playoffs, especially when CJ Stroud threw him the ball a lot. Davis reiterated he liked Detroit's process. DJ Reed's deal shows Detroit's approach After Davis moved on, the Detroit Lions signed DJ Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract with $32 million guaranteed and a $15.2 million signing bonus. Detroit's wrinkle under Mike Disner stands out: three void years. The contract technically runs through 2031, which makes Reed easier to cut after the second year or to renegotiate. Reed was off to a very good start in Detroit before an injury. When he returned, he wasn't the same player yet. Expectations remain that he will be a very good starter in 2026. Reed projects as part of a fine starting cornerback duo. Are there better ones in the NFL? Yes. Can you win with these guys in the style of defense the Lions play? Yes. Why void years matter for veterans Davis cited structure as the hang-up, and the void years are the obvious difference. For an older player seeking to cash in, void years can mean less immediate cash in year one. They can also reduce player leverage when a team wants to renegotiate or move on, since the organization carries obligations whether the player is there or not. Workout bonuses can factor in too, but the void years are the clear separator here. Davis emphasized there was no drama with Detroit or its leadership. “I love Detroit… I was rooting for those guys… It was a straight up process… Good communication… I got nothing bad to say about them.” The takeaway for the Detroit Lions and the NFL at large is simple: the Lions' preferred tools work for the team, but certain veterans and their agents may push back. As Detroit keeps using void years on contracts and future extensions, this will be worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQXrzlQgZrM #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #carltondavis #djreed #voidyears #mikedisner #signingbonus #guaranteedmoney #basesalary #workoutbonuses #newenglandpatriots #detroitlionsdefense #freeagency #superbowl #cjstroud #three-yearcontract Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lions Flavor in a Point-Flooded Pro Bowl Episode 562 of the Detroit Lions Podcast opened with Detroit Lions talk pointed straight at Super Bowl week, but the NFL Pro Bowl stole the first segment. Jeff Risdon flipped over after basketball and landed on a perfect scene: Jared Goff dropping a pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The scoreboard was already wild. More than 100 points lit up the broadcast. It felt like 56 to 50 at one point. The pace never slowed. This was not football as we know it. It was flag football. No tackling. No contact. No one even allowed to touch. Yet the hosts liked the energy. Jeff caught the last 35 to 40 minutes and agreed it beat the old 11-on-11 walk-through. Goff wore his hat and looked relaxed. He was clearly having fun. St. Brown moved like it mattered. For Lions fans, seeing that connection on a national stage was the hook that kept the channel right there. What the Hosts Teed Up Next After the quick Pro Bowl review, the rundown hit Detroit-centered questions. Levi Onwuzurike and Paschal came up under the banner of paying the toll. Is the player paying it, or are the Lions paying it? The conversation promised to sort through that. Salary cap talk is coming, and it sounds crazy. The Vikings got a mention as a punchline. Super Bowl choices were on deck, teased as a segment still to come. The aim is clear. Keep the focus on how Detroit Lions decisions intersect with an NFL offseason that is already moving. Tie the Pro Bowl flashes from Goff and St. Brown back into what matters next. Keep the Detroit Lions Podcast locked on the things fans actually need to think about this week. Behind the Mics The show remains the official Detroit Lions podcast for Reddit. Studio upgrades are on the way. Better lights. A new space. A former Cleveland Browns scout is lined up for Monday to talk prospects. The cadence of content is increasing, and the boys are clearly having fun building it. Detroit is front and center this week. The Lions have stars who just showed out in the NFL's showcase, even with flags at their hips. The next steps on cap, depth, and health are the real story. Episode 562 keeps those steps in focus. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #jaredgoff #amon-rast.brown #probowl #flagfootball #nfl #episode562 #jeffrisdon #levionwuzurike #paschal #salarycap #vikings #superbowl #reddit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contracts Tolled: What It Means for 2026 The Detroit Lions tolled the contracts of Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal after both spent the entire 2025 season on the NFI list. The practical outcome is simple. What was slated for 2025 now applies to 2026. Neither player hits free agency. Both remain Detroit Lions into the new league year. Onwuzurike's 2025 deal carries forward. Paschal moves into the final year of his rookie contract. The distinction matters inside the NFL calendar and for how the Lions plan the defensive line room into training camp. Cap Mechanics and Roster Stakes Onwuzurike has a one year, $4,000,000 deal with $3,500,000 guaranteed. The contract included a $2,000,000 signing bonus, which is typically paid at signing, so the cash outlay this year is lighter. He had a likely to be earned playing time incentive of $250,000. He did not reach it. That amount credits back to the Detroit Lions cap, a small but welcome bump. Paschal sits in the final season of his rookie deal. One key difference with the NFI list compared to IR is that teams are not obligated to pay base salaries on NFI. Beyond signing bonuses, it is unknown what either player received while sidelined. Expectations must be measured. Neither should be penciled in for significant snaps. Both must prove they can make the team. Prior second round draft status should not influence the competition. If healthy, their presence adds depth and pushes the group in camp. The medical histories frame the caution. Onwuzurike played well in 2024 before his knee gave out. He later needed knee surgery. A torn ACL was discovered after he signed, and it was not related to his longstanding back issues. He is playing after a spinal fusion surgery, which remains remarkable. Paschal had back surgery last offseason. His prior issues included melanoma that metastasized in his foot, knee problems, and a hamstring issue. He missed last season for a back problem. Availability will decide their paths. Pro Bowl Note: Goff Finds St. Brown The Pro Bowl shifted to flag football and still offered a Detroit moment. A switch of the channel landed on Jared Goff delivering a pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It is not tackle football. Accept that and the pace can be enjoyable. The connection was a quick reminder of timing and touch, even in an all star setting. The Detroit Lions Podcast goes live tonight at 8 PM with Chris to dig deeper into the cap ripple and the defensive line outlook. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #levionwuzurike #joshpaschal #non-footballinjurylist #contractstolled #teamcontrolinto2026 #playingtimeincentive #$2millionsigningbonus #likely-to-be-earnedincentive #rookiecontractfinalyear #tornacl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senior Bowl standouts for Detroit Russell Brown and Jeff Risdon turned Senior Bowl week into an NFL reality check on the Detroit Lions Podcast. Mobile is hard to reach. This year it was worse. Flights through Atlanta and Charlotte snarled schedules. Players spent extra hours in airports, then dove straight into meetings and practices. Every prospect met with all 32 teams. Some chats lasted five minutes. Others stretched to forty five. Minds raced. Bodies adjusted to new time zones. Then came the field work. Wide receivers faced corners they had never seen. Quarterbacks threw to targets they had never met. Timing lagged. Some passes sailed high. The context mattered. It was not a polished team practice. It was a showcase under unfamiliar circumstances, with coaches installing concepts on the fly and players trying to absorb it all. Practice winners with a Detroit lens One offensive winner stood out. Wyoming tight end John Michael Gillenborg flashed real juice. He is a former basketball player who played only three high school football games after COVID wiped out his senior year. Athlete first, growing football player second. In one on one drills he was a problem. He separated cleanly. He was uncoverable for stretches. Safeties and linebackers struggled to mirror him in space. His game performance did not match the practices. The hosts said it plainly. The week still helped him. Movement skills at that size are hard to teach. A slot tight end who wins on timing and leverage translates. One linebacker did hold up well in coverage during those periods, a note that sharpened the evaluation of the tight end work. Even with the natural advantage for tight ends in those drills, Gillenborg's get off and pace changes carried weight. Installs and scheme shifts test prospects The install meetings mattered as much as the reps. Players jumped into systems that did not mirror their college playbooks. Think of a running back used to inside and outside zone suddenly asked to run duo. That changes everything. An offensive lineman who rarely worked a deuce block now has to climb to a linebacker on a different track. In zone you lean on the drag hand and cross the face of the nearest defender to pin and create a lane. Duo shifts the aiming points and the communication. Those are real stressors on short notice. What it means for Detroit The Detroit Lions value how players handle chaos. One bad Tuesday does not define a prospect in the NFL. Meetings, installs, and adaptability do. Gillenborg's week offered a profile worth tracking for a Detroit offense that prizes matchups in the middle of the field. The linebacker who showed coverage chops added another data point on the defensive side. For the Lions, the smart move is weighing practice tape, mental processing, and the ability to translate coaching quickly. Senior Bowl week delivered all three. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvW-U57A_nc #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #seniorbowl #johnmichaelgyllenborg #one-on-onedrills #linebackercoverage #safetiesandlinebackers #insidezone #outsidezone #duoblocking #interviewswithall32teams #timezoneadjustment #flightdelaysinatlantaandcharlotte Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL salary cap is set to clear $301 million. That surge changes the Detroit Lions math. Default figures still place the Lions a few million over, as with the rest of the NFC North, but routine moves and rollover can flip the ledger fast. The Detroit Lions Podcast drills into who and what unlocks space, and how it shapes spring decisions. Cap Surge Reshapes Detroit's Options League guidance pegs the 2026 cap north of $301 million, with projections ranging from about $301.2 million to $305.7 million. Five seasons ago it sat near $208 million. Revenue is up. So are choices. On default calculations, the Lions sit roughly $7.65 million over. There is a straightforward release or restructure lever at guard. Moving on from Graham Glasgow would free about $5.56 million. If he returns, it should be in a supporting role, not at a starter's rate. Restructure pathways also exist, including converting portions of Jared Goff's money into guarantees to smooth the hit. The menu is familiar. The new cap ceiling makes each option more palatable. David Montgomery remains a core piece. The expectation here is that he stays. The bigger picture is flexibility. Detroit can clear room without gutting its identity. Roster Decisions: Glasgow, Anzalone, Raymond The higher cap improves odds for continuity on defense. Bringing back linebacker Alex Anzalone is more feasible now. He handled the defensive calls, played well last season, and stayed on the field. Keeping the ringleader in the middle adds stability as the Lions push for more in the NFL postseason. Kalif Raymond is a pending free agent. He has been the No. 4 wide receiver and a trusted returner. Detroit drafted Dominic Lovett as a projected successor, but Lovett did not see the field on offense. If Raymond is open to returning as a primary return specialist, that path aligns with an offense that leans into two wide receivers and two tight ends. Glasgow remains the cleanest cap lever. If not released, a pay cut or restructure fits. Either way, the cap jump gives Detroit Lions decision-makers a buffer to keep preferred pieces together. QB2 and Coaching Notes The cap rise also eases a practical question at quarterback. Retaining Kyle Allen as the backup in the $3 million range makes sense. He was solid last summer and looked better than his prior tape suggested. Coaching movement around the NFL has settled at the top, but Detroit still needs a tight ends coach. Dan Skipper is a sensible in-house option. He logged more than 400 snaps as an extra offensive lineman in heavy packages and knows the operation. He could also slot as an offensive assistant if that's the better fit. There is talk out of Chicago that JT Barrett could become offensive coordinator under Ben Johnson. Chicago moved on from its OC and is surveying options. For the Lions, the immediate task is simple. Leverage the cap windfall, lock in key voices, and keep the program's rhythm intact. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #detroitlionssalarycap #nflcap301million #grahamglasgowsalary #zionyoung #danskipper #jtbarrett #tannerengstrand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit locks in OT at 17 Mock Draft 1.0 on the Detroit Lions Podcast set the board with a clear priority. Offensive tackle at No. 17. The choice is Utah's Caleb Lomu. The approach mirrors the current reality. Taylor Decker played through a shoulder injury and a potential retirement hovers. Operate as if Decker will not be back. If he returns, that is preferred. A rookie develops behind veterans and the line stays stout. This is about protecting Jared Goff and sustaining a top NFL front five. Caleb Lomu scouting snapshot Lomu brings outstanding athleticism and smooth movement in space. His footwork on the edge is clean. He rarely opens the gate and gives up the corner to bend rushers. He uses length well. If he is beaten initially, he shows quick reaction and recovers. That recovery mirrors what the Lions need on the left side. It also covers for breakdowns that happen on long downs. The cons are real. He will be 24 as a rookie, almost as old as Penei Sewell. He does not move people in the run game. Power rushers can get into his pads and walk him back. Functional strength must improve. Add eight to ten pounds and those issues tighten up. Among the two Utah tackles, Spencer Fano looks better right now. In two years, Lomu's ceiling could be higher. Less mileage. More room to grow. The fit in Detroit works. The profile matches the offense and the locker room. Derek Moore's Senior Bowl surge Day two brings a Senior Bowl riser. Michigan edge Derek Moore flashed an upper tier week. His Michigan tape had peaks and long quiet stretches. Splash or invisible. In Mobile he stacked more consistent reps. One stood out. Aligned on the edge, he collapsed the blocker inside and forced the run into the A gap. That is assignment sound football. That translates to the Lions front. It shows he can anchor, set an edge, and still chase. He is a little smaller for the role, but the technique win matters. The arrow is up. What changes before the draft This is an early guess. Only one mock each year reflects personal board. The rest project what the Detroit Lions will do. The NFL combine hits at the end of the month. Pro days follow. Those trips produce fresh data from scouts and coaches. Notes from the road sharpen the board and the next iteration gets tighter. For now, tackle at 17 with Lomu, then Moore as the front seven boost. Needs met. Upside secured. The plan holds until new information moves it. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #caleblomu #utahutestackle #taylordeckershoulder #taylordeckerpotentialretirement #peneisewell #detroitlionsoffensiveline #lefttacklerecovery #bullrushpower #rungamemovement #spencerfano #derekmoore #michiganpassrusher #seniorbowlweek #agapspill #combineatendofmonth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Tackle Tops the Lions' Offseason List Senior Bowl week set the tone in Mobile. The Shrine Bowl wrapped the other night. Scott Bischoff and Russell Brown are deep in practice tape on the Detroit Lions Podcast. The conversation zeroed in on offensive tackle and how it drives every Detroit Lions decision. Offensive tackle is the biggest need for this roster. Outside of Penei Sewell, the future at left or right tackle is unclear. Decker's status is not defined. That uncertainty elevates tackle above every other position. You can patch the interior with a veteran and a younger center. Graham Glasgow remains in place. That worst case is manageable. The priority is tackle. Sewell at Left or Right: Where the Value Lives In a perfect world, you would not move what might be the best right tackle in football. Sewell fits that bill. Disrupting that matters. Yet it is easier to find a right tackle than a premium left tackle in the NFL. Sewell can be a strong left tackle. The best team-first move could be shifting him left if the rookie fits better on the right. Conversely, if pick 17 yields a true college left tackle, keep Sewell at right tackle. Let the rookie learn and possibly sit behind Decker for a half season. The player dictates the plan. The larger question remains whether you should move a foundational piece at all. Draft Board at 17 and Beyond At pick 17, a few intriguing tackles could reach Detroit. One or two at the very top likely will not. The board will decide how aggressive the Lions must be. This offensive line class looks deeper than expected. There may be fewer elite names at the top, but there is quality through the first two rounds. Options exist at 17 and again around pick 50. The further down the list you go, the more developmental tackles you can target. Interior paths also exist. The mix could include Chris Mahogany, Kate Ratlitsch, and Mills Frazier, with Graham Glasgow in the room. That flexibility allows a rookie tackle to grow while the line holds together opposite Sewell. Senior Bowl practices are on day three, technically day four of the week. Shrine Bowl work is in the books. Those sessions shape the board and the fit at tackle. A fuller recap of both events comes next week. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #seniorbowl #shrinebowl #pick17 #peneisewell #decker #righttackle #lefttackle #interioroffensiveline #grahamglasgow #offensivelineclass #offensivetackle #practicetape Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Risdon welcomed Tyler Brown of Best Available after a long, weather-chopped week inside The Star in Frisco. The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on access, evaluation, and Detroit Lions offensive line priorities. All 32 NFL teams showed up. The vantage points were elite. The stories were close to the grass. The Star Delivers Rare Access and Angles Brown's first trip to the facility impressed him. He called The Star absurd in the best way. The complex felt brand new. Frisco is its own scene, and it shows. He understood why they host state championships there. Weather shut down much of what surrounded the event, but the on-field work kept rolling. Media access stood out. Credentialed reporters could walk up and talk to people without stigma. Brown even spent about twenty minutes chatting with Dante Corleone during practice while the defensive tackle was hurt. The week ended with a brutal exit from Dallas for Brown. Two days. Twenty-seven hours. One flight day. He still called it worth it. Scouts Pack the Sideline as All 32 Evaluate Scouts were everywhere. The setup allowed personnel and media to stand right on the sideline, only a couple feet from one-on-one drills. You could slide into the stands and jump to the end zone for a different look in seconds. That flexibility mattered when team periods started. Both Brown and Risdon prefer the end zone view for team work. Risdon even noted he leaves the press box at Western Michigan to watch from the end zone front row. The Star let them simulate that angle for NFL-caliber talent. It felt like the same sightline scouts used. Lions Notes: OL Search and Dan Skipper's Next Step The Detroit Lions need offensive line help. Everyone does, but this roster needs both tackles and guards. The conversation was set to start inside. Interior linemen drew attention during the week. The proximity to drills made it simple to focus on hand placement, anchor, and recovery in live reps. One Detroit note stood out. Dan Skipper was on the field as one of the Lions coaches just days after he retired. Brown caught up with him on the sideline. Skipper sounded energized about coaching and eager to get started. That is a notable development for a locker room that values continuity and voice in the trenches. The week at The Star offered uncommon clarity. Sideline access. End zone angles. Scouts elbow to elbow. A quick chat with Dante Corleone. And a sharpened picture of the Detroit Lions' offensive line priorities as the NFL calendar turns to team-building. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #thestarinfrisco #all32teams #sidelineaccess #one-on-onedrills #endzoneview #offensivelinehelp #interioroffensiveline #danskipper #dantecorleone #credentialedmedia #westernmichiganendzone #scoutseverywhere Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senior Bowl film, defensive front focus Jeff Risdon is not in Mobile, but he is deep in the Panini Senior Bowl practice film. The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on five defensive players who stood out on the first day. The lens stayed on the defensive front. Think day two or day three targets, with one possible first-rounder in the mix. The Senior Bowl staff set up on-demand practice cutups for those not on site. That access matters. The tape shows pace, drills, and assignments without the noise. The Detroit Lions need disruption and discipline up front. Day 1 offered both, and the film backed it up. TJ Parker's measurements and Lions fit at 17 TJ Parker of Clemson checked in at 6-foot-3 and three-quarters, 263 pounds, with 33.25-inch arms. That falls within the Detroit Lions' edge profile, even if it is smaller than Josh Paschal and lighter than Hutch by 10 to 15 pounds. The game is power to speed. He does not flash the same speed to power you see from Hutch or Micah Parsons, but he carries force through contact. Parker plays the run on the way to the pass. On Day 1, the team drills told the story. He stacked and shed on the edge. He got into the backfield and stayed assignment-sound. No freelancing. No lost contain. That backside contain matters in the Kelvin Sheppard defense. He must improve his get-off and block deconstruction, but the traits align with what Detroit wants. If the board falls a certain way, Parker fits the conversation at number 17 overall. The measurements are close enough. The role is clear. The tape shows a defender who can set an edge, disrupt, and finish within structure. Senior Bowl meeting reality check Every single player in Mobile meets with every NFL team. It is scheduled. It runs 10 to 15 minutes per club. Do not get swept up in “met with” posts. That is the format. Informal chats still happen after practice, like when Ray Agnew once spoke with Hendon Hooker, but those are not the only touchpoints. The universal meetings keep players engaged in the process and give teams baseline exposure. Derek Moore brings a big Day 1 Michigan edge Derek Moore delivered a whopper of a first day. The clip made the rounds on social media. The key is that it was not a one-off flash. The first look showed power, urgency, and finish from a Big Ten frame. As the week continues, the team periods will confirm whether that surge holds when the offense hits back. For a Detroit Lions front seeking reliable force and clean edges, Day 1 put Moore firmly on the radar. The Detroit Lions Podcast will keep grinding the cutups as the practices roll. Day 1 gave Detroit clear defensive front options. The tape will decide who sticks. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #seniorbowl #paniniseniorbowl #tjparker #clemson #derekmoore #michigan #kelvinshepparddefense #teamdrills #backsidecontain #number17overall #joshpaschal #hutch #micahparsons Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kafka's Arrival and Why It Matters Detroit moved on offense. Yesterday the Detroit Lions hired Mike Kafka to an unspecified but prominent role. He is the former Giants interim head coach and offensive coordinator. He also coached quarterbacks in Kansas City under Andy Reid with Patrick Mahomes. His calling card is aggressive creativity and adaptability. He has shown he can build an attack around the talent on hand, not just the playbook. With backups at key spots, no Malik Nabers, and a battered line, his offense still put up points. The concepts were fresh. The execution fit the personnel. Petzing's OC Role and the Scheme Blend Drew Petzing is the offensive coordinator. He is most notable for work with tight ends in Cleveland. In Arizona, his plans were limited by personnel, but the structure was sound. Petzing comes from the Kevin Stefanski tree. Kafka arrives from a different West Coast branch. The Detroit Lions are rooted in West Coast principles. Timing and spacing in the passing game matter. So do route combinations, gap and duo runs, and a little zone. Kafka is experienced in aggressive play calls. Petzing can marry that with tight end usage and practicality. The staff must correct a 2024 problem. After injuries, the offense often ran like Sam LaPorta and Frank Ragnow were still in the huddle. Brock Wright is not Sam LaPorta. Anthony Firkser is not Brock Wright. Yet the calls asked them to be. Dan Campbell eventually took over play calling, and the buck landed on him. Now the buck will be shared. Two proven offensive coordinators sit on staff. That should drive faster adjustments and better fits when injuries hit. How Kafka Could Be Deployed if Roles Shift One reason Kafka's title is not set yet: Scotty Montgomery, the assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, is in Baltimore interviewing for the Ravens OC job under Jesse Minter. There is a real chance he gets it. If he leaves, Kafka can step into a senior offensive assistant role that leans into the passing game and receivers. Quarterbacks are covered with Mark Brunell. Another option is passing game coordinator. David Shaw holds that post as of this recording. He came to Detroit through his connection with John Morton after working together in Denver. Shaw's son just transferred to Stanford from UCLA. That could pull him west. It would not be a surprise if the title board changes again before the combine. The Detroit Lions Podcast framed it plainly. The Lions added two sharp minds who value fit, spacing, and flexibility. That should raise the floor on Sundays in the NFL and sharpen the ceiling when everyone is healthy. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #mikekafka #drewpetzing #dancampbell #westcoastoffense #gapandduo #samlaporta #brockwright #anthonyfirkser #frankragnow #markbrunell #scottymontgomery #jesseminter #davidshaw #patrickmahomes #passinggamecoordinator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Interview with Shrine Bowl's Owen Riese The Daily DLP from the Detroit Lions Podcast features Jeff Risdon interviewing Shrine Bowl assistant scouting director Owen Riese. The two break down former Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper's quick change into coaching at the Shrine Bowl this week after retiring from Detroit last week. Skipper and the other coaches in Frisco have some interesting potential NFL Draft prospects to work with during the practices and Tuesday night's game at The Star. Among the players Riese provides excellent insider information on is Penn State offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, which leads into a good conversation about the point of diminishing returns for height on the offensive line. Some of the other prospects at the Shrine Bowl practices covered include the interior offensive line duo from Kentucky, Jager Burton and Josh Brown. Burton is a particularly good scheme fit for the Lions as a center. Duke's Brian Parker is transitioning from tackle to center and is off to a good start this week. Notre Dame's Aamil Wagner and Wyoming guard Caden Barnett also get their skills broken down, among some other NFL Draft prospects who have stood out. It's a lively conversation that goes into scouting talk and what teams might be looking for in different positions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMtuGNnPK-o #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #eastwestshrinebowl #danskipper #offensiveline #specialteams #swingtackle #uw-platteville #assistantdirectorofcollegiatescouting #ericgalco #turnersanger #arizonacardinalsassistantquarterbackscoach #pennstatetackle #nolanruchi #passprotection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Five Years After a Franchise Pivot Five years on, the Detroit Lions trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Rams and brought Jared Goff and draft capital to Detroit still defines the arc of both franchises. The timing mattered. Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes had just arrived. Candidates for those jobs were warned that Stafford might not be a Detroit Lion for long. Stafford had back concerns at the time and no interest in grooming a successor. Detroit's roster had been stripped by the end of the Quinntricia era. The team needed a reset. Stafford wanted to win right away. The deal marked the end of an era and a clean break. Los Angeles sought a quarterback who could maximize Sean McVay's offense. Goff's run there had crested. Detroit accepted Goff and the picks and turned the page. It was bold. It was necessary. It was an NFL trade that changed two locker rooms overnight. Winners on Both Sides, Different Paths Both sides got what they needed. The Rams won a Super Bowl. In year five after the trade, Stafford just won the MVP. The Rams are still playing, with an NFC championship game ahead and a chance at another Super Bowl. That is validation. The Detroit Lions gained, too. Goff's trajectory in Detroit has risen. The offense stabilized. The team culture grew under Campbell and Holmes. The trade created space to build and compete without clinging to a fading timeline. It was not about declaring a single winner. It was about fit and timing, and both teams found theirs. Goff's Detroit Arc by the Numbers The numbers tell the Detroit Lions story. Goff's overall winning percentage dipped slightly from 60% to 58%, but removing the first seasons in each stop makes the rates nearly identical. His first year in Los Angeles included only seven starts. His first Detroit season ended 3-13-1. Since then, the results track closely. Accuracy improved. His completion rate in Detroit is up 4.4 percentage points, from 63.4 to 67.9. The touchdown-to-interception ratio is better. Average yards per attempt is higher. Yards per completion is slightly lower. Yards per game is almost unchanged. The passer rating jump is stark: 91.5 across five Los Angeles seasons to 101.3 across five in Detroit. Goff has authored 15 game-winning drives and 12 fourth quarter comebacks with the Lions. He has made two Pro Bowls in Detroit. He finished sixth in Comeback Player of the Year voting in 2022. In 2024, he received MVP consideration and finished ninth for Offensive Player of the Year. These are concrete gains, not vibes. Five years later, the Detroit Lions are stronger for the reset, and the Rams achieved the immediate payoff they pursued. That is the lasting impact of a blockbuster that reshaped the NFL and still reverberates on the Detroit Lions Podcast. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #matthewstafford #jaredgoff #losangelesrams #dancampbell #bradholmes #seanmcvay #nfcchampionship #game-winningdrives #fourthquartercomebacks #completionpercentage #qbrating #comebackplayeroftheyear #offensiveplayeroftheyear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OC hire and the trust question The Detroit Lions Podcast rolled into Episode 601 with Chris, Michael Grey, Scott Bischoff, and Jeff Risdon. The talk centered on the Detroit Lions choosing their new offensive coordinator. He stayed put. He did not chase other interviews. He is in the building. He is working. That matters. The room tackled a harder topic next. Trust. Fans feel burned over the last year and a game. Campbell and Holmes have spent some of that trust capital. The hosts heard the backlash and did not dismiss it. People can feel how they want. The decision to hire the OC landed in that climate, which colors every reaction. What the offense will look like Play calling is the big unknown. No one on the show pretended otherwise. We will find out what it looks like when the games arrive. The panel did outline fit. The run concepts mesh with what the Lions do. Under center looks, play action, and the timing of the pass game align with the current build. That continuity matters for the quarterback room and the line. It also tracks with how Detroit wants to win inside the NFL calendar. The hosts kept the focus tight. No sweeping promises. No grand projections. Just a clear statement of the pieces on hand and how they fit the current identity. The new OC aligns with that identity. The trust conversation sits beside it. Senior Bowl coverage adjustment Listeners asked about Senior Bowl plans. The crew addressed it head on. They will not be on the ground this year. Chris flies out to the snow tomorrow. Riz has a family affair. It is regrettable, and they owned it. Still, coverage is not going dark. Daily DLPs are coming. Virtual interviews are on the table. One daily show will go live from Mobile with a draftnik most fans will recognize, with a clear Detroit Lions lens. Riz noted this is only his second missed Senior Bowl since 2008. He missed 2018 and will miss this year. It stings, but the plan keeps listeners informed through the week. There was some early banter and laughs, but the core was football. Episode 601 put the OC decision, the trust conversation, and the Senior Bowl plan in plain view. It is a clear snapshot of where the Detroit Lions Podcast stands today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwZq3SyuUlk #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #offensivecoordinator #playcalling #undercenter #playaction #rungame #seniorbowl #mobile #draftnik #campbell #holmes #goff #lionsfans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 22, the Detroit Lions Podcast paused to salute Dan Skipper. The veteran offensive lineman hung up his cleats today. A remote episode, a rough travel day, and a clear purpose. Honor a singular NFL story. Dan Skipper Calls It a Career Skipper retires after battling health problems. Back issues. Knee issues. Foot issues. He fought through all of it and kept showing up for the Detroit Lions. His transaction log tells the tale. Sixty-six official NFL transactions. Fifty-seven with the Lions since 2019. He had a brief stint in Houston and an earlier dalliance with the Cowboys, but Detroit was home. He was the tallest player in the NFL at a legit 6-9 and around 330. Not quite athletic enough to lock down tackle. Too upright to be a full-time guard. Yet he stayed valuable. Practice squad, elevations, special teams, spot duty. He bridged some bad Lions teams to the best Lions teams in recent memory. He maximized his career and never lost the room. Sixth Lineman, Third Tight End, Fan Favorite Skipper carved out a niche as the sixth lineman and extra tackle. In 2025, he logged 228 offensive snaps. Eighty of those came as a third tight end in heavy packages. The Lions led the NFL in using a sixth lineman in three of the last four seasons, and Skipper was almost always that piece. He was eligible. They even threw him the ball. It worked. The appeal went beyond snaps. Training camp showed the person. A giant who signed for kids. Jovial and patient. His own kids ran around and tackled dad after practice. Fans noticed. Teammates noticed. That energy made him a Detroit Lions favorite. The 2017 Wright Game Punt Moment The origin story includes the 2017 Wright game in Saint Pete. Practice moved outside on a grass field. Skipper dominated drills that day. Coaches set a challenge to juice the session. The other side picked a player to field a punt. If he caught it clean, practice ended and the offense won. They chose Skipper. The punt was not easy. He secured it. Practice over. Offense got the win. It was a perfect snapshot of focus under pressure and why people gravitated to him. What Comes Next Skipper retires for medical reasons and moves straight into coaching. He will coach tight ends and the offensive line at the Wright game this week. That fits his path. Detroit Lions fans will miss him at camp, but his influence carries on. Sixty-six moves. One city that kept calling. A career that mattered. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #danskipper #nfltransactions #sixthlineman #extratackle #thirdtightend #fieldedapunt #2017wrightgame #specialteams #backissue #kneeissue #footissues #cowboys #houston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A surprising hire, a clear philosophy The Detroit Lions have their new offensive coordinator. Drew Petzing is in. On the Detroit Lions Podcast, Russell Brown and Scott Bischoff sifted through first impressions and got to the substance. Initial reactions felt muted. The shiny name wasn't coming. But the more they worked through scheme and personnel, the more the hire fit what the Lions want to be in the NFL. They pushed back on the noise. Fans cherry-picked stats. Few considered what Petzing had to work with. The conversation stayed on the grand picture: what this offense needs to do on Sundays and how Petzing can get it there. Lessons from Arizona that matter in Detroit Petzing's Arizona run offered useful clues. In 2023 he split the year between Kyler Murray for eight games and Josh Dobbs for eight. Dobbs looked good in that structure. In 2024 Murray played the full season. The offense was fine, not great, but functional. In the most recent season, Murray played about four or five games. Context mattered across all three years. Usage stood out. James Conner was highly productive despite not being a super explosive athlete. Arizona created touches for him as a runner and receiver. That detail resonated with Detroit. Think Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Creative throws to backs. Turn easy completions into first downs. That is bankable offense when games tighten. The fit: second-and-4 football The hosts kept returning to down-and-distance. This is the point of the Detroit Lions offense. Get to second and four. Open the playbook. Run play action. Move the chains. Control the clock. Petzing aligns with that identity. The expectation is a coherent ground attack that puts Jared Goff and the passing game in favorable spots. They contrasted that with the allure of Mike McDaniel. Fun idea, but not a clean fit. Shotgun-heavy. Wide zone as a base. That would force major changes to what Detroit does. Petzing's approach blends easier with the current core and the way the Lions want to play in the NFL. Framing the 2026 NFL Draft The discussion acknowledged uncertainty around how this hire touches the 2026 NFL Draft. The lens is clearer than the board. Build an offense that lives in manageable downs. Lean on play action. Feature backs in the passing game when the coverage picture invites it. Those are guideposts for roster planning, not predictions. It was cold outside. Snow piled up. Inside the Detroit Lions Podcast, the thesis warmed up fast: the name might not sparkle, but the fit makes sense. That is what matters for Detroit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp037jHNnn0 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #drewpetzing #arizonacardinals #offensivecoordinator #kylermurray #joshdobbs #jamesconner #jahmyrgibbs #davidmontgomery #rungame #playaction #shotgunoffense #widezone #bradholmes #2026nfldraft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new OC with familiar roots The Detroit Lions hired Drew Petzing as offensive coordinator. The hire ties Detroit to the Kevin Stefanski tree and a system built on timing and detail. Petzing coached tight ends in Cleveland in 2020 and 2021. Those Browns made the playoffs and won a playoff game for the first time in more than thirty years. His Cleveland work stands out. Petzing helped turn David Njoku from a talented but inconsistent former first rounder into a much better pro. The improvement started with focus. Route depths got precise. A nine-yard out was nine yards, not seven or ten. The blocking jumped too. Njoku became a Pro Bowl caliber tight end. Harrison Bryant arrived as a glorified big wideout and improved as a blocker and in the finer points of spacing. The common thread was attention to detail. Scheme overlap that fits Detroit Petzing comes from the Stefanski offense that traces back through Minnesota and the Norv Turner and Shanahan Kubiak family of ideas. It is a timing and precision attack. It aims for yards after the catch and hits weak points. It mixes in deep shots from base looks. That is also the foundation Ben Johnson used in Detroit. The language changes, but the structure aligns. In Cleveland, the core pieces were Nick Chubb at running back, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry at wide receiver, and Njoku with Bryant at tight end. Baker Mayfield ran the show. The line was strong aside from a sore spot at left tackle. The results were a middle-of-the-pack offense, about fourteenth, that strung together long drives. It was not an all-or-nothing unit. It generated explosives out of its core formations. Landry was a draft comp for Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown is the better athlete now, but the play style echoes. If you frame J-Mo as the OBJ role from that one good Cleveland year before injuries, the parallels are easy to see. Tight ends and 12 personnel on deck The Lions need more help at tight end. The head coach played tight end in the NFL and is a former tight ends coach. He likes 12 personnel, with one back and two tight ends. Petzing's track record with Njoku and Bryant pairs with that preference. Coincidentally, Njoku is a free agent this offseason. Petzing also served as quarterbacks coach in Cleveland in 2022. That matters for Detroit. Jared Goff is different from Baker Mayfield. Goff is more careful, less mobile, and a better decision maker. That profile fits the Stefanski-style approach. Within a familiar NFL framework, the Detroit Lions can carry over what already works and sharpen the edges under their new offensive coordinator. This is a continuity bet with clear intent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTkpjtwbT84 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #drewpetzing #detroitlionsoffensivecoordinator #kevinstefanskioffense #tightendscoach #davidnjoku #harrisonbryant #12personnel #benjohnson #shanahankubiakstyle #jarvislandry #odellbeckham #nickchubb #bakermayfield #amon-rast.brown #jaredgoff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A surprise hire and a locked-down search The Detroit Lions named Drew Petzing their offensive coordinator, and almost no one saw it coming. Allen Park kept airtight operational security. No leaks. No whispers about interviews. Then the news hit. Reaction came fast. Arizona corners of Reddit and Twitter called it a mistake that could cost Dan Campbell his job. Hot takes piled up. The Detroit Lions Podcast pushed back on the rush to judgment. Skepticism is fair. Certainty is not. Why Petzing, and why now Michael Grey laid out the tension. After the John Morton experience and what went down with Anthony Lynn, a healthy dose of skepticism is earned. Petzing's resume does not blow you away. That is the rub. If Campbell steps to the podium and says this hire checks every box, that he wants to build an offense with this coach at the helm, then the path is clear. If you believe it, you do it. Still, the question hangs in the air: with this Detroit Lions offense built to run like a supercar, was this the driver you had to have today? The staff could have waited. The staff could have chased a coordinator with a more proven track record. Instead, they chose their guy now. What Arizona tendencies say The show pointed to a graphic on 2024 receiving yards by route. When the Arizona Cardinals offense was healthy, Marvin Harrison led the league in crossing-route yards. The screen game was also a featured piece under Petzing. That lands with a thud in Detroit after a rough year for screens. It still offers clues. Expect crossing concepts. Expect screens. Expect a clear identity when it's rolling. There was another wrinkle. The Cardinals' offense fell off before James Conner got hurt. The loss of offensive line coach Clayton Adams, who left for Dallas, was felt. In Detroit, that underscores how vital Hank Fraley is to everything the Lions do up front. Campbell's bet and the personnel hints The hosts kicked around possible shifts to more 12 and 13 personnel. That would track with a physical approach and a coordinator willing to lean into tight ends. Maybe Petzing in Arizona had a tough hand. Kyler Murray's situation. Bidwell ownership. All of it. Maybe the fit in Detroit unlocks more. Maybe not. The Detroit Lions Podcast kept it honest: no doom calls, no instant coronations. Just questions and concrete markers to watch. Campbell will have to own this hire. He will call Petzing collaborative and one of their guys. Then the work starts. Scheme must meet personnel. Crossing routes must become explosives. Screens must stop being giveaways. The NFL does not wait. Neither will Detroit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3cswm3kJBI #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #drewpetzing #dancampbell #arizonacardinals #thegreyarea #marvinharrison #crossingroutes #screengame #12personnel #13personnel #hankfraley #claytonadams #jamesconner #kylermurray #anthonylynn #johnmorton #allenparkopsec Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices