The Detroit Lions Podcast

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

Mailbag Mode, Straight From Slack Jeff Risdon opened a Friday Detroit Lions Podcast with a true mailbag. Questions came straight from the DLP Patreon Slack. No prep. No cue cards. Honest reactions, with the caveat he might tweak opinions later. It made for sharp talk about the Detroit Lions, the NFL draft, and one spicy coaching debate. Draft Talk: Tackle Targets and Fits Asked for a favorite offensive tackle for Detroit, Risdon spotlighted Caleb Tiernan of Northwestern. He called Tiernan solid, not spectacular, and praised how seldom he loses. That reliability matters. He drew a line to what the Lions missed at right guard when Kevin Zeitler was at his best. Rarely beaten. He thinks Tiernan is a second round target who can be a long-term capable starter rather than a headline Pro Bowler. He also likes the Utah tackles if the first round is the move. Caleb Lomu got the nod for upside. Manu, he said, looks better right now, but Lomu offers more raw clay, especially if he boosts lower-body power. Blake Miller from Clemson earned a mention too. The traits are there. The misses can be loud, reminiscent of early Taylor Decker. Miller did take a step forward this past season. Big picture, with Sewell already a star, the Lions do not need two high-priced stars at tackle. They need the right complement. Tiernan's profile fits that lane. Coaching Watch: Kafka's Fit in Detroit Mike Kafka came up next. Risdon pushed back on pinning the Giants' struggles on Kafka after Brian Daboll reclaimed play-calling. He remains a Kafka fan. What impressed him most was Kafka's ability to craft run and pass protections that a limited offensive line could actually execute. That translates to Detroit. Risdon did note a concern. When a featured weapon was healthy, the Giants leaned too hard on that player. He cautioned that in Detroit, with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, smart balance matters. Do not ride Gibbs into the ground. Still, he would welcome Kafka's protection design and problem-solving into Allen Park. Divisional Weekend Leanings On the NFL divisional slate, he paused to confirm matchups, then zeroed on Bills versus Broncos. He likes teams without the bye against rusty top seeds, especially when the bye team lacks recent experience. Denver's defense and home field carry real weight. The flip side is Josh Allen. Sharp quarterback play can shred rust. Risdon weighed that tension on air as he worked toward a pick. The mailbag did what the best Detroit Lions Podcast episodes do. It put clear football problems on the table. Draft fits. Scheme translation. Game-state nuance. Straight talk for a playoff push. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e18WCdCopD4 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #calebtiernan #northwesterntackle #secondroundpick #kevinzeitler #rightguard #caleblomu #utahtackles #manu #blakemiller #taylordecker #mikekafka #runandpassprotections #jahmyrgibbs #davidmontgomery #billsvsbroncos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robinson's Fit and Play-Calling Proof Detroit moved fast on the offensive coordinator search. The Detroit Lions Podcast focused squarely on two NFL names. Zach Robinson interviewed in Allen Park on Thursday morning. He was the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator. Atlanta underachieved, but Robinson's work with Bijan Robinson stood out. Bijan piled up almost 2,400 yards from scrimmage this year. Robinson balanced him with Algier. He understands a two-back system. That matters with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Robinson worked with Jared Goff in Los Angeles as an assistant quarterbacks coach. He comes from the McVay tree. That signals continuity for Detroit's offense rather than a reset. He has called plays. He has coached wide receivers, quarterbacks, and tight ends. Atlanta's interior offensive line was strong and often overlooked. Robinson built around that strength. He navigated a season with Michael Penix and Kirk Cousins. Results were better with Cousins. The Lions need that kind of pragmatic design for Jared Goff, who shares a similar athletic profile. Robinson tailored calls to the quarterback. He used motion, spacing, and run-pass balance to keep structure intact and drives on schedule. Kafka's Creative Case Mike Kafka interviewed Wednesday. He just served as the interim head coach of the New York Giants. One game against Detroit still resonates. With Jameis Winston at quarterback, the Giants pushed the Lions to the edge. Kafka leaned into trick plays and gimmicky blocking. He attacked known weaknesses in Detroit's defense. That creativity landed. Kafka trained in the Andy Reid system. There is crossover with McVay concepts. West Coast principles with an aggressive streak match what Ben Johnson often does. Kafka has worked with different quarterback styles. He developed a run game in New York without a good offensive line. He used a power option in Cam Scataboe and paired it with Tyrone Tracy, a capable receiving back. He darn near beat the Lions without Malik Nabers, Jackson Dart, or Cam Scataboe available. That adaptability fits what Detroit needs from an NFL coordinator: answers when pieces are missing, and a plan that highlights Gibbs and Montgomery while keeping Goff comfortable. What Happens Next at Allen Park The building is closed to media. There will be no access until draft time inside the media room. On-field views return at rookie minicamp in May. The timeline is tight, but the process is clear. Detroit is not changing its identity. The Lions are evolving it. Robinson offers continuity with proven play-calling. Kafka brings creative problem solving and opponent-specific attack plans. Both align with how the Detroit Lions want to score and protect the ball. Now it is about selection, fit, and timing as the Detroit Lions and this NFL search move forward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBvzESu16-8 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #offensivecoordinatorsearch #allenpark #zachrobinson #mikekafka #two-backsystem #jameergibbs #davidmontgomery #jaredgoff #mcvaytreeconcepts #bijanrobinsonusage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

McDaniel's Interview and Culture Fit Detroit hosted Mike McDaniel on Tuesday for the offensive coordinator job. He left without a deal and may be headed to Nashville to meet the Titans or another NFL team. The first question in Detroit is simple. Does he fit the culture and the way this staff wants to run the room? If the answer is yes, the upside is obvious. The Lions are in full offseason mode and this opening sits at the center of it. What His Offense Could Unlock in Detroit McDaniel's value shows up in the run game. Miami's offense scores at the one-yard line with regularity because of design. Jalen Waddle is fast. Tyreek Hill is fast. Tua has limitations, yet the scheme squeezes production from the whole group. Devin Hian is not a big back, but he constantly runs into space. That is the point. Create angles. Create daylight. Finish in the low red zone. Picture that with Jahmyr Gibbs. Detroit can run outside zone and be fine at it. The conversation is how much wide zone you want, and how the current offensive line fits. A blend is on the table. Gap scheme. Zone scheme. You can marry both and lean into weekly matchups. McDaniel's passing game can live in quick answers for Jared and still hit explosives. Dagger concept. A go ball to J Mo. Get the ball out, then punish coverage when it bites. That mix fits what the Detroit Lions have built and what this offense already does well. If He Chooses Detroit—and What's Next McDaniel may prefer a head coaching job. If that door closes, Detroit offers a place to reset and light up scoreboards for a year or two. Put up numbers. Win games. Then reassess. The Lions need to decide if the voice, the rhythm, and the install align with their standards. If it clicks, this would be a dynamic hire for the Detroit Lions and one of the most intriguing moves of the NFL offseason. There is more on deck. The crew is pushing daily content and rolling into early draft talk. Draft videos are coming, with some early draft crushes for the 2026 NFL Draft teased on the show. The search for an offensive coordinator leads the week, but Detroit's broader plan is clear. Keep building. Make the right hire. Maximize a roster that is ready to go. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIdcjOEvuZY #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #detroitlionsoffensivecoordinatorsearch #mikemcdanielinterview #culturefit #runninggame #lowredzone #outsidezone #widezone #gapscheme #jameergibbsusage #jaredquickgame #jmodeepshots #daggerconcept #goball #2026nfldraftcrushes #tennesseetitansinterview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What We Learned Without a Game In the offseason life comes at you fast. The Detroit Lions are sitting on a 9-8 season and a clear mandate. Fix the roster. Get better. Get back to the postseason in 2026. The belief remains that Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes have earned the benefit of the doubt after four straight winning years. The NFL does not wait. Results matter now. Grey underscores the league's ruthless pace. Look around at Pete Carroll, Jonathan Gannon, Brian Daboll, Raheem Morris, Brian Callahan, Kevin Stefanski, Mike McDonald, and John Harbaugh. Tenures shift. Reputations shift. If the Lions miss the mark this offseason, the heat rises. Campbell and Holmes get the one-year reprieve to steer this roster. If the step forward does not happen, that seat gets hot in a hurry. Extra Time and the Staff Fix Exiting early stings, but the calendar helps. No playoff prep means time and attention can move to the coaching staff. The recent past showed how that can slip. John Morton arrived and then exited. Now the Lions need an offensive coordinator, with other staff decisions on deck. January without game plans opens hours for interviews, evaluation, and structure. This is where detail matters. Identify the offensive identity. Match it with the next play caller. Build the room the right way. The roster has talent. The Lions must align scheme and staff to it. The extra weeks should sharpen choices and shorten mistakes. That is the kind of edge this organization needs to reclaim momentum in the NFL. Across Lake Michigan: Ben's Bears Change the Math Ben might be a problem. He is winning playoff games with the Chicago Bears. He is teaching a young roster how to close even when the stat sheet says otherwise. Turnovers keep showing up. Point differential keeps getting defied. The Packers went down in flames, followed by that overdone WrestleMania handshake. It was funny. It was also a warning. There is a reality check built in. The Bears still have the NFC West gauntlet ahead. A sophomore slump can happen. Luck on turnovers can flip. But for a first season with a young quarterback who needed psychological repair, this is real progress. It changes the neighborhood. The Lions cannot count on drift in the division to help. They have to set the pace. Draft Wish List, Early and Different The draft talk has started. The show teased an early wish list. It is different than most, and it is early by design. The Lions need targeted pieces, not noise. The approach reflects the offseason theme. Clear eyes. Tight priorities. No wasted motion. Detroit has the time right now. Use it, and 2026 remains in play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRExA5Bann4 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #dancampbell #bradholmes #offensivecoordinator #johnmorton #hotseat #postseasonin2026 #chicagobears #turnovers #pointdifferential #nfcwest #greenbaypackers #mikemcdonald #johnharbaugh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: Seth McLaughlin Scouting Report The Signing and the Bet The Detroit Lions added center Seth McLaughlin on a futures reserve contract. It is a calculated bet. He went undrafted because he tore his Achilles in November 2024 while playing for Ohio State. The Cincinnati Bengals signed him after the draft and kept him on the practice squad. Now he is a Detroit Lion with a clean lane to compete at his natural spot. McLaughlin started at Alabama and Ohio State. Three years. Big stages. Pro style offenses. He handled pressure and tempo. That background fits what the NFL asks of a center. The Detroit Lions Podcast dives into why this move makes sense and what it will require. Strengths That Play on Sundays McLaughlin's calling card is pre-snap recognition. He diagnoses fronts, calls out pressure, and sets protection. He gets linemen on the same page. That shows up snap after snap on his Alabama and Ohio State tape. His technique is crisp. He fires off the ball with square pads and tight hands. His placement sits right in the middle of the shoulder pads. When a bull rush jars him, his feet reset fast. He re-squares his shoulders and hips, stays engaged, and avoids getting too wide. He keeps his balance. He also brings a bit of snarl. In space, he finds work. On stretch runs, he tracks and cuts off the backside linebacker. That second-level timing is real. It translates to NFL run concepts the Lions use. Risks, Role, and Room for Growth The injury is the headline. An Achilles is unpredictable, and he missed his entire rookie season. The other constraint is position. He is a center only. Shorter arms and his build make guard a poor fit. He is more weight-room strong than road grader strong. There are technical blemishes. He had penalties. He had snapping issues, more at Alabama, with a couple at Ohio State. Some were poorly timed. He has worked to fix them. For a center-only player, clean snaps are non-negotiable. That must hold in Detroit. Draft View and Path to Detroit Before the injury, he profiled as a mid-round target. He was viewed as a top-100 caliber player if healthy, with top-75 talk in optimistic moments. He went undrafted because of the Achilles, landed in Cincinnati, and spent most of the year on the practice squad. The Lions now give him a shot to prove the traits survived the rehab. The evaluation track record around him adds context. In the same interior line study that highlighted McLaughlin, Tate Ratledge was pegged as a second-round pick for Detroit, and he wound up being that. The process here is consistent. For the Detroit Lions, this is a smart, low-cost swing at center. If the health cooperates, the NFL-ready mind and technique can pay off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6CaCphL_0 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #sethmclaughlin #detroitlionscenter #futuresreservecontract #undraftedfreeagent #cincinnatibengalspracticesquad #achillestearnovember2024 #ohiostatecenter #alabamacenter #pre-snaprecognition #linecallsandadjustments #second-levelblocking #backsidelinebackeronstretchruns #shortarmsatcenter #snappingissuesatalabama #tateratledgesecondroundpick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: Auburn Edge Faulk, Draft Needs, Playoff Picks Edge Urgency Defines Detroit's Draft Lens The Daily DLP turns to the NFL draft, and edge help sits on top of the Detroit Lions' board. Aidan Hutchinson carried a 91% snap load. That is unsustainable. The hosts noted only Hutchinson and Makai Wingo under contract at defensive end on the active roster. That reality frames every conversation. The Lions must add length, power, and fresh legs on the edge to speed up time to pressure and protect late-game leads. Mock Draft Shock: Auburn's Faulk Lands in Detroit Jeff Risdon's first Real GM mock draft slotted Auburn edge rusher Faulk to Detroit. Fans bristled. He explained his process. The goal is predicting what a team would do in that situation, not building a personal big board. In this range, edge aligns with Detroit's needs and profile. Faulk reached the pick in the simulation. He might go higher in reality. With five of the top six teams still without head coaches, the board could tilt in unpredictable ways. Traits, Flaws, and Fit on the Edge Faulk checks Detroit's trait boxes. Six-five. Two seventy to two seventy-five. Long. Strong. He plays the run and converts speed to power. One host called him a physical clone of Marcus Davenport, but healthy. The knocks are specific. He's slow off the football. His hand usage comes and goes. The rush plan drifts. The phrase was blunt: consistent at being inconsistent. That said, those issues are coachable within Detroit's development pipeline. The upside is real, and the fit is clean with what the Detroit Lions want from their edge defenders. The intent is simple. Take heat off Hutchinson. Add a crush-the-can pass rusher who can win early downs and close late in games. Rapid NFL Playoff Reads The conversation closed with quick NFL playoff picks. Seattle looks really good. Houston owns the best defense in football right now. D'Amico Ryans brings a mindset that mirrors Dan Campbell on the other side of the ball. The Texans are vulnerable, yet capable of winning it all if the offense holds up. Philadelphia lingers as a threat despite recent form. The reminder was simple: until you beat the man, you can't be the man. The Detroit Lions Podcast will keep tracking the bracket while weighing how January outcomes ripple into April decisions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrh371VBt_8 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfldraft #aidanhutchinson #kendrickfaulk #auburnedgerusher #marcusdavenportcomparison #timetopressure #speedtopower #handusage #slowoffthefootball #dailydlp #realgmmockdraft #makaiwingo #houstontexansdefense #seattleseahawks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: Lions Contact Mike McDaniel for OC OC Search Turns to Mike McDaniel The Detroit Lions fired John Morton. The Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel. Credible reports say the Lions contacted McDaniel about the offensive coordinator vacancy. The outreach reads like due diligence. He is a viable candidate with an inventive mind and a track record. The question is fit. Practice Tape and Scheme Mismatch Joint practices this summer left scars. McDaniel hardly engaged with players. Aloof and off putting came up around that field. Detroit just moved on from an OC players did not feel connected to. A repeat would be costly. The Dolphins offense landed bottom 10 in scoring and yards in each of the past two years and trended the wrong way. The usage did not match the roster. Tua was asked to throw short to the speediest wide receiving group in the game. The offensive line was asked to hold longer on routes he was not going to throw. That is a disconnect between talent and scheme. In the red zone the tells were obvious. You could read the call from the formation. That predictability helped stall drives. It mirrors a Detroit sore spot from this season. Detroit Context: Adapt or Fail Detroit at times called plays like Sam Laporta and Frank Rigg now were available. They were not. Results suffered. Miami's issues looked similar. In those joint sessions the Lions defense beat the living hell out of Miami, especially the first day. Detroit knew what was coming. Think Tecmo Super Bowl when you pick the play and blow it up. Miami did not adjust. Players did not show fight. McDaniel stood and took it. That picture matters when you weigh scheme flexibility and sideline communication inside this NFL building. Alternatives and a Blough Path There is a workable path if Detroit believes in McDaniel's concepts. Install him as OC and make David Blough the passing game coordinator. Let Blough learn the system for a year or two. Groom him. It is plausible. McDaniel has worked with dynamic offensive weapons. Devon A. Sheen compares to a smaller Jamir Gibbs. Jalen Waddle and Tyreek Hill thrived in space. Translating that speed and spacing to Detroit could hit, if the calls match the personnel and situation. Tua is not the answer for Detroit over Jared Goff. That is clear here. Todd Monken remains out there, technically still employed by the Baltimore Ravens. He is interesting and has had success in a variety of spots. The Lions need adaptability, clarity, and player connection. That should drive the hire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89gfyp3uvU #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #mikemcdaniel #offensivecoordinatorvacancy #johnmorton #miamidolphins #jointpractices #lionsdefense #redzoneoffense #davidblough #passinggamecoordinator #tua #jaredgoff #samlaporta #frankriggnow #toddmonken Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: Ragnow retirement and the O-line reckoning High Bar, Hard Truths The Detroit Lions walked into this NFL season with Super Bowl talk and a sky-high bar set by a 15-2 run the year before. The expectation was simple. When games tightened, they would flip the switch and bury teams. That switch never clicked. The Detroit Lions Podcast crew gathered for a season-ending roundtable and traced the arc from hype to hard lessons. The story centered on an offense that lost its core and never rediscovered rhythm. Drives stalled. Third downs piled up. The run game sputtered. Defensive injuries compounded the strain. The offense, once the engine, could not carry the load. The panel's verdict was blunt. This team was not as good as many thought, and the gap revealed itself week after week. The Frank Ragnow Pivot The season turned when Frank Ragnow retired. That single move gutted the middle of the offensive line and forced a cascade of fixes that never stuck. A rookie guard stepped in on one side and, effectively, a rookie guard on the other. Taylor Decker battled through at left tackle. Penei Sewell carried as much as a right tackle can carry. The line could not clear lanes with consistency. It could not protect the structure of the offense on schedule. In the NFL, that is the most punishing failure. The consequences touched everything. Running the football lost bite. Third down kept getting longer. The offense chased instead of dictated. What last year's group masked, this year's group magnified. The Lions did not have an adequate answer once the center spot changed overnight. Offseason Questions Along the Line Every key question points back to the trenches. Who is the left tackle going to be? Who is the center going to be? Do the Lions move a guard to center and then replace that guard? Those choices will define the first steps toward 2025 and beyond. The conversation stretches to the skill group as well. What happens with David Montgomery? What does recovery look like for Sam Laporta, with a herniated disc raising real concern? Reset the line, and the rest can recalibrate. Fail to solve the core, and the same problems return. That was the consensus thread throughout the roundtable. 2025 and 2026 Outlook The room looked forward, and the tone was measured. There was even a note that 2026 feels better than 2025 right now. That tracks with the scale of the rebuild needed up front. The Detroit Lions must restore the center position, stabilize guard, and decide on left tackle. Do that, and the identity that once made them dangerous returns. The Detroit Lions Podcast closed on a simple truth. Fix the offensive line, and the offense regains its engine. Miss, and we are back here again talking about what might have been. #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #frankragnallretired #offensiveline #lefttackle #center #rookieguard #taylordecker #penasewell #samlaporta #herniateddisc #davidmontgomery #thirddown #runningthefootball #injuriesonthedefense Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: Lions fire OC John Morton, identity reset No Playoff Preview, Real Talk Instead The Detroit Lions Podcast returned from the holiday break without a playoff show. The tone matched the season. Missed chances. Hard questions. Changes have already started. Offensive coordinator John Morton is out. The hosts recorded on Wednesday and expect Brad Holmes to speak Thursday. Dan Campbell has talked about getting back to what worked. The message is clear. The Detroit Lions need an identity reset. Identity Drift Shows in the Red Zone The episode drilled into situational errors. A Bears example stood out. Two straight red-zone trips reached the 10. Each series ended with three consecutive pass plays. Then it happened again on the next drive. That is not how this offense was built. It undercut the run game and the line. The NFL punishes predictability. The show connected that stretch to the broader theme Campbell raised about drifting from their roots. The result was stalled drives and frustration. Coordinator Fallout and Staff Questions Morton's dismissal capped a season-long slide. The issues were visible from Week 1. He was replaced as play caller during the season, and he seemed to take shots in the media after that. The episode described how that dynamic felt like a wedge in the locker room. There had been chatter about Morton returning in a support role or coaching a position group. That is not happening. He is gone. Tyler Rolle is leaving for Iowa State to be the OC, which adds another moving piece. The run game needs stewardship. The show questioned whether Hank Fraley will remain the run game coordinator. That role could change or become a lesson learned. Names like Scotty Montgomery and Tashard Choice surfaced as influences on the room, but the point was bigger than any one title. The Detroit Lions must fix process, sequencing, and trust. What's Next in Detroit Campbell's comments about roots and situational football set the offseason agenda. Self-scout every call sheet. Rebuild the red-zone plan. Recommit to the physical identity that carried this team two and three years ago. The hosts expect visible changes as the NFL offseason unfolds. Holmes' remarks should frame the next steps. The episode also teased draft conversation to close, with an eye on keeping the window open. The task is straightforward. Cut the noise. Align staff roles. Call games that fit the personnel. The Detroit Lions do not need a new soul. They need to play like themselves again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HW9g-DEiSU #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #nfl #johnmortonfiring #dancampbellpressconference #bradholmestospeak #redzoneplaycalling #bearsgameredzone #rungamecoordinator #hankfraley #scottymontgomery #tashardchoice #tylerrolletoiowastate #playcallerchange #gettingbacktoroots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: John Morton Out and the OC Search Morton Out, Campbell Hints at Calling Plays The Detroit Lions moved on from offensive coordinator John Morton on Tuesday. The decision resets the offense and spotlights the play-calling question. Dan Campbell signaled he is open to handling the call sheet. He also suggested stability if the play caller is him. The likely model is clear. Hire an offensive coordinator who keeps the current Detroit Lions structure intact while sharpening schematics, play designs, game planning, and week-to-week sequencing. The midseason shift strained the operation. Campbell did a lot of the heavy lifting, and it bled into other duties. If that setup existed from Week 1, the outcome might have looked different. Now the Detroit Lions can define roles before the next snap. The NFL calendar will not wait. David Blough Makes Immediate Sense David Blough was the first name to surface. He served as the Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach last season. He is young and considered an up-and-comer. He once backed up in Detroit and understands the Lions locker room. He also knows Jared Goff well. That matters. Blough has been around varied systems, including Washington's approach and time in Cleveland with Stefanski. Jumping to offensive coordinator after two years as a coach is a big step. It becomes more reasonable if Campbell calls the plays. In that setup, Blough could drive passing concepts, opponent-specific installs, and weekly structure while the head coach manages the call flow. Antoine Randall El Fits the Room, With a Catch Another strong candidate is Antoine Randall El. He is the Chicago Bears wide receivers coach and assistant head coach. He left Detroit after a long run coaching the Lions receivers. That was not easy for him. His fingerprints are all over the current room. He helped rein in Jamo and earn his buy-in. Jamo rewarded that trust with a fantastic season. Randall l knows the personnel, the tone, and the standards. He has worked with Mark Brunell, Hank Fraley, and Scottie Montgomery. Seth Ryan is likely to remain and is well liked. The snag is title. Moving from assistant head coach to coordinator is technically a demotion. Extracting him from Chicago could be complicated. Internal Route Unlikely, External Fit Paramount An internal promotion appears unlikely. The Detroit Lions did not pivot in-season when it was needed most. Maybe they were averse to an in-season firing. Either way, the search points outward. The next OC must align with the offense built by Campbell and Ben Johnson, then refine the details. If Campbell keeps the call sheet, the coordinator's job centers on design, sequencing, and opponent answers. The mandate is simple. Make the current Detroit Lions offense more efficient on Sundays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6dP3VIyDo8 #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #johnmorton #offensivecoordinator #dancampbell #playcaller #davidblough #jaredgoff #washingtoncommanders #stefanski #antoinerandalll #widereceiverscoach #chicagobears #passinggamecoordinator #gameplanning #schematics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detroit Lions Podcast: Season Finale Lessons and the Road Ahead First to Worst: NFC North on a Razor's Edge The Detroit Lions closed the regular season against the Bears with margins on full display. Three NFC North teams finished with nine wins, yet only one reached the postseason, aided by a tie the Packers picked up in Dallas. Small things flipped big outcomes. Halftime adjustments. A single injury. A drive-killing penalty. Details in weekly prep. The Bears carried a negative point differential for most of the year and lived off turnovers, and it still bought them extra wins and the division. In a season where the first-place team lost to the last-place team twice, the line between success and failure stayed paper thin. Offense Is Close, Even With a Battered Line Narratives say the offense slipped. The film and numbers say it's close. The Lions were top 10 and often top five in major offensive categories with John Morton calling plays, then even better with Dan Campbell. That happened while the offensive line was in shambles. In Chicago, they executed without Penei Sewell, the best tackle on the team and arguably in football. The unit needs repair. Frank Ragnow is central to putting it back together. The offseason priority is obvious: restore the front. When the line is whole, the engine of this offense runs hot, and the entire operation follows. Numbers Over Narratives on Jared Goff The Jared Goff narratives keep coming. Cold weather. Gloves. Pressure. The reality undercuts each one. He won in the cold. He wears gloves. He handles pressure. Reliability defined his year amid a decimated tight end room and a messy line. He was one of the most accurate, consistent quarterbacks in the NFL. Top five and top 10 in the categories that matter, including yards and completion percentage. He played all 17 games and never missed a snap. The discourse won't stop, but the production keeps answering it. Dan Cam, a Decker Salute, and the Road Ahead A new Dan Cam segment spotlighted Monday's messages on urgency and detail. A salute to Taylor Decker is due. He deserves it. Team PR flagged four straight winning seasons, a note that landed awkwardly as the postseason slipped away. The point is taken. Head down. Fix the line. Keep the offense intact. In a division ruled by thin margins, the Detroit Lions can turn close into control by cleaning up the smallest things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shSDvDlTYzE #detroitlions #lions #detroitlionspodcast #seasonfinalevsbears #nfcnorthmargins #dancampbellpressconference #dancamsegment #taylordeckersalute #jaredgoffunderpressure #coldweathergame #offensivelineinshambles #frankragnow #peneisewellabsence #johnmortonplaycalling #turnoversandpointdifferential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices