Tag: Brad Holmes

David Long: What the Lions are getting in their new LB

Breaking down the game film and scouting report on new Lions LB David Long, signed to the practice squad to help replace Alex Anzalone

Despite demolishing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Detroit Lions did receive some bad news regarding linebacker Alex Anzalone. It was confirmed yesterday that Anzalone will miss the remainder of the regular season with a broken forearm.

The injury occurred while Anzalone was making a tackle on Jaguars running back Travis Etienne with 2:32 left in the second quarter. As Etienne was getting near the sidelines, his left arm got caught between the running back and his teammate Brian Branch.

Fortunately, it does sound like Anzalone could return for the playoffs as he’s expected to only miss 6 – 8 weeks. To fill the void, the Lions will need players such as Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell to step up for the defense. In addition to that, the Lions signed linebacker David Long to their practice squad.

Rated as one of the best linebackers in football in 2023, Long being available was somewhat surprising last week. However, Long had lost his starting job on the Dolphins defense and he ended up being released on November 13, 2024.

Prior to playing a season and a half with the Dolphins, he had spent four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Originally, he was drafted by the Titans in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of West Virginia. Let’s dive into some film to see what the Lions are getting with linebacker David Long!

 

Starting with where I think Long could be best suited for Detroit and that would be whenever blitzing. As we know, the Lions have had to get creative in generating pressure with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Using different blitzes and line stunts, the Lions could get creative to get Long in the backfield.

Looking at the play above, you can see a clear blitz from Long (LB 11). He times the snap well and blitzes through the B-gap. In the process, he slips under the right tackle, who is trying to pull and kick him out. However, Long does a great job ripping underneath and making a tackle in the backfield.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Long was ranked 3rd in PFF’s tackle-for-loss rate database. In 65 run-defense snaps, he had earned a 6.15% tackle-for-loss rate. The hope for Detroit is that they can tap into some of what he was doing so well to start the season.

 

Staying with Long’s performance against the Bills from earlier this season, we go to my favorite play from him on tape. Through the four games that I watched, there were certainly some head scratching reads and plays from Long. However, the play above is a perfect example of Long playing with conviction and violence.

Looking at the play above, Long (LB 11) is aligned in a ’10’ (between guard and center) and he makes a great read. As he begins to trigger downhill, he’s met by Bills LT 73 Dion Dawkins. Rather than waiting for Dawkins to get square and seal him off, Long shocks and sheds the blocker.

As he creates separation, he’s able to see on either side of the blocker. Once he sees the running back make his cut, he slips underneath and makes a terrific tackle at the hole. This was textbook from Long, and the hope is the Lions can get him back to playing like that.

 

While the previous play was a great highlight, I do want to reiterate that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when watching Long play. There are times that he looks hesitant, plays too slow or too fast or he simply just makes the wrong read.

When you’re a younger player, you can get away with that. However, when you’re a 6-year veteran and ranked as one of the top run defenders in the league over a period of time, it’s hard to justify bad performances when they stack up. That happens to be the case for David Long.

For example, when you look at the two clips posted above, we’ll start with the first one against Arizona. Long reads the zone blocks being executed by the Cardinals offensive line but as the play continues, he gets impatient and gets burned. Assuming that the running back is going to cut back, Long would have looked like a stud.

Instead, he looks somewhat foolish for trying to get around 3 players. He then goes for the tackle but instead of a good form tackle, he arm tackles and the running back continues up field from there.

Lastly, the second clip is against Jacksonville. Aligned in a ’20’ (head up over the guard), you can see Long’s initial steps go to his right. Much of that is due to him falling for the “eye candy” that is the pulling right guard. Fortunately, he recovers nicely due to his ability to change direction, get over the top and meet the running back in the C-gap.

So as you can see, there’s some pretty good play from Long and then there’s some head scratching plays. That tends to be the case for any player who ends up getting released during the middle of the season.

Early in the year against the Jaguars and Bills, it’s evident that Long was playing like his old self. However, he suffered a hamstring injury against the Seattle Seahawks in week 3 and he hasn’t looked right ever since. That could be causing him to play with that hesitation or that could be why he just looks slow on tape at times.

Fortunately, Long comes to a place like Detroit where they just get the best out of their players. They made it work with Charles Harris for two years. Defensive lineman John Cominsky looked like he was on his way out of the league but he’s been with the Lions for three seasons. It’s just how this team is coached and you better believe that David Long will be held to a high standard.

The Lions play the Indianapolis Colts this week and then have a quick turnaround to play the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. If I had to guess, it’s unlikely that we’ll see Long play for the Lions during those two games. However, we could see him suit up against the Green Bay Packers in three weeks or potentially the Buffalo Bills the game after that. Regardless, it’ll take some time for him to get adjusted to the Lions defensive scheme.

While the Lions continue to battle through injuries on defense, they still push forward to the best record in the NFL and NFC. By adding David Long, the Lions could certainly use him for that late season push.

Film Study: Lions new DE Za’Darius Smith is a near-perfect fit for the Lions defense

Film Study: Lions new DE Za’Darius Smith is a near-perfect fit for the Lions defense

It’s been a few weeks in the making but the Detroit Lions finally made the trade with the Cleveland Browns for Za’Darius Smith. Adding the talented defensive end was much needed after the Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson for the season due to his leg injury.

With this addition, the Lions are getting a veteran defender that has started more than 80 games in his career. During that time, he has over 300 tackles and 65 sacks. The former 4th round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft has found success playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.

Currently, Smith is playing on a 2-year contract worth a total of $23 million dollars. For the Lions, most of that money has been paid out from the Browns so currently, Smith will count as a $605,000 cap hit for the Lions (per Spotrac). There is an option for the Lions to let him go after the season, if it isn’t a fit and it wouldn’t cost them anything in dead cap money. If the Lions decided to bring him back for 2025 to pair with Hutchinson, it would only cost them a cap hit of $5.4 million dollars.

[lawrence-related id=114629]

So, the tenured player has been a productive player and has more than a reasonable contract for the Lions. But what does he bring to the team? Let’s jump into some film to see what Smith will provide the Lions defense moving forward!

 

During the absence of Hutchinson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has done a good job getting creative to generate pressure. Whether it be blitzing from all angles or designing a variation of line stunts, Glenn is doing whatever he can to form some type of pass rush.

Now his job gets somewhat easier to execute that game plan with the addition of Za’Darius Smith. Looking at the play above, you’ll see Za’Darius Smith (Browns DE 99) executing a T/E stunt for the Browns defense last season against the Texans.

Watch as he loops inside; he has more than enough speed and burst to get through the hole and close to the quarterback. Fortunately for the quarterback, he’s able to get the pass the ball while throwing off his back foot. However, it’s 3rd-and-long, and it’s one of those plays where Smith interrupts the timing, and it could lead to a sack or turnover. Adding that to a defense that is 2nd in the NFL with 11 interceptions on defense could do wonders for this unit.

 

Jumping into some tape from this year, one thing that immediately stood out with Smith is how he provides alignment versatility. He can play in a wide-9, tilt-5 and pretty much anywhere else a defensive coordinator wants to put him.

Looking at the play above, you’ll see Smith (Browns DE 99) align standing up over the right tackle as a 5-technique. However, he’s aimed or tilted towards the right guard. As he goes to rip across the face of the right guard, his pad level is a bit too high but he does his job by collapsing the middle as an interior pass rusher.

This works perfectly as there’s an outside rush from two defenders with wide alignments. This forces the quarterback to step up in the pocket and this is where he’s met by Smith for the sack.

 

Lastly, I want to highlight Smith’s ability to stop the run. Looking at the play above from a game against the Ravens this year, we’ll see Smith (Browns DE 99) is aligned over the tight end to the right of the formation.

Once the ball is snapped, Smith displays good burst while being able to rip across the face of the tight end. In the process, he bends down the line-of-scrimmage and helps make the tackle.

Having Smith present on the Lions defensive line won’t just help with generating a pass rush. He will also assist in stopping the run and teams will have to find ways to block him.

Overall, this deal had to be done by the Lions. They needed help up front for their defense and they should get it moving forward. So far this season, Smith has played 324 defensive snaps (per PFF).

This has led to 5 sacks and 27 pressures for Smith this season. From PFF, he’s earned a 73.6 overall grade and a 71.1 pass rush grade. Certainly, Smith is not graded as highly as Aidan Hutchinson but he will enter as the highest graded edge defender that is active on the team right now.

Pairing Smith with Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Josh Paschal and the rest of their defensive line combinations should do wonders for this Lions defense. Having a defensive end that can turn speed-to-power, align anywhere on the line-of-scrimmage and execute the designed line stunts will be impactful. This move was the correct one by the Lions franchise and it should pay off in a big way for the next year and a half.

Lions stand pat at NFL trade deadline after the Za’Darius Smith deal

Lions GM Brad Holmes was unable to pull off any other trades at the deadline after acquiring Za’Darius Smith

The NFL trade deadline hit at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday with no fresh news involving the Detroit Lions. GM Brad Holmes and the Lions made their move hours earlier on Tuesday morning in acquiring EDGE Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for two Day 3 draft picks.

Other teams made some moves around the league, but none of the big-name pass rushers like Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby were traded. Nor was NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals, a team that was a buyer at the trade deadline for just the second time since 1970.

None of the more realistic Lions targets wound up being dealt, either. Azeez Ojulari remains with the Giants, with New York apparently wanting too much in return for any other team to nibble. Chase Young and Carl Granderson are still New Orleans Saints, as unlikely as a Lions trade for either player might have been. Arden Key and Harold Landry stuck with the Titans, too.

Detroit lacked significant draft capital to make some minor moves, having already traded away next year’s third-round and fourth-round picks in trades made during the 2024 NFL Draft.

Nor did the Lions trade away any players, as expected. The injuries across the defensive line made any concept of dealing someone like James Houston or Isaiah Thomas prohibitive.

Brad Holmes checking due diligence boxes on veteran pass rushers

Brad Holmes checking due diligence boxes on veteran pass rushers Haason Reddick and Za’Darius Smith, but don’t confuse due diligence for “Detroit’s making a move!”

The quest to fill the Lions roster holes at EDGE, after losing starters Marcus Davenport and now Aidan Hutchinson to season-ending injuries, has taken over the discussion in Detroit.

Lions GM Brad Holmes already started the process by signing young EDGE Isaiah Thomas from the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad. Holmes isn’t done looking, however.

Numerous reports, including from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, indicate Holmes and the Lions have had conversations with the New York Jets about veteran Haason Reddick. The former Eagles, Panthers and Cardinals sack artist is holding out after being traded to New York from Philadelphia in April. The Jets have now given Reddick, who has topped 10 sacks in each of the last four seasons while playing for three different teams, permission to try and find a trade partner.

As Fowler noted in his report, this is Holmes performing “due diligence” on potential solutions. There are also unsubstantiated reports the Lions have talked to the Cleveland Browns about veteran Za’Darius Smith. The 32-year-old also fits the profile of a “role player” that head coach Dan Campbell indicated the Lions were looking for, though he does carry a salary cap obligation of almost $10 million in 2025.

Holmes’ job is to explore every opportunity. It appears he is doing so, based on the reports. However, don’t confuse “talking about” with “trading for”; there are way too many variables and factors on both sides of those equations to read any certainty into Holmes doing anything more than his obligated due diligence at this point.

[lawrence-related id=113415]

Lions ‘looking’ at trade market but ‘not panicked’ despite losing Aidan Hutchinson

Dan Campbell says the Lions are ‘looking’ at trade market but he and GM Brad Holmes are ‘not panicked’ despite losing Aidan Hutchinson

The Detroit Lions are actively seeking solutions to the devastating loss of top pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year is out for the season after suffering a broken left leg that required immediate surgery in Detroit’s 47-9 win in Dallas in Week 6.

As head coach Dan Campbell met with the media back in Detroit on Monday, he laid out the potential for the Lions to make a move to potentially bring in a player via trade. Campbell noted GM Brad Holmes is already hard at work.

“Brad (Holmes) always – this comes up every year, and it’s not like he doesn’t look,” Campbell said. “So, he’s doing what he’s been doing, he’s looking – is there somebody out there that could potentially help us, what is it going to cost?

And so, those things will always come up, but just because that’s there, it doesn’t mean we’re going to do it, and it’s got to be right if it is. Everything’s got to be right. And honestly, where we’re at now, we’re not in a hurry. I mean, I believe in the guys that are here. I believe in that D-line.”

The defensive line that Campbell mentioned is now down both Week 1 EDGE starters in Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, who is also out for the season. In addition, veteran DT Kyle Peko went down with a potentially serious chest injury in the win in Dallas.

The focus, of course, is on Hutchinson. Campbell continued his thought on the idea of a potential trade,

“Doesn’t mean we’re not looking, we’re not evaluating. Brad is, that’s his job and he’s good at it, and we’ll take it as it comes. But our eyes are open, and we want to make sure that we have what we need here.”

After discussing the internal possibilities, which include Isaac Ukwu, Mitchell Agude, Al-Quadin Muhammad and James Houston (listed by Campbell in that order), Campbell added this vote of confidence in who is already in the room,

“They’re going to do what we ask them to do and they’re going to go all-out to do it, and while they’re doing it, they’re going to continue to grow. Ukwu will get better every week.

And so, look, everything’s on the table, but we’re not panicked, Brad (Holmes) and I are not panicked, and this team’s not panicked. It’s next man up, and if we have an area we need some help, then we’ve got to help each other out a little bit here and we may have to play a little bit different and that’s OK.”

Read into that what you will.

Don’t expect the Lions to be involved in the Davante Adams trade discussions

Don’t expect the Lions to be involved in the trade talks for Raiders All-Pro WR Davante Adams, for a variety of reasons

By all appearances, the Las Vegas Raiders are ready to at least seriously consider trade offers for star wide receiver Davante Adams. That process has quickly accelerated from a more abstract idea to something that increasingly looks like it could happen in the coming days.

And as the process quickly spins forward, it’s becoming increasinly clear the Detroit Lions are not one of the teams expected to be involved in the trade talks for Adams.

Numerous league sources, including Adam Schefter to Dianna Russini, mention a handful of teams already in conversations with the Raiders and Adams in terms of potential trade partners. The Lions are not among any of the lists — beyond those that are simply speculating that Detroit would be a good landing spot because of their relative need at wide receiver.

The Lions would indeed make a great place for Adams, who has consistently been one of the NFL’s most prolific receivers across multiple offenses and different quarterbacks. Alas, the process of acquiring the 31-year-old All-Pro puts a real damper on Detroit’s chances, for a variety of reasons.

First, compensation. The Lions already dealt away their third-round pick in 2024 (for Giovanni Manu). Any other trades, like one for Adams, would carve away more draft assets for GM Brad Holmes, who has stridently built a Super Bowl contender with savvy drafting.

Adams will be a very expensive rental for the remainder of 2024, too. With per-game bonuses, he costs just under $1 million per week. The Lions can afford that under the cap, but it would significantly chip into the all-important cap rollover that Holmes & Co. depend upon to make their cap management strategy viable. Adams contract balloons to over $35 million in salary for 2025 with none of it guaranteed–meaning he’s going to be released by whomever trades for him and then starting over fresh.

The simple business side of the Adams contract would preclude the Lions from being involved, based on everything we’ve seen from this management regime. It also doesn’t really fit with the Ben Johnson offense as its currently constructed.

Adams is a high-volume target and an elite one, too. So is Amon-Ra St. Brown. So is Sam LaPorta, though he hasn’t quite hit his stride yet in 2024. Jameson Williams has emerged as the big-play threat the offense needed to balance them. Adams would definitely be an upgrade to the corps, but it would come at the expense of touches for the stars already on the field. That’s also not what this Lions regime is proven to be about.

Lions GM explains why all QBs should throw at the NFL Scouting Combine

Lions GM Brad Holmes explains why all QBs should throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, giving a great example from Detroit’s roster in 2024

It’s become commonplace for quarterbacks to elect not to throw at the annual NFL Scouting Combine. The quarterbacks, and their representatives, don’t want to risk looking inaccurate by throwing to unfamiliar targets, making throws they don’t normally attempt to different types of receivers they just met before the drills.

However, at least one prominent NFL decision-maker thinks they should take advantage of the opportunity.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes brought up how impressive it can be when a quarterback does compete in the less controlled environment of the combine. Holmes brought it up in the context of Jake Fromm, a quarterback who earned his way onto the Lions practice squad by virtue of a two-drive performance at the end of the final preseason game.

Fromm, a fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Georgia, has bounced around in his young NFL career. He looked ready to bounce out of Detroit too. Brought into Lions camp only when Hendon Hooker suffered a concussion in the first preseason game, Fromm didn’t get a single rep in practice the entire week leading into Detroit’s preseason finale against Pittsburgh. In over two weeks of practices and training camp after signing, Fromm didn’t get more than 20 total snaps in team drills.

He wasn’t even expected to play, but Fromm took over and seized his moment. He was poised, accurate and confident despite the extremely limited preparation. That impressed Holmes and the Lions–enough that they opted to cut veteran Nate Sudfeld and keep Fromm on the practice squad instead as the third QB, behind Jared Goff and Hooker.

Holmes expounded upon how impressive that small glimpse can be, and why quarterbacks should try and prove themselves at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“I guess the best thing I can say is — and I tell young kids all the time, the kids at the combine, speaking to the quarterbacks, some guys, they don’t want to throw,” Holmes said in his end-of-summer press conference. “They don’t want to work out because they’re not working with their guys. They want to wait until their orchestrated pro day and all that. And same with all-star games, to an extent, too. But when a quarterback can go out there and operate and be accurate for guys that he has not been working with, that’s impressive.”

 

Antoine Green injury threw off Lions GM’s plans at wide receiver

Lions GM Brad Holmes admitted losing Antoine Green to a season-ending injury hurt the team’s plan at wide receiver

The Detroit Lions are rolling into Week 1 with just four wide receivers on the active 53-man roster. Of the foursome, only Jameson Williams stands above 6-foot-1 and only Amon-Ra St. Brown tops 190 on the weight scale.

The Lions are very small at wideout, no doubt about it. To that end, the Lions added some veteran bulk to the practice squad. GM Brad Holmes signed Tim Patrick, Allen Robinson and Donovan Peoples-Jones to the practice squad after roster cutdowns. Peoples-Jones, who didn’t make the Lions 53-man roster despite being re-signed this offseason, is the smallest of that group. He’s 6-2 and 208.

In his post-cutdown press conference, Holmes expressed his confidence in the receiving corps despite the lack of size and relative inexperience.

“We have confidence in what we have,” Holmes stated. “I would say, obviously, we’ve already addressed that we wanted (Broncos WR) Josh (Reynolds) back on the team, but you can’t get everybody that you want back. But we felt good about the competition that we had going forward.”

Holmes acknowledged that losing second-year WR Antoine Green to injury was an issue. The Lions waived Green with injury designation earlier in August. Holmes believed the 2023 seventh-rounder was poised to win the job of the X receiver.

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

Green, all 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds of him, had edged ahead of Daurice Fountain and Peoples-Jones in terms of first-team practice reps before suffering a severe concussion in the Lions’ first preseason game. Green took an injury settlement off the Lions I.R.

Now the vets on the practice squad will battle it out to be a potential game-day elevation, or perhaps moved onto the 53-man roster if things break their way.

[lawrence-related id=110776]

Lions GM Brad Holmes on his expectations: ‘Win the Super Bowl’

Brad Holmes laid it out during his Thursday morning press conference

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes left no doubt about what he thinks of the squad he and his front office team and coaching staff have assembled. Holmes laid it out there in his Thursday morning press conference.

Asked about his expectations for the coming season, Holmes quickly answered,

“My expectations? Win the Super Bowl.”

Not winning the NFC North again, something the Lions did for the first-ever time in 2023. Not winning more than one playoff game, which is something those ’23 Lions did for the first time in the Super Bowl era.

Holmes is thinking bigger in 2024. He’s a big believer in Detroit and what the finely-tuned roster can accomplish this season.

Lions Frank Ragnow snubbed on the NFL Top 100

Lions All-Pro center Frank Ragnow is a glaring snub from this year’s NFL Top 100 list

Whenever I see power rankings, position rankings and things of that nature, I always take it with a grain of salt. Not everyone is going to agree with those lists or rankings and more often than not, everyone tends to be a little different with how they rank a team or a player.

That said, the NFL and the players that vote on the NFL Top-100 players got it wrong by not having Frank Ragnow on their list this year. As of now, the top 10 is still set to be revealed, but the way it sits, there are only two interior offensive linemen in the top 100.

I’d be curious what the criteria is to make the NFL Top-100. Is it data and analytical rankings from sites such as Pro Football Focus (PFF)? Or is it based off the number of games played? Could these rankings be strictly based off the film?

Whatever the case may be, Ragnow is better than just about everyone at his position. Especially now that Eagles’ longtime center Jason Kelce retired. But when you look at the PFF grades for centers in the NFL, Ragnow led the way in 2023 with an 88.1 overall grade.

If you go to the film, you can see multiple reps on every single drive where Ragnow just dominates the opposition. Whether it’s physically driving defenders into the dirt or just having proper positioning to climb the second level and seal off linebackers and safeties.

Look at the play above where Ragnow gets up to the second level and clamps onto a linebacker with ease. He stays square, keeps his hands tight and inside and then he shows off his grip strength by being able to steer and drive the defender. The defenders in the NFL would be lying if they said there’s no game plan or preparation needed for Ragnow.

Meanwhile, he’s tough as nails. During the Lions playoff game against the Buccaneers in 2023, Ragnow suffered a sprained knee and ankle in that game. While he missed a few plays to get checked out by trainers, he came back in and finished the game. In fact, he made one of the key blocks from his knees on Vita Vea during a 4th and 1 run play from the Bucs half-yard line. This block helped keep running back Craig Reynolds clean long enough to enter the end zone for a touchdown.

You can call me biased or a fanboy, but the fact remains that Frank Ragnow should be rated as one of the top 100 players in the NFL. Certainly, the list means nothing to Ragnow but he should still be given a tip of the hat by his peers and by the league for his toughness and dominance at his position. If he can stay healthy, I’d expect that same dominance from the Lions 7-year veteran.

[lawrence-related id=108912]