Former Bucs quarterbacks takes first NFL coaching job with Detroit Lions

Bruce Gradkowski, who was with the Bucs for two seasons after being drafted in the the 2006 NFL Draft, was hired by the Lions on Friday.

It is not uncommon for former NFL players to return to the league through the coaching ranks. This past week, the Detroit Lions hired a former Bucs quarterback as an offensive assistant.

Bruce Gradkowski, who was with the Bucs for two seasons after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, was hired by the Lions on Friday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the hire for the Lions. Detroit coach Dan Campbell is known for hiring former players to build on his staff, and the approach has proven to be beyond fruitful for him and his players. The team lost several coordinators and assistants this offseason, many of which were former players.

Gradkowski joins the NFL after coaching the St. Louis Battlehawks as their offensive coordinator for two seasons. Apart from playing for the Bucs, he also notably played quarterback for the Steelers, Bengals, Raiders, and Browns.

Former Vikings GM joining Jets front office after serving as consultant

The NFC North was the focus of the football world during the regular season. Now, as we are fully entrenched in the offseason, they remain the focus and the center point for all things NFL-related. From Kevin O’Connell winning Coach of the Year to …

The NFC North was the focus of the football world during the regular season. Now, as we are fully entrenched in the offseason, they remain the focus and the center point for all things NFL-related. From Kevin O’Connell winning Coach of the Year to the Lions losing two coordinators to head coaching jobs, a lot of news has come from those within the division.

One of those coordinators from the Lions was Aaron Glenn who was hired by the Jets to be their next head coach. The choice to hire Aaron Glenn came from an advisory board that is now seeing one of their people remain with the Jets.

Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team shared the news on social media on Friday that former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman would be joining the Jets front office. Spielman was with the Vikings from 2006 to 2021, serving as their Vice President of Player Personel before being promoted to General Manager.

Spielman was involved in several key moves for the Vikings over the years, such as signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Adrian Peterson and Justin Jefferson. The Jets hope his dynamic hit rate on scouting will carry over to their building.

PFF: Jets are best-landing spot for Lions’ Carlton Davis III in free agency

PFF: Jets are best-landing spot for Lions’ Carlton Davis III in free agency

The connection is clear, but despite that, the football analytical folks at Pro Football Focus are still taking that route as it relates to Calton Davis III.

Fresh off a positive season under Aaron Glenn as his defensive coordinator with the Lions, PFF suggests that Davis should follow the coach to the Jets.

Davis, an upcoming free agent, ranks as PFF’s 21st best in the entire NFL.

In 13 games played in 2024, Davis had 56 tackles, including two for loss, with two interceptions and 11 passes defended.

PFF’s breakdown on Davis to the Jets can be found below:

Before a broken jaw in Week 15 cut his season short, Davis was a standout in the Lions secondary. Through 15 weeks, his 11 forced incompletions ranked ninth in the NFL, highlighting his ability to disrupt opposing passing attacks.

Reuniting with former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, now the Jets’ head coach, could be the perfect move for Davis. Glenn’s aggressive schemes, which often rely on press coverage, play to Davis’ strengths. He allowed only seven open targets in press situations despite playing a significant number of press snaps, showcasing his ability to thrive in a physical, one-on-one role.

Bengals urged to trade Trey Hendrickson to NFC contender

The Bengals get a big draft haul in a trade idea involving their star defender.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a budding Trey Hendrickson problem this offseason.

That much was revealed in a recent report, which wasn’t all that shocking considering Hendrickson demanded a trade last offseason due to dissatisfaction with his contract.

But one could argue that Hendrickson ranks second or third in terms of the Big Three needing new deals from the Bengals this offseason. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are the others.

And that’s why Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport suggests the Bengals trade Hendrickson to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick and 2026 third-round pick:

Hendrickson and Hutchinson would be a phenomenal duo on the edge. The Lions have the salary-cap space to make an extension for Hendrickson work.

Push your chips into the middle of the table, Lions. Get what you can for a player who won’t be extended, Bengals.

RELATED: It sounds like Jermaine Burton is on last chance with Bengals already

Given the miserable state of the defense around Hendrickson and his NFL-leading 17.5 sacks last year, it’s hard to imagine the Bengals let him get away.

That said, this is about the compensation the Bengals could expect if things get to this point. While he paced the NFL in sacks and doesn’t appear to be slowing down just yet, Hendrickson is 30 years old and will want a top-tier extension.

The Bengals, of course, are in win-now mode and haven’t developed talent properly over the last few years, so swapping Hendrickson for draft picks would be a major step back in more ways than one.

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Lions fan who sold his signed Matthew Stafford jersey for playoff tickets gets amazing gift from Rams QB

Matthew Stafford helped out a dad who sold his signed Lions jersey to buy playoff tickets, sending him the absolute perfect gift

NFL tickets are expensive. Playoff tickets for a team that has been starved of postseason success are obscenely pricey.

For one dad in Detroit, though, the opportunity to attend a Lions playoff game with his 8-year-old daughter was worth every penny – even if it cost him a prized piece of memorabilia.

Bryson Machonga sold his signed Matthew Stafford jersey (and other items) so that he could buy tickets to the Lions-Commanders game. Stafford saw the story in the Detroit Free Press and wanted to help out the Lions fan who gave up a jersey he held onto for more than 10 years to create a lasting memory with his daughter.

Stafford went out of his way to get Machonga a replacement. And not a signed Rams jersey. He sent the fan a jersey he wore during the 2014 season and signed it, thanking Machonga for his support.

“To Bryson, Thanks for all the support!” the message read on the jersey. Stafford autographed it on the 9, too.

A photo of the jersey can be found here in the Detroit Free Press’ story.

“I was over the moon. … Disbelief at the start. But then it just turned into resounding joy, excitement,” Machonga said, via the Free Press.

“It just reconfirmed who Matthew Stafford is. He had no reason to go about doing this. He had no gain. He’s not our quarterback anymore … he went out of his way in a playoff week.”

Stafford is one of the good guys and this incredible gesture is the latest example of that. What a cool thing for the Rams QB to do, and all while preparing for his own playoff game, too.

Jared Goff shines in passing event at Pro Bowl Games

Lions QB Jared Goff shines in passing event at Pro Bowl Games

Lions quarterback Jared Goff took full advantage of his opportunity to shine during the Pro Bowl Games Thursday.

The MVP finalist took part in the event called “Passing the Test”, in which a quarterback was paired with a wide receiver who answered trivia questions. Each correct answer added ten seconds to the quarterback’s base time of 40 seconds.

Goff’s partner was Packers running back Josh Jacobs. Jacobs answered five questions correctly, adding 50 seconds to Goff’s base of 40, giving him 1:30 on the clock.

Goff then had to throw at numerous targets, ranging from 1-5 points. Goff hit all nine targets, allowing the targets to reset. He added 17 more won his second round of targets, giving him a total of 44 points, a score that held up and was the winning point total, beating out Sam Darnold’s 39 points and putting three team points on the board for the NFC.

David Shaw leaves Broncos for new role with Lions

Broncos senior personnel executive David Shaw has left the team to become the Lions’ new passing game coordinator.

After serving as a senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos in 2024, David Shaw has left the team to become the new passing game coordinator for the Detroit Lions, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported on Thursday.

Shaw is the second member of Denver’s staff to leave the team for a role in Detroit this offseason. Earlier this week, former Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton became the Lions’ new offensive coordinator. Shaw and Morton will now be reunited in Detroit.

Denver previously lost assistant general manager Darren Mougey to the New York Jets, who also hired ex-Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo. Denver also lost tight ends coach Declan Doyle to the Chicago Bears.

Shaw’s old position is not necessarily one that needs to be filled. He joined the Broncos last year in a new role while waiting to get back into coaching, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Now that a coaching position has opened up, Shaw is leaving Denver’s front office.

Shaw, 52, coached Stanford from 2011-2022, going 96-54 as head coach.

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Lions hire former Stanford coach David Shaw as pass game coordinator

Lions hire former Stanford coach David Shaw as pass game coordinator

The Lions have added former Stanford head coach David Shaw as their new pass game coordinator, as reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Shaw, who spent last season as a senior personnel executive with the Denver Broncos, joins a new offensive staff that includes new offensive coordinator John Morton, who is also coming over from the Broncos, as he was previously their pass game coordinator.

Shaw was head coach of the Cardinal from 2011-2022, succeeding current Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Shaw compiled a 96-54 record at Stanford, winning the Pac-12 conference championship three and the Rose Bowl twice. His early years at Stanford included coaching 2012 No. 1 pick quarterback Andrew Luck.

Before becoming head coach, Shaw was offensive coordinator for the Cardinal for four seasons.

Shaw has coached quarterbacks and wide receivers in the NFL, with his last coaching stop in the league coming in 2005 as wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

Former pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand is in play, and possibly considered the favorite, to be the new offensive coordinator for the New York Jets under new head coach and former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Steve Heiden leaves Lions to join Jets as offensive line coach

Steve Heiden leaves Lions to join Jets as offensive line coach

Yet another Lions assistant coach is leaving for another team in 2025. The latest such coach is tight ends coach Steve Heiden. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Heiden is joining Aaron Glenn in New York as the new offensive line coach for the Jets.

Heiden coached the tight ends in Detroit for two seasons. He came to Detroit in 2023 after ten years in Arizona coaching special teams, tight ends and offensive line. Heiden played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He was drafted in the third round by the San Diego Chargers in 1999 out of South Dakota State and played three seasons before spending eight years in Cleveland.

Heiden will replace Keith Carter, who coached the Jets’ offensive line for two seasons.

In addition to Glenn and Heiden, the Lions have also lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson (Bears head coach), wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El (Bears assistant head coach/wide receiver), assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett (Bears quarterbacks coach) and defensive line coach Terrell Williams (Patriots defensive coordinator).

Passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand could also be leaving as is in play to become Glenn’s offensive coordinator with the Jets — Glenn has hired Steve Wilks as his defensive coordinator and defensive play-caller.

Detroit was able to keep offensive line coach/run game coordinator Hank Fraley, who was in play to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, as well as quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell.

Other new additions and promotions on the staff include new offensive coordinator John Morton (Broncos pass game coordinator), defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard (promoted from linebackers coach), defensive run game coordinator/defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers (Buccaneers DL/defensive run game coordinator) and linebackers coach Shaun Dion Hamilton (promoted from assistant linebackers coach).

Several former NFL teammates share high praise for Kellen Moore

Several former teammates shared high praise for Saints head coach candidate Kellen Moore. Lance Moore and Dan Orlovsky are in his corner:

Two former teammates of Kellen Moore have recently discussed his head coaching candidacy with the New Orleans Saints, and whether or not he would make a good head coach. These former teammates are Dan Orlovsky and member of the Saints Hall of Fame Lance Moore. Both of these players previously played on the Detroit Lions with Kellen Moore, and had the chance to get to know him prior to his coaching days.

Dan Orlovsky outlined the challenges Moore would face in New Orleans and why he believes the young coach can overcome them: “I think whoever gets that job probably goes through a little bit of a bumpy phase for the first year or two when it comes to just roster construction and how much money you have. But I’ll tell you this, I was with Kellen for a couple years, Kellen and I competed to be a backup in Detroit for a couple years. He actually texted me last week or two weeks ago when I was really critical of him on TV with some of his game plan, and he said ‘Hey thanks for the shoutout, it’s been a fun media week lol.'”

While Moore isn’t known as a big rah-rah leader like a Dan Campbell or Pete Carroll, leadership isn’t always loud. As long as he is expressing himself, Orlovsky expects Moore’s personality will win over his critics.

He continued: “So his personality I think has grown a lot, like when I was with him, he was a little bit reserved. Super intelligent, didn’t necessarily, like, command a room like some guys do in a head coaching role. But I do think it’s grown, now I look at the text and I say ok he’s a little more comfortable in his skin for him to text me that, and a little bit like a ‘F U’ to me in many ways. So I think he’s kind of grown in that role, he’s super smart, he’s very much so smart enough. I do like the fact that he was in Dallas, I like the fact that he was in L.A., I like the fact that he was in Philly, kind of experiencing a lot of different places, I think gives these coaches really good vantage points of what it looks like, what it doesn’t look like.”

“So I’ll be rooting for him, I think the world of him,” Orlovsky added.

Lance Moore worked closely with Moore on the Lions during their 2015 training camp and preseason, but that brief time together made a swift impression: “Smart guy, very very very smart guy. That, even though he wasn’t playing, he was like another coach in the locker room, on the field, and somebody that is very very bright when it comes to offensive acumen. So if he is the guy, I think he can do some really great things.”

Lance Moore also mentioned to WDSU that, nothing against Dennis Allen or any defensive coach the Saints may be considering, but as a guy who played with Drew Brees and is in the Saints Hall of Fame because of his heroics as a wide receiver, he hopes the Black and Gold go with an offensive coach.

It seems very clear that both have exceptionally high opinions of Kellen Moore, and believe he would make a good head coach option for the Saints. Both of them distinctly and quickly mentioning he is very smart is something that is consistent with other reports of his coaching style, as his scheme and offensive play calling are one of the best.

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