Tag: Detroit Lions OTAs

Watch: Video recap and breakdown of Lions OTAs

Watch: Video recap and breakdown of Lions OTAs with Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon via the Detroit Lions Podcast

After a beautiful day in Allen Park for the Detroit Lions open OTA session, it was a good time to talk through what I saw on Thursday afternoon. So I shot a video on the observations and early takeaways from the unpadded practice on June 1st.

Among the topics covered:

  • Jared Goff showing leadership and looking sharp
  • Cam Sutton appreciation
  • Breaking down the day’s kicking competition
  • Jameson Williams and his learning curve
  • Young wide receivers and tight ends showing out

Consider this a companion video to the OTA observation recap article.

Ben Johnson taking the Lions offense ‘back to basics’ this offseason

Johnson offered up some interesting thoughts about his Lions offense in his pre-practice press conference on Thursday

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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was a hot head coaching candidate this offseason after just one season running the Lions offense. His blend of creativity, aggressiveness, and ability to maximize the talents of players like QB Jared Goff and RB Jamaal Williams earned Johnson a ton of accolades.

Johnson elected to halt any head coaching talk early in the process. He knows he’s got a great thing going in Detroit in working with head coach Dan Campbell and a talented returning core of players.

Yet for all the accolades and innovation, Johnson’s focus with his offense in OTAs is decidedly old school.

Back to basics.

“Our theme this springtime has been back to the basics,” Johnson said as part of a larger response to being asked about the biggest difference between 2022 and 2023 for him. “And so, we’ve been harping consistently on the fundamentals. We’re breaking it down to the nuts and bolts for each position group. And our coaches have kind of led the charge on that.”

Johnson hit on the same theme again in another answer. This time he extrapolated on some more specifics.

“Let’s get really good at the fundamentals because that is what helped us win games at the end last year,” Johnson enthused. “The fact that we led the League in ball security, we didn’t turn the ball over the second half of the season, that equated into wins for us. So, I think just the recognition of the little things all adding up and paying big dividends for us in offense, that’s really the point of it.”

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Don’t fret about Johnson losing his creativity or aggressiveness, however. He made that clear. It’s about executing the plays better and not leaving so many yards or points on the field.

“We will still push the envelope. We’ll still be innovative and creative on offense, don’t get me wrong,” coach Johnson continued. “But I just came away saying, ‘Shoot man, we left a lot of meat on the bone in a lot of ways.’ Because I think I talked about it, some of the runs we could have had explosives. We could’ve had eight, nine yards when we were still at three or four, so just a few things when we looked back at last year.”

That last comment might help explain the team’s first-round infatuation with Jahmyr Gibbs, who looks like a more dynamic and versatile weapon than the Lions have had at RB in some time already.

Lions OTA notebook: June 1st observations on Gibbs, Goff, Jamo, kickers and more

Here are some quick notes and observations from the Detroit Lions June 1st OTA session

The Lions held the second session of OTAs open to the media on a sunny, hot Thursday afternoon to kick off June. It’s still non-contact and voluntary, so drawing any conclusions from what we saw is way too hasty, but there were a few interesting developments from the practice fields in Allen Park.

Here are some quick notes and observations from the unpadded practice session that leads into next week’s mandatory minicamp.

The Lions don’t have anyone 30 or older on defense

Christian Covington is the team’s oldest defender at 29

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Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn still looks fit enough to play cornerback, something he did at a very high level in the NFL. But at 50 and with white facial hair, Glenn’s age is given away.

There aren’t any greybeards on Glenn’s defense in Detroit right now. In fact, the current Lions defense doesn’t feature a single player who is 30 years of age or older.

The oldest player on the Lions defensive roster right now is Christian Covington. The veteran defensive lineman is 29. Covington turns 30 in October. Defensive backs Tracy Walker and Cam Sutton are 28, as are linebackers Alex Anzalone, Charles Harris and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Somewhat incredibly, EDGE Romeo Okwara is only 27 despite entering his 8th NFL season.

Last year, Michael Brockers was over 30, but the veteran lineman is no longer in Detroit.

Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down OTAs, DeAndre Hopkins and more

The Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down OTAs, DeAndre Hopkins and more

The Detroit Lions Podcast pulled out a rare midday Friday recording this week. Lions OTAs and a big-name receiver suddenly coming available forced a worthy schedule change.

Thursday’s OTA session in Allen Park is a big focal point. We discuss the press conferences from head coach Dan Campbell, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and special teams coach Dave Fipp and what they said.

The on-firld action is limited by CBA rules, but there were still some players to talk about. There’s a good discourse on Jameson Williams and his trouble catching the ball on Thursday, and why it’s not anything to be too concerned about.

The elephant in the podcast room is wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals released the All-Pro, meaning the Lions could sign him. We break down the pros and cons, including the costs and roster impact.

 

https://www.youtube.com/live/hFXbDdslqG0?feature=share

Halapoulivaati Vaitai is back and ready to roll

Lions right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai is back and ready to roll after missing 2022 with back surgery

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Flecks of grey lightly dot Halapoulivaati Vaitai’s hair these days. The Detroit Lions starting right guard has earned those signs of aging and wisdom, especially in the last few months.

Vaitai missed the 2022 season after undergoing back surgery. On Thursday during the Lions’ first open OTA session of the offseason, we got to see and talk to “Big V” for the first time since August. It was a moment that might not have come.

Vaitai told reporters he seriously thought about retiring after the back surgery. After a few successful seasons in the NFL and turning 30 in June, it was an option on the table. Thankfully, Vaitai quickly realized it wasn’t an option he was ready for just yet.

“I’m like, ‘What am I doing? I can’t decide what to do,'” Vaitai said. “The only thing I know is football, and so – but it was great. I got to reflect on my life and my career in the league, so it was really good and just sit down with my wife and just talk over a lot of things.”

Vaitai and his family have a ranch outside Houston, and he talked about the appeal of ranching and being with his family. But the pull of the other family–his Lions family–burned far too strong to walk away.

“I mean, I can’t leave Penei, I can’t leave my guys, I can’t leave them,” Vaitai said introspectively. “I love this team a lot. I want to help Dan (Campbell) win one.”

So Vaitai was back at OTAs, something veterans can avoid if they want. Not Vaitai. There he was taking first-team reps at right guard and moving like he’s never been spryer. Pads aren’t on yet so it’s impossible to gauge his efficacy, but his movement skills belie a man less than a year removed from back surgery.

Vaitai didn’t have fusion surgery, he informed us. It’s helped him come back quicker than teammate Levi Onwuzurike, who remains relegated to working with trainers to the side and still doesn’t look close to being ready for action. He acknowledged some pain, but it’s nothing like the agony of not being able to play with his mates.

The Lions need him. The man who admirably filled in for Vaitai last year, Evan Brown, is in Seattle. The team did bring back Graham Glasgow, but he’s struggled (badly if you ask Denver fans) with serious injuries of his own during his time with the Broncos. Rookie Colby Sorsdal has much to prove as a fifth-round pick from an FCS program.

Big V is ready to lead them all, and to do it by example on the field.

Aaron Glenn very confident in EDGE Josh Paschal entering his second season

Glenn is excited to see what Paschal can do in his 2nd season with a healthy offseason

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He’s a bit of a forgotten entity for a lot of Lions fans, and certainly for national media pundits. However, the Lions themselves know the name Josh Paschal very well.

The second-year EDGE had a rough start to his Lions career. Coming off an injury that ended his college career at Kentucky, Pashcal then suffered a different injury during training camp that cost him half his rookie season.

Paschal came in and played the final half of his rookie season, and he showed glimpses of why Detroit valued him as a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. In 10 games, starting four, Paschal registered 16 tackles, two sacks and two TFLs.

Throughout the offseason, the Lions have quietly set expectations pretty high for Paschal in his second season. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn made those aspirations for No. 93 public this week.

Here’s what Glenn said about Paschal prior to Thursday’s OTA session:

“I mean this is a guy, when you think about his path, like he really didn’t get a chance to have an OTA last year because he was injured. He really didn’t have much of a training camp because he was injured. I think he only played eight games, if I’m correct. So, we’re expecting that player to be the player that we drafted in the second round and actually end up improving because he’s had this time to be in the training room to work with our strength staff, to work with our coach and understand exactly what we need out of him, so absolutely I feel like this player is going to be a good player for us.”

Expect to see Paschal get every chance to keep the starting job he held down the stretch last season, a period which coincided with the team playing much better defense.

Dan Campbell hints at using David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs together in the backfield

Campbell talked about using a number of different offensive personnel packages, including the 2-RB offense

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One of the primary takeaways from Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s press conference on Thursday was his talk of 2-back sets on offense.

Campbell indicated that he envisions using both David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs together in the backfield. It was one of several player packages Campbell mentioned, including a 3-TE set that strongly incorporates rookie Sam LaPorta.

The 2-back offensive set is not something the Lions have used with any sort of frequency over the years, not with two running backs. Detroit deployed fullback Jason Cabinda on 19 percent of offensive snaps in 2022, but Cabinda touched the ball just twice. He’s a blocker, not a threat with the ball in his hands.

Mixing in a set where both Montgomery and Gibbs are in the backfield fundamentally alters that dynamic. Both newcomers — Montgomery a veteran free agent from Chicago, Gibbs a first-round rookie from Alabama — are accomplished receivers as well as rushing threats. Using them together opens up all sorts of possibilities for both the run game and the passing offense.

For a creative coordinator like Ben Johnson and an aggressive head coach in Campbell, it’s an exciting proposition. Campbell’s openness to exploring those possibilities is something Lions fans should be very excited about, too.

Campbell did indicate that Gibbs will participate in Thursday’s practice as well. The rookie has been sidelined as a precautionary measure with what Campbell deemed a “low ankle sprain.”

Dan Campbell one-ups Brad Holmes’ shirt homage

Lions coach Dan Campbell rocked a shirt that paid homage to GM Brad Holmes’ shirt featuring Campbell

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At the NFL draft last month, Lions GM Brad Holmes inspired a lot of smiles by rocking a shirt with a picture of head coach Dan Campbell on it.

On Thursday, Campbell returned the favor.

Campbell strolled into the Lions media center for his pre-practice press conference wearing a shirt with the picture of Holmes wearing the shirt with Campbell on it.

(It took me a long time to make sure that was worded properly.)

Campbell’s shirt: