Tag: Detroit Lions OTAs

Lions OTA notebook: Young players take the stage

Notes from Monday’s OTA session on RBs receiving skills, OL versatility, a big man INT and more

The Detroit Lions are wrapping up OTAs this week. As head coach Dan Campbell stated last week during the team’s mandatory minicamp, this week’s voluntary sessions are focused on the rookies and developmental players.

Very few established players were in attendance on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon in Allen Park. Nearly all projected starters were gone, again by design. Running back D’Andre Swift, right tackle Penei Sewell, linebacker Derrick Barnes and cornerback Jeff Okudah were the only starting-caliber non-rookies who participated.

One prominent rookie who definitely projects to start is Aidan Hutchinson, and the defensive lineman did not disappoint. He attacks every drill as if he’s playing for his livelihood and his competitive attitude rubs off on the others in the drills. It’s easy to see Hutchinson’s perfectionist nature on display; he jumped back into the front of the short (only four DL in attendance) queue to immediately redo a drill where Hutchinson and DL coach Todd Wash were unhappy with the rookie’s shoulder level on a pass-rush exercise.

RB footwork

One of the drills was a receiving exercise for the running backs, which had the entire depth chart other than Jamaal Williams and FB Jason Cabinda in attendance. It gave a good illustration of the different footwork of the participants.

Swift really stood out here. There is very strict attention to detail in his route-running. No wasted steps or false motions at all from Swift. It’s easy to hearken back to Theo Riddick and Reggie Bush, two former Lions RBs who were exceptional receiving weapons, in watching Swift working in the passing game.

Craig Reynolds showed he’s worked on his receiving skills in the offseason. Reynolds made a couple of very nice catches away from his body and demonstrated tight route-running. The fourth-year back is in line to play more in 2022 even if Swift and Williams are healthy. As I noted last week, Reynolds is a lot closer to pushing Williams for the No. 2 spot than he is to being caught by the No. 4 back, currently Godwin Igwebuike.

Quick hits

–RB coach Duce Staley led the practice session with Campbell watching closely. It was akin to the Senior Bowl practices, where Staley served as the head coach of the National team with Campbell in a more advisory capacity.

The coaching development pipeline is something that is critically important to both Campbell and the Lions. Expect to see Staley landing some head coaching interviews next offseason and this is Campbell’s way of helping prepare the energetic RB coach.

–Undrafted rookie nose tackle Demetrius Taylor once again commanded attention with his play. Taylor leapt up and picked off a low David Blough throw. The Appalachian State rookie had two deflections just like it during last week’s minicamp but couldn’t secure the catch. Taylor snagged this one and the entire defensive contingency went crazy in celebration.

–Offensive line coach Hank Fraley spoke to the media before practice and talked up the need for positional versatility for the younger players to crack the roster. Fraley certainly offered the six (plus Sewell) aspirants chances to show they can play multiple spots. UDFA Zein Obeid took reps at every position but right tackle in the drills I watched, with another UDFA, Kevin Jarvis, moving around at every position but center.

–UDFA tight end Derrick Deese Jr. was in attendance but only worked with trainers. He has yet to be cleared by the training staff to be a full participant.

Charles Harris eager to make more plays in 2022 after a strong 1st year in Detroit

Lions EDGE Charles Harris is eager to make more plays in 2022 after a strong 1st year in Detroit

Lions head coach Dan Campbell loves to talk about players’ success stories. He went into great detail about one of Detroit’s veteran acquisition wins from a year ago before Thursday’s OTA session.

That would be EDGE Charles Harris. A first-round bust of the Dolphins in 2017, Harris managed just 3.5 sacks in three years in Miami. He didn’t fare much better in one season in Atlanta, and when the Lions signed him a year ago it was more of an afterthought than the team landing the man who would lead them in sacks and generate pressure more consistently than anyone else.

Harris earned every opportunity by not taking his roster spot for granted and proving he could contribute.

“We were talking about Charles the other day in the team room. What a great story he was,” Campbell told reporters. “This time last year, he’s out there running with the three’s (third team) on the second field, he’s doing all the special teams reps, holding bags like he started all over again and didn’t bat an eye either. He just worked and he worked himself into making some money and coming back with the team that gave him a shot and in return, he gave us a shot to sign him back. That’s what you want in guys.”

After the ensuing practice, Harris himself offered up why it worked for him in Detroit last year.

“Coaching. Coach Shep (LB coach Kelvin Sheppard) is great,” Harris said. “Coach Wash (DL coach Todd Wash) is great, AG (coordinator Aaron Glenn) giving the scheme.”

Harris also gave some credit to his teammates last year.

“The guys around me are also great,” Harris said earnestly. “They did a great job of setting stuff up for not just myself but everybody can make their own plays. I hand it to my teammates and to the coaches themselves for putting us in the right position.”

He’s not resting on his career-best accomplishments, not after the underwhelming seasons he had with the Dolphins and Falcons. Harris knows he’s capable of doing a lot more for the Lions and is eager to prove it.

“I’ve been able to go back and watch a lot of film from last year and see the plays that could have gotten made but didn’t get made,” Harris stated. “I think that’s where I am this year. If I add in everything I could have gotten made my numbers would have been crazy, the statistics would be crazy. I really want to capitalize on that.”

Harris offered up that he needs to be better against run blocks and at not running too far up the field in his pass rush, too.

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Which Lions players missed voluntary OTAs?

The Detroit Lions had a nearly full participation in voluntary OTAs

The Lions wrapped another week of voluntary OTAs with a strong contingency of players at the team’s training facility. Nearly all the 90-man roster was participating or at least in the house and rehabbing injuries.

But it wasn’t a full attendance. That’s perfectly fine by the way; the NFLPA forcefully reminds the players that the OTAs are voluntary activities.

Culled from various reports in Allen Park on the week, the following players were not present for the OTA sessions during the week of June 1st:

TE T.J. Hockenson
TE Garrett Griffin
LT Taylor Decker
EDGE Romeo Okwara
EDGE Josh Paschal
NT John Penisini

All but Penisini are coming off injuries that would limit their participation. All are expected to be at the mandatory minicamp this coming week, Penisini included.

New Lions OC Ben Johnson focused on helping Jared Goff have ‘the best season of his career’

Lions OC Ben Johnson has been working closely with Jared Goff to play more to the QB’s strengths

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson oozes enthusiasm. Johnson has a very natural energy to him that radiates in interactions with the media. It showed in his side session at the scouting combine in Indianapolis this winter and it shone once again before Thursday’s OTA session in Allen Park.

All the energy and creativity won’t help Johnson in his new job if the man at the controls of his offense, QB Jared Goff, can’t perform well enough. Goff’s first season in Detroit was largely terrible until a midseason coaching change that saw Johnson get more involved and head coach Dan Campbell took over the offense for deposed OC Anthony Lynn. The final four games Goff played offered legitimate promise, and that’s what Johnson wants to build off into 2022.

“I’ve got a really strong relationship with Jared right now,” Johnson told reporters. “One of my top priorities, personally, is to help him have the best season of his career. One thing that we’ve done is included him a lot in what we’re trying to do schematically, and so we spent some time this offseason watching more of the stuff he did a few years ago in LA and how we can incorporate some of that, while also challenging him to take the next step in some areas of improvement for him as a player as well.”

Johnson likes what he sees from Goff so far.

“He’s having a good offseason, though. I’m really encouraged with where he is, too.”

So what did Goff do well in Los Angeles that can be recreated in Detroit? Johnson offered up some morsels that the duo has been working on to help Goff get back to his Pro Bowl form.

“I think when you look back at his time in LA, he was really successful with certain schemes, with certain concepts. We’re just going to look to incorporate some of those a little bit more,” Johnson explained. “I know play-action is something he’s really good at, and we’re going to look at doing that. It’s really a strength of our offense as well. We’re going to be a really good running team, so that’s going to show up on Sundays is the play-action and the movement game.”

The two have spent a lot of time together this spring, Johnson stated, and Goff’s input on the offense is something that can only help what was a moribund passing attack for far too long in 2021.

Watch: The Detroit Lions Podcast’s OTA report episode

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down the week in OTAs and possible positional changes for the Lions

After a one-week break, the Detroit Lions Podcast featuring Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon is back with another episode.

In this episode, we discuss the ongoing OTAs and the action that goes on around the voluntary activities. There are a number of players who are experimenting with position changes and we break those down, as well as how some players fit–or don’t fit–in the Lions schemes. A breakdown of new Lions DL John Cominsky and where he fits into the team also comes up, leading into some Senior Bowl memories and comparisons between where the team was in 2019 and where it is now.

As always, the show streams live on YouTube and is also available from your favorite podcast provider. Just search “Detroit Lions Podcast”. You can also download and stream from here.

Figuring out Julian Okwara’s role in the new-look Lions defense

Julian Okwara has a variety of different potential roles in the new-look Lions defense

One of the offseason puzzles the Detroit Lions must solve is what to do with Julian Okwara. The third-year defender doesn’t have an exact or easy fit in the new scheme and front that coordinator Aaron Glenn is implementing.

That doesn’t mean Okwara doesn’t belong or can’t be an asset. Far from it. But finding where Okwara’s skills fit best might take some experimenting. The Lions seem well-prepared to try the 24-year-old EDGE in a lot of different roles in the fresh attacking style of defense.

During last week’s OTAs, Okwara primarily worked with the linebackers and LB coach Kelvin Sheppard. That is where head coach Dan Campbell sees Okwara.

“We consider him a linebacker. He is a hybrid,” Campbell explained. “We consider him in base as a linebacker, more of a SAM linebacker or on the edge. In sub or in nickel, he becomes more of that defensive end. Third down he could become kind of that spin or stand-up X player. But, just as far as if you’re rolling out base, he’s one of the guys competing to be in our edge, SAM linebacker.”

Sheppard echoed those parameters for how Okwara will be used in 2022.

“Last year, JO lined up everywhere,” Sheppard offered up to reporters last week. “Over the center, on the edge, split out on the number two. You’ll see him stacked. When you’re able to have versatile players it opens up the playbook for the coordinator.”

The competition Campbell mentioned could be crowded. There are a few other candidates for the SAM role in the base 4-man front. That role is effectively a pass-rush specialist who aligns outside the DE, one of whom figures to be Julian’s brother, Romeo. That’s presuming three LBs on the field, a situation that will be far less frequent than with two or even one linebacker, however.

Okwara has had his struggles playing the run, both at playing and tackling in space and at setting an edge and forcing the issue. The Lions drafted James Houston, a more natural off-ball LB who also happened to emerge as a pass-rushing force at Jackson State in 2021. Charles Harris plays more effectively as a heavy SAM backer than a hand-in-dirt DE, too.

It’s the sub-package role, specifically when the Lions go to an odd-man front, where Okwara likely fits best. There should be some 5-man fronts with Okwara definitely in the mix as one of the ends. In a 3-man front — the primary scheme from the last few seasons — Okwara fits as one of the stand-up OLBs who rush from outside the tackle box.

Potential position changes abound in the Lions secondary

The Detroit Lions have a few young players in the secondary who are experimenting at multiple positions in OTAs

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The word “multiple” unfortunately sends shivers down the spine of Lions fans. Former head coach Matt Patricia often used the term to describe his defense, which progressively declined to the worst in the league.

But the basic concept of having versatile players who can perform in multiple different roles isn’t inherently bad. Detroit’s defense in 2022 has a lot of those guys, notably in the defensive backfield.

The Lions are testing the multiple positionalities of players in this week’s OTAs. One of them is Ifeatu Melifonwu. The second-year DB has been a cornerback for a long time, but in Thursday’s OTA session he took a bunch of reps at safety.

It’s a wrinkle that Melifonwu, who is safety-sized at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, is welcoming with open arms. He spoke after practice about the possible move to safety via Ben Raven of Mlive,

“The plan, AG (Glenn) and the coaches just asked me to try it. I’m a football player, so they kinda want to put me in different spots (and) see what works,” Melifonwu said. “If you got versatility and know the other position just in case anything happens.

“I like it. It’s a different perspective. Definitely a different perspective. You see the whole field instead of just one side of the formation. I’m still getting used to it. I like corner as well. It’s honestly two different things. I’m getting used to it.”

The Lions are thinner at safety than cornerback, so it makes sense to cross-train a young player with physical traits that translate to each spot. One of the reasons for the odd depth issue is because veteran Will Harris continues to get a lot of looks at cornerback.

Harris moved from safety to corner late in the 2021 campaign after a rash of injuries ravaged the CB room. He performed better at CB than he had at safety, where he’s just not worked out as hoped. Harris is in the mix at both outside and slot CB, as well as his old box safety role in coordinator Aaron Glenn’s split-safety base package.

When injured cornerback Jeff Okudah returns, he might also switch around multiple positions. With the depth strongest at outside CB, a move inside to the slot or even some dabbling as a coverage safety could be in the works for Okudah in his third season in Detroit, too.

Dan Campbell explains what he wants from the Lions practice squad

Head coach Dan Campbell explains what he wants from the Detroit Lions practice squad

One of the developments from the recent NFL league meetings was the approval of the expansion of the practice squad. Teams will now be allowed to carry up to 16 players on the practice squad, up from 14 a year ago. There is more allowance for veterans who previously would have been ineligible too.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about this reaction to the rule change during his media session on Thursday at OTAs.

After acknowledging that he hadn’t heard about the expansion to 16 players, Campbell offered this telling assessment of how his Lions plan to utilize the practice squad.

“We’re going to be looking for guys that we know can help us during the year. You’re always going to want a few that, man, you’re like, ‘These guys may not be ready, but we may hit something down the road.’ You’re always going to want those guys, and you’re always looking for those,” Campbell said.

“They’re not going to be ready now, but in a year or two, this could be – but then, I think a majority of those guys, you’re banking on the fact that they’re going to help you win this year. They’re really backups that didn’t quite make the 53, but they’re good enough to be your backups and to help you get in games and they can sustain for a game or two and kind of hold the line, if you will.”

Based on Campbell’s explanation, expect the Lions to focus more on younger players they can develop into potential starters down the line rather than stocking the practice squad with more seasoned players who demonstrate less upside. Different teams handle the practice squads with divergent philosophies, and Campbell’s way is to use it more as a developmental program.

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Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down minicamp, OTA notes

Lions Wire and the Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down minicamp, OTA notes, Dan Campbell’s perception and more

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast featuring Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon as the co-host is now available.

This episode focuses on this week’s minicamp action and the coaching going on in Allen Park. The local perception of Dan Campbell isn’t the same as the national view of the new Lions head coach, and we discuss why that’s okay.

There are quick breakdowns on some of the undrafted rookies in camp, the brewing backup QB battle, the impressive performances by the running backs as rookies, and much more.

The show is available via your favorite podcast provider. It also streams live on YouTube.

https://www.detroitlionspodcast.com/?powerpress_pinw=582204-podcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2h0GOqQv2A

Michael Brockers expected to attend Lions OTAs this week

Brockers missed the first week due to family obligations

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There was very high attendance at the first week of the Detroit Lions offseason training activities (OTAs) last week. Over 80 of the players on the 90-man roster were in Allen Park for the voluntary practices and meetings.

That number should go up this week. Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Lions defensive lineman Michael Brockers is expected to attend the second week of OTAs, which kick off on Tuesday and run through Thursday. It will be the first Detroit look at the veteran lineman, who came to the Lions this offseason in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.

Brockers, 30, did not attend the first week due to some personal family obligations. The versatile veteran comes off a strong season where he logged 51 total tackles and five sacks in 15 games with the Rams.