Tag: Detroit Lions Training Camp

Detroit Lions Podcast: Projecting the final roster and bubble battles

Detroit Lions Podcast: Projecting the final roster and bubble battles ahead of the NFL’s cutdown deadline

The latest live episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast is now available to watch or stream. Recorded on Tuesday night with one week to go until the Lions, like all NFL teams, are required to trim the roster from 90 to 53 players, this episode focuses on the cutdowns.

There are a few bubble battles around the Lions roster, and that includes how many players to keep at one position or another to make the most effective 53-man roster.

Which guys played their way up? Who started camp strong but faded once the preseason fired up? Who is still playing for status in the final preseason game against the Steelers?

All that, some recent injury updates and transactions, and a whole lot more.

The audio-only version of this show is available from your favorite podcast provider.

Dan Campbell updates the injury status of the Lions CB room

The top 4 CBs on the Lions are all dealing with injuries, and Dan Campbell updated the statuses of Terrion Arnold, Carlton Davis & Co.

The Detroit Lions have been without the top four cornerbacks on the depth chart at various times throughout training camp. Three of the four missed the second preseason matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs due to injuries.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered some updates on the walking wounded in the cornerback room ahead of Tuesday’s practice.

Ennis Rakestraw

Rakestraw left a recent practice with an ankle injury, but it sounds like the second-round rookie is fine.

“Ennis will be back,” Camobell said. “He’ll be out there today”

Carlton Davis

Davis has missed time recently with a hamstring issue and isn’t quite back.

“Davis will be limited today,” was all Campbell offered.

Amik Robertson

Robertson started the Chiefs game and played well, but he suffered an undisclosed injury that will keep him limited in practice on Tuesday, per Campbell.

Terrion Arnold

The first-round rookie is still sidelined with the chest injury he suffered in practice over a week ago. Arnold will not practice this week.

“I think there’s a chance we could get (Arnold) middle of the week next week,” Campbell stated. “He could get a practice in before the guys go on their break. He’s trending, he’s trending in the right way.”

 

Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast training camp video mailbag

Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast training camp video mailbag on all things Lions at the end of camp

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast heads to the mailbag. Faithful patrons of the show had questions about a lot of different Lions topics, and the goal was to answer as thoroughly as possible.

Among the topics covered in the mailbag, which was recorded on the Thursday ahead of Detroit’s second preseason game:

  • Brian Branch’s new role and how it impacts the rest of the secondary
  • The changing face of the SAM LB and who will be playing it
  • The battle for the No. 4 WR spot and why it’s not No. 3
  • James Houston’s fate, and Mathieu Betts too
  • Jake Fromm?

As always, an audio-only version of the show is available from your favorite podcast provider.

Lions toying with using different kick return and kickoff coverage packages

Lions special teams coach Dave Fipp is toying with using different kick return and kickoff coverage packages

NFL teams are still feeling out the new kickoff formation and rules. For Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, the unknown is a great opportunity for innovation.

Fipp and head coach Dan Campbell watched every kickoff and return from the first week of preseason, and seeing what other teams were doing energized Fipp beyond his typical zestful self. As Fipp talked to John Maakaron of SI and myself after Monday’s practice, I asked the veteran coach about the potential to use special packages and different players based on different game situations for both the kickoff and the return.

“I think that’s possible. I think it’s also possible that depending on the situation, maybe we have a different cover group. Different situation, different cover group, different kick placement,” Fipp said. “But ultimately, I think all of it is going to depend upon what the touchback line is, which right now is the 30.”

Touchbacks, balls kicked through the end zone, have been moved back from the 35-yard line to the 30 in a recent league-wide memo. That change gives more incentive to just kick the ball out of the end zone and let the opponent take over at the 30 without taking any time off the clock. The five yards might not seem like much, but it was clearly a big deal to Fipp.

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“Initially in the offseason it was 35. And then they changed that before they put the rule in officially, and then made it the 30,” Fipp continued. “And that’s probably going to affect a lot, because if it’s the 35, the play is going to play out a whole lot different.”

It is possible we see return units where Fipp wants them to be aggressive and try to get a big return, while at other times, the Lions might value ball security and clock management and go with a different group. Expect to see more experimentation from Fipp and his units in the next two preseason games as everyone learns more nuances of the new rules.

The kick return positions (there are two now) are still up in the air. Maurice Alexander, Kalif Raymond, rookie Isaiah Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown have seen the most reps throughout practice, including during Wednesday’s session.

In kick coverage, recently added LB Malik Jefferson and two holdover defensive backs, Kindle Vildor and Khalil Dorsey, have been the biggest standouts. Linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Malcolm Rodriguez have also thrived and figure to be staples of the new-look unit.

Alex Anzalone has a message for Lions fans

Alex Anzalone has a message for Lions fans and it’s one the fans need to hear about the Detroit defense

For a good portion of Lions training camp, the Detroit defense has been good at making plays and stymying the high-powered offense. After a troubling few years where Aaron Glenn’s unit struggled to stop vastly interior offenses to the one it squares off against in practice, the rise of the defense is a very welcome development.

Yet, despite the fans clamoring for better performance from the defense, it’s invariably a different message from the Lions fans at practice. And that pushed veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone to snap a little during Wednesday morning’s practice.

With the first-team units squaring off and the defense largely having its way in the shorts-and-shells practice, Anzalone wanted some respect from the fans in attendance. He let them know it when cornerback Kindle Vildor made a very nice pass breakup in the corner of the end zone on a Jared Goff throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It was quiet enough in the stands to hear a pin drop, or to hear Anzalone admonish them.

“It’s okay to cheer for more than one player,” Anzalone said with some frustrated intent in his voice.

Anzalone has a point. For as much as everyone wants the Lions defense to play better, they’ve gotten very little love from the fans in attendance throughout training camp. Other than big plays from Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold, the defense outplaying the offense or finding success is met with relative apathy and some consternation from fans about “what’s wrong with the offense?” We hear that a lot as media standing between the fans and the field.

Echoing Anzalone, it is indeed okay to cheer for the defense when Aidan Hutchinson smokes Penei Sewell for a sack (which happened twice in this practice), or Jack Campbell picks off an errant Goff throw (also happened Wednesday) or Alim McNeill throws Graham Glasgow to the ground and forces Goff to quickly turf a screen pass (also happened). The silence of the fans when the much-maligned defense was notable to everyone, especially the defensive players.

Anzalone, as the leader and heartbeat of the unit, wants fans to know it’s okay to like it when they do well, too–even at the expense of the venerated offense.

 

Lions rookie OL Christian Mahogany easing closer to returning to action

Mahogany has been away from the Lions all of training camp but is getting closer to returning, per Dan Campbell

The Lions are getting closer to finally having one of their 2024 draft picks in the practice lineup. Sixth-round offensive lineman Christian Mahogany is progressing toward being activated from the non-football illness list.

Mahogany has been out all of training camp with an undisclosed illness. He has been away from the team since the June minicamp, where Mahogany played a lot with the second-team offense at right guard. Head coach Dan Campbell stated last week, “We have to assume we don’t have (Mahogany).”

On Sunday, Campbell provided a more promising update on Mahogany.

“Yeah, he’s in the building,” Campbell said of Mahogany. “I don’t see him practicing this week, but he’s here, and we’re going to get him going, start working him, getting his body right, getting back there with (Lions Director of Sports Performance) Mike Clark and (Lions Director of Player Health & Performance Brett Fischer) Fisch and those guys, and just start getting him back in shape. He’ll be in meetings. And then once we feel like he’s in a good place physically, then we’ll probably see where it’s at there.”

 

Mekhi Wingo making a name for himself in Lions camp with his grit factor

Lions rookie DL Mekhi Wingo talks about his gritty mindset, learning from Alim McNeill and why Terrell Williams is a great DL coach

The word “Grit” is something of a catchphrase for the Dan Campbell edition of the Detroit Lions. Campbell himself frequently dons a hat emblazoned with grit in all caps.

It’s more than a slogan. It’s a mindset that is required to become a successful member of these Detroit Lions. That grit is something that was easy to spot in Detroit’s sixth-round draft pick, defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo from LSU.

Wingo certainly checked that grit box. Wingo’s choice to play in LSU’s bowl game despite missing the end of the Tigers season with an injury is grit epitomized.

“It’s a mindset that was instilled in me since I was young,” Wingo said after a practice this week. “I was given the number 18 by (LSU), the first transfer to ever wear the number 18. I felt like I didn’t get my full season and I didn’t want it to go to waste.”

Wingo continued,

“I felt like I owed it to myself and owed it to my team.”

It’s that team-first mindset that is helping Wingo acclimate quickly to Detroit’s defensive line. Wingo, now wearing No. 94, credits linemate Alim McNeill for going out of his way to help him learn the finer points of playing tackle in the NFL despite not having great length. Wingo is six feet tall and currently weighs 288.

“He’s been teaching me how to take on double teams from (McNeill), how to work different techniques. And watching how he sets up his rushes to get to his winning moves,” Wingo said.

Wingo also praised new Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams.

“He’s great,” Wingo said with an excited smile. “He doesn’t try to coach every guy the same. He knows I’m an undersized guy, so he gives me tools that help me — you know, my game is different from bigger guys we have on the team. He lets me put my spin on things.”

Wingo has spent most of training camp working with the second-team defense, playing all over the line–even standing up at DE from time to time. Wingo bagged a would-be sack during Friday’s scrimmage and has been stout against the run ever since the pads came on. He’s nicely carving out a spot for himself with his gritty, mature approach.

Dan Campbell explains meaning(s) behind ‘salty’ shirt

We now know what the “salty” on coach Dan Campbell’s shirt means and it’s more than you may think.

The Lions held a scrimmage-style practice Friday but it was a piece of clothing that made headlines for the day.

Head coach Dan Campbell sported a shirt with the word “salty” on it. One would certainly wonder why he wear such a shirt and what it actually means. Fortunately, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated found out exactly what it meant.

Breer was at Lions camp Friday and shared notes from his visit in his latest article. Among them was the multiple meanings of Campbell’s shirt.

Campbell was wearing a shirt that said “Salty” at practice Friday. He explained to me it has two meanings. The first one is obvious: He wants a team that plays that way, with a real hard edge, which everyone knows. The second is less apparent. He wants guys to be “salt of the earth.” It’s important for him as he tries to keep his team grounded after last year’s success, something that’s actually been relatively easy because he has a lot of guys who are, yes, salt of the earth. In fact, the work of three guys who just got paid—St. Brown, Jared Goff and Penei Sewell—came up with folks I talked to, which is a good sign that all the praise and hype the Lions have received won’t change them.

Both meanings make plenty of sense. At this point, everyone knows about Campbell’s aggressive style and wanting to bite kneecaps. The second meaning also works. Campbell doesn’t want his team getting too big-headed following last season’s success. Yes, it was a great run, but what everyone will remember is them blowing a 17-point lead in the NFC Championship. If anyone can keep his team level-headed entering a season full of expectations, it’s Campbell.

Dan Campbell challenges Donovan Peoples-Jones: ‘I expect more’

Dan Campbell challenges Lions WR Donovan Peoples-Jones: ‘I expect more’ from the veteran wideout as training camp progresses to preseason

When the Detroit Lions traded for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones at the trade deadline last fall, the hopes were that the man known as “DPJ” would provide a big boost to the WR room as well as the special teams units. While that didn’t exactly happen in the second half of the 2023 season, Peoples-Jones showed enough for the Lions to bring him back as a free agent and compete for a higher spot on the depth chart in 2024.

Through the spring workouts and the first nine practices of training camp, that just hasn’t happened for Peoples-Jones. He’s had his moments and strong plays, including some impressive run blocking, but No. 19 isn’t consistently getting open or stressing the defense in the way the team hoped.

Head coach Dan Campbell was asked about Peoples-Jones before Friday’s practice. Campbell effectively challenged the former Michigan wideout to step up his game.

“It was to come in here and compete for that third, fourth receiver, that’s what it was,” Campbell said of his expectations for Peoples-Jones when the Lions signed him. “We’re looking for – so much of it is, ‘Alright, who’s going to fill in for (Broncos WR) Josh Reynolds? Who’s going to take that? Is it by committee or is there a guy that can – is going to step up and kind of become that for us?’

And so that’s kind of what we were looking for. He’s a guy I expect more out of too, and he knows that. Now, he’s working, he works at it, man, he wants it, but we just need him to take another step here.”

Campbell referenced a similar comment he made earlier in the press conference about wideout Daurice Fountain, who has earned more first-team reps and made more plays than Peoples-Jones throughout camp. Neither Fountain nor Peoples-Jones or second-year Antoine Green have stepped up and seized the role vacated by Josh Reynolds as the Lions prep for the first preseason matchup and joint practices with the Giants next week.

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.

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