Tag: Malcolm Rodriguez

Aaron Glenn breaks down his Lions LB corps and how they’ll play together

Glenn is excited about Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez

For years, Detroit Lions fans have lamented the team’s linebacking corps. That appears ready to change in 2023.

Detroit has four linebackers who will play a lot in the coming season. Coordinator Aaron Glenn’s base defense almost never plays more than two at a time, but the improved depth and playmaking ability around the unit gives Glenn a lot more flexibility at LB than he’s had in his first two seasons.

Glenn praised his LBs in his weekly press conference before Saturday’s practice session, laying out what each backer brings to the team. Glenn kicked it off with veteran Alex Anzalone.

“Man, obviously Alex (Anzalone), he’s the field general. I mean he knows this defense like the back of his hand. He’s been with me for a long time. I would say that’s his strong point. Also, I would say in coverage is his strong point.”

Glenn then turned to first-round rookie Jack Campbell. No. 46 played a lot in preseason and looked NFL-ready.

“Jack (Campbell): big, strong, physical, blue-collar, hard worker, easily can pick a defense up, which he’s already done and he fits who we are to a T,” Glenn said of the Iowa rookie.

Next up was Derrick Barnes, who projects to start next to Anzalone even with the significant draft investment in Campbell. The third-year LB took a significant step forward in his development this offseason, showing better awareness, quicker reactions and a better ability to defeat blocks all summer.

“Derrick Barnes: explosive, fast, violent, get downhill, knock someone out type of mentality. That’s his strong point,” Glenn said.

Last but not least was last year’s rookie revelation, Malcolm Rodriguez. Glenn kept it simple for the fan-favorite “Rodrigo,”

“Malcolm (is) just a bulldog.”

Okay, coach, Who starts? Glenn answered thusly,

“So, I would say this, all those guys deserve to play, all those guys will play. The thing is they have a role on special teams also, so that’s a good thing because you have your best players out on the field. So, man, I’m looking forward to those guys playing throughout the season. I can’t tell you exactly how much they’re going to play, but they’re going to play.”

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Lions camp notebook for Friday: The pads are now on

Notes and observations from Lions training camp practice on Friday, July 28th

Friday’s Detroit Lions training camp session was the first practice of the summer with full pads on all the players. On a steamy morning with no breeze, the Lions ripped through a two-hour practice that saw actual hitting and full contact for the first time.

Here’s some of what I observed and noted from Allen Park in the team’s fifth training camp session.

Lions players who could begin training camp on the PUP or NFI list

Some Lions players might not be medically ready to roll at the start of training camp

The Detroit Lions report for training camp later this month. All 90 players on the team’s roster will be in the team’s training facility in Allen Park for the annual process of setting the roster and getting the team ready for the regular season.

Some players might not be physically ready to practice right away, however. Those players typically wind up being placed on one of two lists: physically unable to perform (PUP) or non-football injury (NFI).

There isn’t any practical difference in the football playing status between the PUP list and the NFI list. It deals more with the source of the injury and does carry some contractual ramifications, as nicely explained by the NFL.

Players who get placed on the active/PUP list or active/NFI list are allowed to do conditioning drills, participate in team meetings and work with coaches and staff individually. They also count toward the 90-man offseason roster. They are not permitted to participate in practices or team drills until activated, which require clearance by the team’s medical staff.

Here are some Lions who could begin training camp on one of the lists. As long as a player starts camp on the list, he can be activated at any time prior to the final roster cutdowns.

Lions UDFA profile: Illinois LB Isaac Darkangelo

Profiling Detroit Lions undrafted rookie LB Isaac Darkangelo from Illinois and his chances to make the team

One of the undrafted free agent rookies hoping to make some noise in the upcoming Lions rookie minicamp is linebacker Isaac Darkangelo. The Illinois LB signed with Detroit after not hearing his name called in the 2023 NFL draft.

Darkangelo does have some things to offer the Lions. A Detroit native (Central Catholic HS), Darkangelo’s highlights from Illinois can easily be mistaken for Malcolm Rodriguez, the Lions’ sixth-rounder from a year ago who saw considerable playing time as a rookie.

Like Rodriguez, Darkangelo is short and compactly built at a hair over 6′ and 227 muscular pounds. He’s got outstanding instincts and tackling power in run defense. An Academic All-American, his play processing is one step ahead of many peers, and he’s got an outstanding initial burst to the ball.

Also like “Rodrigo,” he’s got the underdog card to play. Darkangelo began his career at D-II Northern Michigan. He transferred to the Illini as a preferred walk-on. He emerged as Illinois’ leading tackler and defensive spirit animal in 2022. Much like Rodriguez, he’s much better moving forward and attacking than trailing after receiving targets in space, and Darkangelo will need to fit through the traffic trash better if he’s to stick in Detroit.

The Lions do have a need for a depth LB who can excel on special teams. That’s likely Darkangelo’s shot at making it through the summer in Detroit.

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Lions 1st round LB Jack Campbell gets praised for leadership and potential

LB coach Kelvin Sheppard was very excited to land Campbell

It’s odd that when mock drafts had Iowa LB Jack Campbell slotted to go to the Dallas Cowboys with the 26th overall pick or 27th overall pick, it was perfectly fine. But when the Lions took him at 18th overall, they got ridiculed for the selection.

Throughout the process, I think people forget that there was a wide range of draft analysts and scouts that predicted Campbell to be the first linebacker selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

No question about it, there was plenty of surprise when the Detroit Lions took Campbell with the 18th overall pick. However, since the pick, the Lions have made it clear that “they don’t draft scared.” It’s a clear sign that they stay true to their board and the values within their current regime.

Those values reflect on high character players that love the game of football. From film study to figuring out the schematics of the opposition. They want players that live and breathe the game. That’s exactly who Jack Campbell is and what he’ll provide for Detroit.

As we begin to put the 2023 NFL Draft in our rearview mirrors, the Detroit Lions staff has been answering plenty of questions about their draft picks. With each player, there’s interesting tidbits of information. With Jack Campbell, there’s been a ton of praise on his leadership, his skill-set and what he’s going to provide for the Lions.

The first quote that really caught my eye was from the Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard. When asked on the ceiling for the size of an athlete like Lions LB Jack Campbell: “…To answer I know you and the previous one I spoke on, he is a Detroit guy. Like he is a (Lions Head Coach) Dan Campbell guy, he is a culture fit immediately. He was a captain, I actually was just joking with him on the phone, (Green Bay Packers DE) Lukas Van Ness we had on the top 30, and I thought that he talked more about Jack on his visit than he did about himself. That resonated with us because that’s a guy that just went top 15 tonight as well, that spoke glowingly about this player as a leader and the things he brought to their team.”

Linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard was also asked on his impressions of Lions first-round (18th overall) draft selection LB Jack Campbell from the Combine and the Draft process: “Well, obviously as a positional coach I do tons of these interviews with guys. I do informal, formal, Zoom, all different variations of interviews and there’s a couple guys during this process that kind of stuck with me like, ‘Oh, wow,’ And Jack was at the top of that list. Like when he left out of the room me, (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell), (Lions Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG, looked each other and was like, ‘Damn that’s going to be hard to top right there,’ Because it was just exceptional. His knowledge of the game speaks for itself.  It shows on the tape. But it’s the passion that I don’t know if people are quite ready for. He was literally just crying in tears. I’m still fired up about it. Just fired up for the opportunity to coach a player of that caliber.”

After the first round was over, Lions GM Brad Holmes was asked about both of his first round picks. During that, he was asked on if they took any calls about the No. 18th-overall pick: “No. We didn’t get much action at 18, we just kind of stayed. But I would say we didn’t really even think about getting out either. As soon as we saw what kind of the grade we had on (Lions LB) Jack (Campbell) – I was more excited just to actually get the guy at 18. Yeah, we could’ve got cute and tried to trade back and all this stuff, but no. There was a different level that was going to start after you pass on him. We just felt really, really good about it. It was really kind of a no-brainer really. Had a good feel that he would’ve been there, but we just didn’t want to mess around.”

Lastly, here’s what Jack Campbell had to say On his takeaway from his meeting with the Lions at the Combine: “What I took from it was, ‘Man, those guys are all about football and performing at the highest level,’ and that’s something that I love. I kind of just stepped foot in there and talked X’s and O’s, but also, they asked about me as a human being, my family, the people who are around me, Iowa. And man, I’m so appreciative to be able to represent Iowa moving forward, but at the same time, I’m so excited to get into Detroit, where I know it’s only about football and football is the only thing that matters. I’m going to go in there and just try to learn from the veterans and learn from this coaching staff and let’s get Detroit where they belong.”

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2023 NFL draft film review: Jack Campbell can become the face of the Lions defense

Lions Wire’s Russell Brown break down the Iowa game film of first-round LB Jack Campbell

There could be a chance that Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell and Detroit Dan Campbell are related somewhere along the line. If so, that would explain why the Detroit Lions shocked everyone and selected him with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I love the on-the-field play from Jack Campbell to the background research I gathered on him. For starters, he loves to hunt and I think he’ll find himself a nice spot up north (past the Zilwaukee Bridge) during deer season. Meanwhile, he was a heck of a high school basketball player. As a forward, he would get physical against anyone that entered the paint and most people at Cedar Falls High School in Cedar Falls, Iowa believed he could play college hoops.

On the field, he’s a terrific leader and it shows with how he communicates on every single snap. It’s evident that he was the leader of that Iowa defense. As for his play, he can change direction at ease and always displays good technique. But there are times that Campbell needs to fix his pursuit angles to the football when scraping over the top or he will get juked. Michigan running back Blake Corum did it to him during their meeting in 2021.

Those plays can happen — the key is that they don’t happen on a consistent basis. Let’s jump into some film on Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell to see how he fits the Detroit Lions!

Backside fill, squeeze and bend 

We all know that a successful team is when all 11 players on offense and defense consistently do their job. Obviously, there will be times when it doesn’t happen and there’s a mishap on offense or defense. For Jack Campbell, he consistently displays good technique on tape and the knack for getting to the football. In fact, he was so good that this past season he won the Butkus Award in 2022 as the nation’s top linebacker.

Looking at the game against Ohio State, Jack Campbell had one of his best games of the season. He had 6 tackles, two pressures and an interceptions while earning a 91.5 defensive grade (per PFF) for his highest grade of the season.

Watching the play above, you’ll see Campbell align in a 10 (between the guard and center) as the MIKE linebacker. With an outside zone run designed by the Buckeyes, the Iowa defense does a great job play side to force the running back to stop and change his direction. In the process, Campbell fills the backside cut-back lane while squeezing down and then bending to the football. This leads to him making one of his six tackles.

Always on a mission when attacking downhill 

As I continued to watch Jack Campbell, I loved the way he attacked downhill. Over the last two seasons, he’s compiled 265 total tackles, four interceptions and seven pass deflection. He’s been a consistent threat in the box and uses his strength and size to his advantage.

Watching the play above, Campbell slides with the pre-snap motion but despite moving him one gap over, that doesn’t slow him down. He reads the reach blocks developing in front of him and then flies upfield to make the tackle. With how disruptive the Lions defensive line is starting to become, it’s obvious that the Lions feel like Campbell can feast in the middle of their defense.

At the Scouting Combine, Campbell checked in at 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds. He had an impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.65 seconds and he ran the 3-cone drill in 6.74 seconds. His change of direction ability is impressive and his 92.9 coverage grade (per PFF) was higher than any linebacker in the class.

Overall Thoughts 

One thing is for sure — nobody knows what the Detroit Lions are thinking. Either we’re playing checkers and they’re playing chess or the other way around. Regardless, I was told by the fan base that the Lions don’t value linebackers high but they just took one in the first round.

Certainly, we reached on both players in the first round but we don’t know where these players were valued on any other team’s boards other than the Lions. For Campbell, there will be pressure on him to be an impact player quickly in his career. He’ll need to become more polished with how he maintains his ground when shedding blocks but by playing along Malcolm Rodriguez and Alex Anzalone should help with that.

That said, we just have to trust the process.

Taking Campbell after giving Alex Anzalone a three-year contract is a tough pill to swallow but the Lions can easily get out of Anzalone’s contract after the 2024 season. One thing we have going for us as a fan base is that the Lions seem to have struck gold by selecting Malcolm Rodriguez in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Maybe the Lions did it again with Jack Campbell in the 1st round of the 2023 NFL Draft?

Time will tell.

Lions young core players earned sizeable performance based bonuses

Several of the Detroit Lions young core earned sizable performance-based bonuses, and the trend should continue heading into the future

The Detroit Lions saw major contributions from their late-round rookies and cost-effective free agents last year, and they are being compensated through their high efforts. Through the “performance-based pool” from the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, a $10.5 million pool is rewarded to players on low-cost contracts, and several Lions earned a piece of the bonus pool.

In all, 76 players from the Lions earned a bonus, with Kerby Joseph leading the group with a $523,538 bonus, almost topping his base salary of $705,000 from last year. Here is a list of the top ten amounts among the Lions players.

Kerby Joseph 1,408 snaps $523,538
Brock Wright 762 $451,678
Jonah Jackson 918 $441,996
Isaiah Buggs 758 $434,816
Amon-Ra St. Brown 835 $421,923
Malcolm Rodriguez 685 $389,914
Alim McNeill 784 $366,610
Jerry Jacobs 619 $366,440
DeShon Elliott 889 $355,978
John Cominsky 610 $327,154

Even though none of the Lions landed in the Top 25 of players who received from the performance-bonus pool, it is indicative of the contributions the Lions received from their late-round draftees and their low-end free agents. The Lions will lean on several of these players as core contributors this upcoming season.

On offense, Jackson is the unsung hero on the offensive line and has been one of the more reliable players for the Lions. Wright became a solid red-zone target for Jared Goff while providing key run and pass blocking. In addition, St. Brown is earning a reputation as one of the best receivers in the league.

On defense, with their rookie year under their belt, Joseph and Rodriguez will look to take the next step forward and elevate their game in their respective positions. Buggs and Cominsky earned new contracts from Detroit after their rebound seasons. McNeill is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the defensive line. Jacobs has turned from a UDFA to one of the better cornerbacks for the Lions. Eliott earned a new contract with the Miami Dolphins, but he was a nice addition, especially after Tracy Walker went down.

I would look to see this trend continue as General Manager Brad Holmes looks to have an eye for talent, either in the draft or free agency. He has made quite a few moves in this free agency that have been well received and looks to be plugging holes where they needed to be plugged. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, the possibilities are endless on what the Lions can do.

Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez earn PFWA All-Rookie honors

Lions defenders Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez earn PFWA All-Rookie honors

The honors keep coming for the Detroit Lions rookie class of 2022. Two Detroit defensive rookies, DE Aidan Hutchinson and LB Malcolm Rodriguez, were voted onto the PFWA All-Rookie team.

Both Rodriguez and Hutchinson won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Week honors during the season. So did safety Kerby Joseph, who missed making the PFWA team over Kyle Hamilton of the Ravens and Jalen Pitre of the Texans.

Hutchinson has a great case to be defensive rookie of the year, but here he lost out to Jets CB Sauce Gardner.

The full All-Rookie team from the PFWA:

As a disclaimer, I am a PFWA voter and I voted for Hutchinson, Joseph, Rodriguez and DE James Houston from the Lions.

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Lions close to setting the record for sacks by rookies in a season

The Lions enter the finale one sack away from breaking the record set by the 1999 Titans

When the Detroit Lions drafted three pass rushers in the 2022 NFL draft, it was a sign the team was looking to add a lot more oomph to the defense. Mission accomplished.

Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal and James Houston have all made impacts as rookies. That was never more evident than in the Lions’ Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears. Houston, the team’s sixth-round pick, sacked Justin Fields three times. Paschal, a second-round pick, added two sacks of his own. Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick, chipped in a half-sack and an interception.

The eruption against the Bears pushed the Lions to the precipice of NFL history. Detroit’s rookie class has combined to produce 18.5 sacks, which is just a half-sack away from setting the record for the most sacks from rookies in a season.

Houston leads all rookies with eight sacks and has posted that gaudy total in just six games. He seized the lead from Hutchinson, who has 7.5. Paschal contributed two sacks in nine games, and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez has one sack of his own.

That leaves Detroit just a half-sack behind the 1999 Tennessee Titans for the most sacks by a rookie class since the NFL started keeping sacks as an official stat in 1983. Those Titans got 14.5 from rookie of the year Jevon Kearse and 4.5 from second-round DT John Thornton. That Titans team wound up winning the AFC Championship.

Detroit plays Green Bay in Week 18. In the first meeting, the Lions sacked quarterback Aaron Rodgers just once, a clean-up sack by second-year LB Derrick Barnes.

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Lions rookie report: Jameson Williams scores on first career catch

Lions rookie report: Jameson Williams scores on first career catch to lead Detroit’s draft class in win over Minnesota

The Detroit Lions are for real, and they owe a big thanks to their rookie class for helping them best the Minnesota Vikings 34-23.

The biggest news of the day came early on, with first-round pick Jameson Williams recording his first career reception.

Williams was activated from the Reserve/Non-football Injury list for last week’s game against Jacksonville, but only took eight snaps on offense. He was targeted once but the pass was short.

Expectations were much higher for Williams going into this game, and he delivered almost immediately.

On the second play of the Lions’ second drive of offense, Jared Goff hit Williams on a 41-yard touchdown. Williams’ speed was on full display, as he even had to slow down and turn around to catch the pass. What was most impressive is that none of the members of Minnesota’s secondary were remotely close to covering him.

The rest of the game wasn’t as spectacular for the rookie. He was targeted once more and dropped the pass. Other than that, his snaps were limited. He did do a good job of drawing away defenders on the Justin Jackson touchdown run, as Minnesota had two defenders ready to defend him instead.

The other rookies of Detroit’s 2022 class also made their fair share of contributions to this big win.

Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston continue to make history as a duo of rookie pass rushers. Each of them recorded a sack in the last two games and are currently the first and second sack leaders of this rookie class.

Rookie safety Kerby Joseph was given the impossible task of covering Justin Jefferson. While he wasn’t lined up directly on him, he did have to cover the deep middle of the field and struggled to prevent Jefferson from making plays. At the same time, he did not have the cornerback help he usually gets there.

Joseph had five total tackles on the day and came through in a big way after recovering a goal-line fumble forced by Isaiah Buggs.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez also had five tackles in this game, one of which went for a loss of yardage. The rookie has been instrumental for Detroit’s run defense this season.

Rookies James Mitchell and Josh Paschal were both active and took snaps, but were not able to make impacts in the same way their fellow first-year players did.

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