For a team that came off a franchise record 15-2 season, the Detroit Lions are going through big changes this off-season. Their season was cut short when they lost 45-31 to the Washington Commanders at home in the Divisional Round.
Most of the changes come from coaching changes. Both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn have parlayed last year's success to become head coaches elsewhere. Johnson is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, where he faces his former boss, Dan Campbell, twice and has a strong possibility of a prime-time game in 2025. Meanwhile, Glenn will face a more daunting task as the head coach of the New York Jets, a team that drafted him in the first round back in 1994.
Campbell hired Michigan native John Morton to Johnson as the new offensive coordinator, coming from Denver, where he was a passing game coordinator the last two seasons. He has an offensive coordinator experience with the New York Jets in 2017, and also at USC under Pete Carroll in 2009. They are also replacing several coaches who followed Johnson to Chicago, so it will be interesting to see what kind of an impact Morton will have on Jared Goff, who thrived under Johnson.
As for the defensive coordinator, Campbell promoted his linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to replace Glenn. Sheppard played in the NFL from 2011-18, playing at Buffalo, Indianapolis, Miami, the New York Giants and Detroit. He has been an outside linebackers coach since 202, the same year Campbell was hired as the Lions head coach. He coaches the entire linebackers and is credited with the development of Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and Malcolm Rodriguez.
2. Free Agency
Notable Lions players hitting free agency:
- CB Carlton Davis
- DT Levi Onwuzurike
- G Kevin Zeitler
- WR Tim Patrick
LB Derrick Barnes was also set to become a free agent before he resigned recently. Davis came from Tampa Bay in a trade last off-season and played well before he missed the rest of the season when he suffered a jaw fracture in Week 15. Davis might be too expensive for the Lions to resign, and they may allocate their resources to resigning Onwuzurike, who is seeking to become the latest player from the 2021 draft class (Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Derrick Barnes) to get a new contract extension.
Both Zeitler and Patrick are names linked to the Bears because of Ben Johnson. But the Bears since have acquired guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, so Zeitler is no longer a need. Patrick still could sign with the Bears as the No. 3 receiver, which the Bears are looking to upgrade.
I will also add edge rusher Z'Darius Smith was released on Sunday despite his 9 sacks. His age(32) and contract made it difficult for him to be retained. Could the Bears take a chance on him as a pass-rush specialist?
3. Draft needs
The Lions have seven picks in April's draft.
- First round: 28th
- Second round: 60th
- Third round: 101st
- Fourth round: 133rd
- Fifth round: 141st
- Sixth round: 198th
- Seventh round: 227th
- Seventh round: 230th
- Seventh round: 246th
Their focus will likely be on defense. They desperately need another pass rusher to complement Aiden Hutchinson, who suffered a broken left leg in the middle of the season. Their defense held up without him, but they need both a veteran and a rookie to generate more pass rush.
Could the Lions go all-in and trade for Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals? Their Super Bowl is still open and this is when teams like the Lions go all in and acquire a veteran that will put them over the top. And Hendrickson fits that bill now that Myles Garrett is off the market after resigning with the Cleveland Browns. Giving up a 28th pick would not hurt them all that much for, let's say 3 years of Hendrickson.
If Davis does leave via free agency, then they will need to draft a cornerback, most likely in the second round, assuming they use their first-round pick on a pass rusher, whether it is a rookie or used to acquire a veteran like Hendrickson.