Morning Lions Links for Thursday 12-17-15

Lions Articles:

National Media:

NFL's best athletes (Detroit Lions: Ezekiel Ansah grew up playing soccer and basketball. He traveled from Ghana to the United States, was cut after trying out for the BYU basketball team and then walked onto the track team, where he ran a 10.91 100-meter dash. He had never played football before his sophomore year at BYU, and by the time he was a senior, he was a first-round draft pick. Less than three years into his NFL career, he is one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. As DE Darryl Tapp explained, "[Ansah] is probably the one guy in this locker room you could put in any sport and he'll probably dominate it. Hand-eye coordination, violence, agility, speed, explosion. He's the real deal, man."):   http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/32for32x151216/the-best-athlete-nfl-team

Week 15 Coaches on the hot seat (Heating Up Again - Jim Caldwell, Detroit: The Lions Seemed To Be Getting On Track After Their Bye Week, Winning Three Straight Games, Including Their First Win In Green Bay In Over 20 Years, But Have Lost Two Straight. Losing The Rematch To The Packers Was Understandable, But Last Sunday They Lost To The Rams.):   http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/week-15-coaches-on-the-hot-seat-210818687.html

Local Media:

5 young players Lions should feel good about:   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/5-young-players-Lions-should-feel-good-about/c06d03c3-4a28-443c-be20-8d5924064fd7

5 key matchups: Revisited:   http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/5-key-matchups-Revisited/393fa84d-723e-4e04-a4de-2760e667ba2b

Lions could benefit from playing Van Noy, Wright more:   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/12/16/detroit-lions-best-young-players/77411152/

Lack of big plays still haunts Lions offense:   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/12/16/detroit-lions-offense/77424392/

Sharp: Lions need to transform Megatron or let him go:   http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/12/16/drew-sharp-calvin-johnson/77463558/

Katzenstein: Johnson shares blame for falloff:   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/12/16/katzenstein-johnson-shares-blame-falloff/77450950/

Lions' Slay loves laying on the nicknames:   http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/12/16/lions-slay-loves-laying-nicknames/77453492/

Ex-Lions RT LaAdrian Waddle was never the same after tearing ACL:   http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/12/ex-lions_rt_laadrian_waddle_wa.html

Patriots claim ex-Lions OT LaAdrian Waddle off waivers:   http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/12/patriots_claim_ex-lions_ot_laa.html

Detroit Lions Twitter Talk: On Calvin Johnson's future and which FAs are worth retaining:   http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/12/detroit_lions_twitter_talk_23.html

Detroit Lions address offensive line in Todd McShay's first mock draft:   http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2015/12/detroit_lions_address_offensiv_1.html

Calvin Johnson's Contract One Of The '10 Toughest Salary Decisions' In NFL:   http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/12/16/calvin-johnsons-contract-one-of-the-10-toughest-salary-decisions-in-nfl/

Notes: New Lions tight end loves the rodeo:   http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2015/12/16/10288032/lions-notes-bear-pascoe-new-detroit-lions-tight-end-loves-the-rodeo