Friday, July 18, 2025

Lions Links for Friday 7-18-25

Articles:

2025 training camp preview: Special teams:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/2025-detroit-lions-training-camp-preview-special-teams-bates-fox-hatten








Detroit Lions Sign Veteran Cornerback Ahead of Training Camp:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/detroit-lions-sign-veteran-cornerback-dicaprio-bootle


Should Aidan Hutchinson Be Highest-Paid DE in NFL?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/podcasts/should-aidan-hutchinson-highest-paid-edge



Training Camp Preview: Jameson Williams Solidifying Star Status:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/training-camp-preview-jameson-williams-will-dominate


Former Lions DT Says He Should Have Been Paid More Than Stafford:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/ndamukong-suh-wanted-to-be-paid-more-than-matthew-stafford




Debating NFL offseason overreactions: Baker Mayfield's contract, the Browns' QB situation (All four NFC North teams will make the playoffs - Three of them made it last season. The Lions and Vikings combined to win 29 games, dueling until the final game of the regular season to decide not only the division title, but the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Packers went 11-6 with the youngest roster in the league. Four of those losses were to the Lions and Vikings, and another was to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles.  The Bears? Well, they went 5-12, but things should be different this season with former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their head coach. They also made a bunch of offensive personnel changes that should help kick-start the development of 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams.  Johnson didn't jump from the division's best team to its worst team thinking about a long-term rebuild. The Bears want to be a factor right away. And with a rebuilt offensive line, a couple of new skill players on offense and Dennis Allen coaching the defense, you can see how they might be. Since 2020 -- the first season in which the NFL's expanded playoff format made it possible -- no division has sent all four of its teams to the playoffs in the same season. But it's bound to happen at some point, and this division looks loaded.  The verdict: OVERREACTION.  Chicago's the key to making this happen, but it still seems a little bit too soon with its current roster. The Bears play 10 games against teams that made last season's playoffs, plus games against the Cowboys and Bengals, who should be improved. Tough schedule, tough division. And even if the Bears do break through this year, their success is likely to come at the expense of at least one of their division rivals.  As for the rest of the NFC, the Eagles still look awesome. The Commanders appear primed to build on last season's surprise NFC Championship Game run. The 49ers should bounce back and challenge the Rams in the NFC West. Quarterback Dak Prescott's return could make Dallas a factor in the always-unpredictable East. Heck, maybe the NFC South could get more than one team. ... OK, sorry. That's taking it too far. But the point is, it's not as if there aren't playoff-caliber teams elsewhere in the conference. It's going to be tough for the North to get four teams in.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45765002/2025-nfl-offseason-judging-overreactions-takeaways-draft-trades

NFL's top five young, homegrown duos: Cowboys superstars Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb at No. 1 (Rank 3 Aidan Hutchinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.  Detroit's turnaround has been built on effective draft choices made by general manager Brad Holmes, giving me a number of options to consider for this pairing. The best choices are the most effective producers, though, and while Amon-Ra St. Brown has indisputably compiled an excellent last three seasons statistically, it's impossible to overlook the nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards Gibbs tallied in 2024. Envisioned as the lightning to David Montgomery's thunder in Detroit's backfield, Gibbs has grown into a three-down back with home-run potential on every touch. He racked up 1,412 rushing yards and a league-best 16 rushing scores in 2024, additionally chipping in 52 catches for 517 receiving yards and four more scores. Clearly, he has justified Holmes' selection of him, which was criticized in the moment. Those who abide by draft value charts were proven wrong by Gibbs, who occupies a key place in Detroit's offense, even after the departure of coordinator Ben Johnson. Consider the 12th overall selection from 2023 a pick well spent.  In hindsight, Hutchinson should be playing for Jacksonville, the team that chose potential (Travon Walker) over production at No. 1 overall. Detroit happily scooped up the Michigan hero with the second pick in 2022. In 39 career regular-season games, Hutchinson has logged 28.5 sacks, 122 tackles (30 for loss) and even snagged four interceptions, living up to (if not exceeding) expectations that followed him from Ann Arbor to Detroit. He was also putting together a Defensive Player of the Year campaign early in 2024 before a significant leg injury ended his season. He's in line for a substantial payday, and the Lions will likely oblige without much resistance -- especially if he bounces back with a stellar 2025.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-s-top-five-young-homegrown-duos-cowboys-superstars-micah-parsons-and-ceedee-lamb-at-no-1

2025 NFL All-Breakout Team, Defense: Packers boast 2 selections in Lukas Van Ness and Edgerrin Cooper (CB Terrion Arnold:  Assuming newly promoted defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard plans to continue the man-heavy approach of his mentor, Aaron Glenn, this talented cover man could become a household name by the end of 2025. As Detroit's first-round pick last year, Arnold was thrown into the fire. After some early struggles with penalties, he ultimately acquitted himself well. The Alabama product's patience and persistence in coverage frustrated wideouts unable to escape his clutches at the line of scrimmage. In addition, his superb instincts and awareness in coverage enabled him to routinely get his hands on the ball at the catch point. Though he did not register an interception on the season, Arnold posted 10 pass breakups, with Next Gen Stats charting him with a 57 percent completion rate allowed. Those numbers underscore that he was consistently in the right place at the right time in coverage.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2025-nfl-all-breakout-team-defense-packers-boast-2-selections-in-lukas-van-ness-and-edgerrin-cooper

Projecting 2025 NFL QBs by Tiers: Where All 32 Will Rank at Season’s End (10. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions:  The Lions will look a bit different this season after losing both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, who the Bears and Jets hired to lead their franchises.  Offensively, Goff remains surrounded by a horde of weapons while playing behind a top-end offensive line. Detroit will need to prove the front’s interior remains stout after losing guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency and All-Pro center Frank Ragnow to retirement. Still, the tackle combination of Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker is elite.  Last year, Goff threw for 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns, finishing fifth in MVP voting. He should post similar numbers with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams outside, tight end Sam LaPorta working the middle, and an excellent pass-catching back in Jahmyr Gibbs, who nabbed 52-of-63 targets for 517 yards last year.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/projecting-2025-quarterbacks-tiers-where-they-will-rank



Lions Coach Issues Telling 8-Word Take on Frank Ragnow’s Likely Replacement:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/lions-coach-issues-telling-8-word-take-on-frank-ragnows-likely-replacement

Every NFL team's non-QB MVP heading into 2025 (Detroit Lions: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown - There are a lot of worthy candidates here: Aidan Hutchinson, Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kerby Joseph. But the Lions offense works so well in no small part because of everything St. Brown provides. He’s an always-open target with great hands and YAC ability. He’s Jared Goff’s security blanket, but also so much more than that. On the rare occasions the Lions offense has struggled lately, it’s almost always tied to St. Brown being limited or having an exceedingly rare bad game. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/touchdown/2025/07/18/nfl-non-quarterback-mvps-2025-names/85254773007/

NFL playoff teams ranked: Who's most likely to return to postseason? (6. Detroit Lions - On one hand, Detroit is due a hefty dose of respect after leading the NFL in point differential (+222) despite an almost historic level of bad injury luck on defense. On the other, it will be exceedingly difficult for the Lions to reprise their 6-0 finish within a division that has only gotten even more cutthroat, with the loss of coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn threatening to drain the institutional advantage that had allowed the organization to push past so many hits elsewhere. Dan Campbell should be able to retain some semblance of stability on both sides of the ball given the familiarity that John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard have with his operation, so don't count on a collapse. But with plenty to still sort out and the formerly dominant offensive line in a bit of flux following linchpin Frank Ragnow's retirement and Kevin Zeitler's departure, things could get a bit wobbly in the challenging early portion of the schedule before things smooth out.):  https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2025/07/17/nfl-playoff-teams-ranking-odds-postseason-steelers-chiefs/84537329007/

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Posted by LionsFan at 7:05 PM

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