Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Lions Links for Wednesday 7-30-25

Articles:





Lions Rookie DE Has Chip on Shoulder, Dealing With Family Matter:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-de-has-chip-on-shoulder-dealing-with-family-matter

Graham Glasgow Says Ben Johnson Was Little More 'Uppity':  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/graham-glasgow-says-ben-johnson-little-more-uppity

Q&A: Rock Ya-Sin Shares Early Camp Thoughts:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/rock-ya-sin-shares-early-camp-thoughts







Detroit Lions to rest starters, 2 rookies in preseason game vs. Chargers:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/7/30/24476878/detroit-lions-rest-starters-2-rookies-preseason-game-vs-chargers

Graham Glasgow on skeptics of Lions' new-look O-line: "I think we'll end up surprising 'em":  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-graham-glasgow-reassures-doubters-of-o-line

How many first-round picks are Watt, Tua and Parsons worth? Barnwell's NFL trade tiers for all 32 teams (Detroit Lions - Two first-round picks and more: Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, OT Penei Sewell. Detroit's two homegrown building blocks along the line of scrimmage are both needle-movers at their respective positions. Sewell is an elite two-way tackle, and while Lane Johnson is a better pass blocker, Sewell's age (24) and health (he has missed just one game as a pro) make him the far more valuable player from this perspective. I could see an argument to push him into the range of three first-round picks, if only because he appears to be four years into a Hall of Fame career.  Hutchinson would have been in that tier if he had stayed healthy and continued producing the way he did last season before suffering a broken leg. The 2022 second overall pick had 7.5 sacks and 17 knockdowns in 4½ games before his season-ending injury. He plays a more valuable position than Sewell, and while they're both 24, he is still on his rookie deal. I'd expect that to change shortly. The Hutchinson we saw before the injury had been a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber edge rusher for more than a year. As long as he gets back to that level, he is going to remain incredibly valuable. .One first-round pick and more: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, S Brian Branch. Two members of Detroit's wildly successful 2023 draft class, Gibbs and Branch have overcome concerns about their positional value to create an outsized impact. Gibbs has been devastating as a runner between the tackles and a threat to make defenders look foolish at the second level; the only reason he doesn't have more catches and receiving yards is the sheer quantity of playmakers in Detroit's offense. Branch's versatility and impact as a run defender, tackler, blitzer and space eraser have been essential for a team that blitzes as much as any in the league. Both are due for extensions.  I can poke some holes in their games, too. Gibbs has been the featured back for only a brief spell last season while David Montgomery was injured. Branch has the ability to create takeaways and break up passes, but teams have been able to throw on him in coverage when they isolate him in space. Even acknowledging those concerns, these are two of the most exciting young players in the NFL, and they're still on team-friendly contracts.  St. Brown is starting a four-year, $120 million extension, which seems entirely fair now and could look like a bargain very soon. But there are teams that would be hesitant to pay that much for a guy who primarily works out of the slot. After three years at a star level, it seems foolish to not regard him as a great wide receiver, full stop. He has been effective lining up outside on a route-by-route basis, has a great feel for coverage, might have the best hands in the league in tight quarters and is enough of an athlete to create after the catch.  One first-round pick: QB Jared Goff, CB Terrion Arnold, S Kerby Joseph. Would the Lions get more for Goff? We're only a few years removed from the Rams giving up on him and winning a Super Bowl after doing so. While he has done excellent work to rebuild his career in Detroit, some of the credit for those improvements will likely go to Ben Johnson, his now-departed coordinator. Goff has plenty of fans, and he can be nearly unstoppable when he gets hot, but there still are whispers about his struggles against pressure and organizations that would be nervous about paying him $53 million per season.  Missing out: A handful of players come close. TE Sam LaPorta was excellent as a rookie, but tight end is low on the list of positions that teams target with first-round picks. DT Alim McNeill was having a breakout season when he signed a four-year, $97 million deal last October, but he tore his ACL late in the season and might not be ready to start the 2025 campaign on the active roster. LB Jack Campbell, a first-round pick in 2023, plays a position the league doesn't typically value at that level. While he's a solid player, I'm not sure there would be a ton of interest in him if the Lions were asking to get back their Round 1 pick.  The 2024 on-field version of WR Jameson Williams was worth a first-round pick, especially in a speed-starved market where WR3 types such as Dyami Brown and Tutu Atwell were able to command $10 million per season. With a significant ACL tear and a gambling suspension in the recent past, though, teams likely would be wary of committing a first-round pick to acquire him. I'd expect a theoretical Williams trade to look closer to what the Steelers got for George Pickens (a 2026 third-round pick) than a first-rounder.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45824150/nfl-trade-tiers-2025-players-worth-first-round-pick-all-32-teams-contract-value

2025 NFL preseason: Three things to watch for in Chargers-Lions Pro Football Hall of Fame Game:  https://www.nfl.com/news/2025-nfl-preseason-chargers-lions-pro-football-hall-of-fame-game


Za’Darius Smith’s Nephew Gives His Thoughts on Smith Potential Reuniting With the Lions:  https://athlonsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions/zadarius-smiths-nephew-gives-his-thoughts-on-smith-potential-reuniting-with-the-lions

Video:


Join long snapper Hogan Hatten on his morning commute:   https://www.detroitlions.com/video/join-long-snapper-hogan-hatten-on-his-morning-commute

Lions getting chippy in early days of training camp:  https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/1683006


Posted by LionsFan at 7:02 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
.main-inner .sidebar .Poll { background-color: #AD966C; padding: 15px; }