Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Lions Links for Tuesday 9-1-26

Articles:





Former Detroit Lions WR Felt Lions Cut Was 'Little Bit Different':  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/former-detroit-lions-wr-felt-lions-cut-was-little-bit-different

Detroit Lions Sign OG, WR to Practice Squad, Place Isiah Pacheco on IR:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-sign-og-wr-to-practice-squad-place-isiah-pacheco-ir

Detroit Lions Re-Sign Veteran TE Tyler Conklin: What Happens Next?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-re-sign-veteran-te-tyler-conklin-what-happens-next

Every Position Where Detroit Lions Could Add Help in 2026:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/every-position-where-detroit-lions-could-add-help-2026

Fact or Fiction: Losing WR Greg Dortch Hurts Detroit Lions:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/fact-or-fiction-losing-greg-dortch-hurts-detroit-lions

Detroit Lions Ink Former Buccaneers OL to Practice Squad:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/detroit-lions-ink-former-buccaneers-ol-practice-squad

Every Rookie Who Made the Detroit Lions Initial 2026 53-Man Roster:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/every-rookie-who-made-detroit-lions-initial-2026-53-man-roster




The Lions’ latest roster moves answered several questions we’ve been asking:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/the-lions-latest-roster-moves-answered-several-questions-weve-been-asking/

Cut Lions rookie with a ton of potential finds a spot on Patriots’ 53-man roster:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/cut-lions-rookie-with-a-ton-of-potential-finds-a-spot-on-patriots-53-man-roster/

Lions adding former Buccaneers guard to practice squad, but their offensive line search shouldn’t stop here:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/lions-addinng-former-buccaneers-guard-to-practice-squad-but-their-offensive-line-search-shouldnt-stop-here/

5 mistakes the Lions may have made during roster cuts, including one Brad Holmes needs to explain:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/5-mistakes-the-lions-may-have-made-during-roster-cuts-including-one-brad-holmes-needs-to-explain/


Why Dan Skipper became Coach Skip, for Dan Campbell's Lions:  https://www.audacy.com/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/dan-skipper-detroit-lions

2026 NFL Rank: Predicting top 100 players for this season (92. Jack Campbell LB | Lions - Age: 26, 2025 rank: NR.  Campbell is fresh off a first-team All-Pro season in 2025. So naturally, his confidence is at an "all-time high," according to coach Dan Campbell. Over the offseason, Jack Campbell inked a four-year, $81 million extension. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is now giving him more leeway to run the defense in Year 4. "You've got to earn it every year," Campbell told ESPN. "No matter what, it's just my mindset to try to get a little better every single year." -- Eric Woodyard.  Signature stat: Campbell is one of five players with at least 375 tackles and four forced fumbles since entering the league in 2023, joining Zaire Franklin, Bobby Okereke, Patrick Queen and Germaine Pratt.  2026 projections: 156 tackles, 4 PDs, 3 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 INT.  77. Jared Goff QB | Lions - Age: 31, 2025 rank: 66.  As Goff enters his 11th season, he is looking to help the Lions get over the hump to return to the postseason -- and potentially win the franchise's first Super Bowl. Throughout training camp and this offseason, coach Dan Campbell has noticed Goff's "urgency" to win now more than ever. "It's just human nature. You start realizing where things can slip and you don't want to allow that to happen," Goff said. -- Eric Woodyard.  Signature stat: Goff has recorded three straight seasons with at least 4,500 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns. That's tied for the second-longest streak with Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes; Drew Brees leads with seven straight.  2026 projections: 4,216 passing yards, 29 TDs, 10 INTs; 27 carries, 49 rushing yards, 1 TD.  22. Amon-Ra St. Brown WR | Lions - Age: 26, 2025 rank: 42.  This offseason, St. Brown told ESPN that he has been as "motivated as ever" to bounce back from a down season, where Detroit missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022. And unlike last summer, when he was rehabbing from knee surgery, St. Brown has stayed healthy throughout the offseason. "I feel like I'm motivated every year, but this year, I feel like it was a little different," St. Brown said. He finished top-five in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,401) in 2025. -- Eric Woodyard.  Signature stat: St. Brown has recorded 10 or more receiving touchdowns in three straight seasons, the longest streak in Lions history. His 547 receptions are the most by any player in their first five seasons in NFL history.  2026 projections: 118 receptions, 1,426 receiving yards, 10 TDs; 2 carries, 13 rushing yards.  18. Jahmyr Gibbs RB | Lions - Age: 24, 2025 rank: 33.  It's the Gibbs show in Detroit, as he is gearing up for a heavier workload after David Montgomery was traded to Houston in March. Through his first three seasons, Gibbs already has the most touchdowns scored by any player in league history (49) in that span. And now that his three-year, $67.5 million extension is done, he is focused on becoming the best version of himself under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. "I like him. He's cool," Gibbs told ESPN. "That's my dawg." -- Eric Woodyard.  Signature stat: Gibbs is the only player in Lions history to record 1,800 scrimmage yards and 18 TDs in a single season. And he has done it in each of the past two seasons.  2026 projections: 283 carries, 1,373 rushing yards, 14 TDs; 68 receptions, 546 receiving yards, 3 TDs.  16. Aidan Hutchinson Edge | Lions - Age: 26, 2025 rank: 16.  Hutchinson is widely respected as one of the top edge rushers in league, and he has benefited from sharpening his craft through daily battles against All-Pro teammate Penei Sewell. Hutchinson ranked second in pressures (63) last season and finished third in quarterback hits (35). In 2026, he has his sights set on winning DPOY. "The mentality is always that for sure," he said in May. -- Eric Woodyard.  Signature stat: Hutchinson has had 201 QB pressures since entering the league in 2022. That's the fourth most in the NFL over that span, sitting behind Micah Parsons (264), Maxx Crosby (224) and Myles Garrett (209).  2026 projections: 55 tackles, 12 sacks, 3 FFs, 1 PD.  12. Penei Sewell OT | Lions - Age: 25, 2025 rank: 14.  Sewell was voted the NFL's top offensive tackle in Fowler's survey of league executives, coaches and scouts this offseason. But he will be switching from right to left tackle after the Lions decided to revamp their offensive line following a 9-8 season. Sewell hasn't played left tackle on a full-time basis since his college days at Oregon in 2018 and 2019, but he's up for the challenge presented to him by coach Dan Campbell. -- Eric Woodyard.  Signature stat: Sewell is one of three players to garner first-team All-Pro honors in each of the past three seasons. The other two are edge rusher Myles Garrett and guard Joe Thuney.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49706895/2026-nfl-season-rankings-top-100-players-predictions-stats

Who are NFL Rank's worst snubs? Execs, scouts on players who should have made our top-100 list (Brian Branch, S, Detroit Lions:  Often an underappreciated position, five safeties were featured in this year's NFL Rank. Left off the ballot was Branch, who has established himself as a premier player over the past two seasons with a 1.9% pass breakup percentage that ranks third among safeties. In 2025, Branch was one of two defensive backs with at least five passes defended, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.  His Achilles tear late last season doesn't help his cause. But the 24-year-old's skill set is undeniable.  "Really versatile, can put him in the slot or in open space, physical," an AFC personnel evaluator said. "Definitely a top-100 player."):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49784013/nfl-rank-top-100-players-rankings-2026-biggest-snubs-scouts-executives

2026 NFL season predictions: Picks for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and six more awards (OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - 1.  Jahmyr Gibbs DET (9 votes: Band, Cersosimo, Filice, Kownack, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Smith, Zierlein.).  DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - 3. Aidan Hutchinson (+900) | 3 votes: Cersosimo, Gordon, McWilliams.  PROTECTOR OF THE YEAR - 2.  Penei Sewell (+460) | 5 votes: Ely, Gordon, Reuter, Smith, Zierlein.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-season-predictions-picks-for-mvp-defensive-player-of-the-year-and-six-more-awards

Preseason grades for every NFL team: Falcons earn an F (Detroit Lions - Grade: C.  Detroit kept many of its key veterans on the shelf during the preseason. Even by taking a more cautious approach, they're still a little dinged up to begin the year. During roster cuts, the Lions placed safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch on the reserve/PUP list, along with starting center Cade Mays. That means all three of those linchpins will be sidelined for at least the first four games of the regular season. Meanwhile, running back Isiah Pachecho, who was set to take over the secondary role in the Lions backfield for David Montgomery, has also dealt with his share of injuries this summer, leaving them with Jacob Saylors potentially as the RB2 behind Jahmyr Gibbs.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-preseason-grades-falcons-rams/

Super Bowl tiers: Ranking all 32 NFL teams by their title chances (C Tier - Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The C Tier might be the most fluid. If everything clicks for these teams, they can clinch a spot in the playoffs. If it falls apart, they could bottom out and face tough questions about whether to keep their coaching staff and whether to blow up their rosters.  Nothing exemplifies that reality quite like the NFC South. All four teams landed in this tier for two reasons. One, they are all on equal footing, as evidenced by the three-way tie atop the division in 2025. Two, none of them are particularly great, which showed in all of them finishing last season under .500.  The team with the best chance of climbing up to the B Tier is probably the Cowboys. The offense ranked second in yardage last year and seventh in scoring, and it should be just as potent this time around. Tangible changes for the better on defense -- the arrival of coordinator Christian Parker; the trades for Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary; and the use of draft picks on Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham -- should at least lift the unit out of the NFL's basement.  There are some real regression risks, too. If the Colts are more like the team that struggled in the second half of last season than the one that rolled through the front half, it is going to be a long year. And if Aaron Rodgers regresses further in his final year, the Steelers will struggle to post a winning record.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-power-rankings-super-bowl-tiers/

12 Bold NFL Predictions: Who Wins MVP, Goes Worst To First, Tops Myles Garrett In Sacks (5. Detroit Lions - The Lions Will Go From Worst To First In The NFC North.  This one is an easy pick. The Lions struggled last year while dealing with playcalling issues — and, frankly, some bad luck. But they’ve returned their core while addressing some issues, whether it’s right tackle (with rookie Blake Miller) or secondary (safety Chuck Clark and Christian Izien). Even offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is a compelling candidate in his new gig after putting up video-game numbers with the Cardinals' offense. The Lions are angry and hungry. And they’re simply way, way too talented to stay in the basement of the NFC North.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/12-bold-nfl-predictions-who-wins-mvp-worst-first-tops-myles-garrett-sacks

This Season's Super Bowl Winner Will Be One Of These 7 NFL Teams (Detroit Lions - The Lions still haven’t filled the Graham Glasgow-sized hole in the middle of its offensive line and are banking on a Dolphins castoff or a rookie to hold down the fort at right tackle with Penei Sewell swinging over to the left side. Detroit needs its offensive line to return to elite status to get this team back on track for title contention. I’m not sure it can.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/seasons-super-bowl-winner-will-one-7-teams

NFL Fact or Fiction: Handicapping Jahmyr Gibbs's MVP Chances (Jahmyr Gibbs will end the 13-year streak of QBs winning MVP - Manzano’s view: Fact.  It’s kinda funny how little coach Dan Campbell cares about the backup running back situation after spending the offseason raving about Gibbs. Campbell should be somewhat worried about Isiah Pacheco possibly not being available for the start of the season due to injury, but when you have a healthy Gibbs, there’s really no point in stressing about the position, even knowing that Jacob Saylors, who only has two career carries, is in line to be the backup running back for next week’s season opener against the Saints.  With how much Campbell has hyped up Gibbs’s first season without splitting carries with David Montgomery, who’s now in Houston, there’s a real possibility Gibbs plays more than 80% of the offensive snaps this season. Last year, Gibbs saw a career-high 67% of the snaps and was on the field less than 60% of the time during his first two seasons. It’s wild how efficient he’s been in his career despite the limited work (at least 1,800 scrimmage yards in each of the past two seasons), and it makes you wonder whether he’s about to deliver a historic season.  I’ll be bold here and say Gibbs ends the 13-year streak of a quarterback winning MVP and becomes the first running to claim the prestigious award since Adrian Peterson in 2012. But he’s going to have to produce a historic season because just rushing for 2,000 yards is no longer enough to win the award—just ask Saquon Barkley, who did it in 2024 and finished third for MVP.  Perhaps Gibbs can flirt with the single-season yards from scrimmage record that currently belongs to Chris Johnson (2,509 yards in 2009).):  https://www.si.com/nfl/nfl-fact-or-fiction-jahmyr-gibbs-lions-mvp-chances

Bears should have their NFC North title tested, with Lions, Packers, Vikings all poised for rebounds (Lions are still stacked with standouts despite last year's disappointment.  The trio of quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is tough to top in the NFL for overall talent, giving the Lions a sturdy base for their desired bounce-back from a 9-8 finish. Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and Isaac TeSlaa give Goff even more capable playmakers. Penei Sewell remains one of the game's best offensive tackles, too. The Lions also get a boost from a schedule that has them playing four of the five worst teams in the league from last season.  Predicted order of finish:  Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears):  https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/bears-nfc-north-title-lions-packers-vikings/


Video:

The state of the Lions secondary:  https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/49789966

Biggest question in the NFC North for 2026? | 'GMFB':  https://www.nfl.com/videos/biggest-question-in-the-nfc-north-for-2026-gmfb

Did the Detroit Lions make a mistake by not keeping Greg Dortch?:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/did-detroit-lions-mistake-not-173033987.html



Debating NFL Coaches: Dan Campbell vs. Matt LaFleur:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/debating-nfl-coaches-dan-campbell-123354781.html

Hanson's NFL teams to watch, Super Bowl picks:  https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/hansons-nfl-teams-watch-030547633.html


Jahmyr Gibbs is the 'clear' overall RB1 in 2026:  https://sports.yahoo.com/video/jahmyr-gibbs-clear-overall-rb1-225555987.html
Posted by LionsFan at 7:12 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

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