OTAs are Underway!
Lions football is back...ish
Information sourced from: 97.1 The Ticket, Pride of Detroit, The Lions official account on X, Jimmy Liao MD
OTAs are underway, and while there are no pads involved yet, we have our first taste of NFL football since the superbowl. While we don’t know a ton for sure, there is a lot to talk about. Let’s dive right in!
Jared Goff Shows Early Confidence in Petzing
Jared Goff was supportive of John Morton early, and he is giving the same treatment to Petzing. He is quoted as saying the following (per 97.1 the ticket)
“He’s got a great feel for what it’s like to run an offense and run a room and how to balance volume with intentionally attacking a defense ... There’s a lot more to it than just drawing up plays, and he’s got that extra part to it. “
Maybe I am reading a bit too much into it, but I think what we saw in the Morton “era” in Detroit was an inability to run a balanced and nuanced offense. Perhaps this was Goff simply explaining that he appreciates that Petzing knows how to run the “whole offense” whereas it became apparent that Morton struggled to do the same. I’m not saying Goff is digging at Morton, I am simply saying Goff may be thankful for what he missed before.
Incumbent Starter Mahogany Back at Left Guard
Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit has reported that “the most common” lineup of starters on the offensive line seen at OTAs on Friday was Sewell at Left Tackle, Mahogany at Left Guard, Mays at Center, Ratledge at Right Guard, and Miller at Right Tackle. None of this should come as a surprise to any of us. The only real positionary battle on the offensive line is likely to be the Left Guard spot.
The only observation I will provide here is it is simply too early to know if this is how things will stick long term. If Mahogany returns to form he likely is the best option at the position, however Frazier did flash real potential in his limited snaps last year. While it may be a bit lackluster, this should be a position we all keep a close eye on.
Three Linebacker Sets Return
A question I had heading into OTAs was if the Lions would change their personnel deployment. Jeremy Reisman reported that it was business as usual with the Lions continuing to use three linebacker sets. Furthermore they seemed to use the same defensive deployment as last year.
I am not sure if this is where the defense lands, I at least see some shakeups on the DL and how they are deployed coming. I also believe we will see more two linebacker sets. Let’s also remember that not every practice is open to the media, so they may have simply moved past that phase.
Strike a Pose
A lot can be ascertained from what the Detroit Lions official social media accounts put out. The usual suspects were seen there, Jack Campbell, Derek Barnes, Aiden Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and many more. I did note that Isiah Pacheco looked fast and completely ripped. However, perhaps more could be said of those who we wanted to see and didn’t.
No Terrion Arnold, Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, or Sam LaPorta. Campbell addressed the latter three stating they were all improving. Word has largely been very optimistic around Sam LaPorta. I don’t think we will get much more word on Branch or Joseph. Arnold actually was there but had a red no contract jersey on as reported by Jimmy Liao MD, and he called this a “mild disappointment”.
Quick Levi Update
On the health front Dan Campbell also stated “I liked where Levi Onwuzurike’s at and I’ll leave it at that. He’s working. He feels good.” That is about as good as we could hope for. Jimmy Liao MD has a great breakdown on him in this article:
And Finally…
The Detroit Lions may have the best social media team in the business, and thus I give you their creation, the many emotions of Jack Campbell:
Final Note: Pride of Detroit’s breakdown of Friday’s OTA is really informative and well written and is worth a read: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/detroit-lions-analysis/165116/detroit-lions-ota-week-1-practice-observations-notes
Football, football, football, football,..........