Roundtable: Intriguing Lions Minicamp Position Battles

Latest All Lions roundtable recaps OTAs and explores intriguing minicamp position battles.

1.) What is your reaction to Lions offensive struggles at OTAs?

Christian Booher: It’s concerning, but I’m not too worried about what it means for the upcoming season. I think the Lions’ offense will be just fine, and that the struggles are all part of a natural progression.

In particular, Jared Goff will be just fine. As an eight-year veteran, he’s done enough to show he’s capable of leading a good team. Because of this, a rough patch in OTAs isn’t worth getting worried about.

Expect this group to continue to gel in the coming weeks. By the time the regular season rolls around, the offense will be just fine.

John Maakaron: I think the defense should be getting a little more credit for coming into OTAs with a very competitive mindset.

I expected a little more from the offense, but I believe the early struggles will be highlighted and corrected by the coaching staff. 

If the offense still lacks ryhtym and Goff is still tossing daily interceptions at minicamp, more eyebrows will be raised. 

2.) Were you impressed Jared Goff showed frustration in rep with Jameson Williams?

Booher: Absolutely, yet it’s not super surprising. Goff is an established veteran who isn’t afraid to be a leader. In showing frustration, he’s establishing the standard that he wants the young wide receiver to be held to.

This accountability and leadership will hopefully resonate with Williams. The youngster has high expectations set for himself, so being held accountable for struggles and shortcomings will only emphasize what he must do to become a top player.

Maakaron: Goff has much more competitive fire that he does not showcase publicly too often, so it was good to see him frustrated Williams was not exactly where he was supposed to be. 

If OTAs do not mean anything, why would the veteran be so visibly upset? 

It is because every rep taken has a purpose and can be learned from. While making grand statements and conclusions from June practices is ill-advised, it showcased that the leader of the offense is paying attention to details, which is critical for the offense, especially when Williams is away for the team for six games to start the season. 

3.) Which player impressed you the most from OTAs last week?

Booher: On a day where a fair amount of Lions sat out for precautionary reasons, an interesting kicking battle took place. I was super impressed by the leg of Parker Romo, the Lions’ signing from the XFL.

Will Romo beat out the established Michael Badgley? Who’s to say? However, his performance in the kicking battle against Riley Patterson is hard to ignore. Even the kicks he missed from distance had the leg to get over the uprights.

He’ll now be tasked with showing his performance wasn’t a fluke.

Maakaron: I am impressed with linebacker Alex Anzalone. He is becoming one of the reliable captains of the defense and even had one of his interceptions highlighted on the team's social media channel. 

He has played alongside Derrick Barnes at OTAs and is proving why the team decided to extend his contract for three more seasons. 

.@AlexAnzalone34 going 🆙 pic.twitter.com/Q6hCl8H8rC

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 2, 2023

4.) At minicamp, what is the position battle you are most intrigued by?

Booher: Glad you brought up the veteran linebacker. Anzalone figures to be the team’s defensive play-caller, but there’s a battle for who will take the field next to him for the season opener. I think this position has plenty of intriguing candidates.

In an ideal world for the Lions, rookie Jack Campbell shows enough to start Week 1. However, he’ll face an uphill battle in competing with Malcolm Rodriguez, who started 15 games as a rookie last year. He’s undersized but physical and smart, so he can’t be counted out.

There’s also Derrick Barnes and Jalen Reeves-Maybin to consider. Barnes has been taking first-team reps in OTAs, and his development would be a huge upgrade for the Lions. There’s depth to this battle, so it will be fun to follow what emerges from practices.

Maakaron: I like that you are paying attention to the defense, even at OTAs. It's a unit that will be under the microscope. 

Being I spent time watching the offense last week, I am very interested in the running back battles, especially behind Gibbs and Montgomery, who will be counted on early in the season to make plays. 

Jermar Jefferson and Craig Reynolds will be battling for roster spots and for playing time in Ben Johnson's offense. 

Adding to the mix Mohamid Ibrahim, a player who legitimately has an opportunity to earn a roster spot, my intrigue for who is earning reps and who is lining up in certain red zone packages at minicamp has increased. 

5.) Are you confident Lions will teach players, staff proper gambling policies?

Booher: Yes. The Lions have a good coaching staff as well as solid leadership at the top. I think what happened with the suspensions had to do with a little negligence as far as leaving the emphasis to the league.

Now that the Lions are aware of the implications and their severity, I have no doubt that Dan Campbell and the rest of his staff will spare no effort in getting their point across.

Maakaron: It is really interesting the Lions drastically missed the mark in getting the proper information out to their staff and players regarding the gambling policy. 

Campbell noted the team would be more proactive moving forward, not simply relying on the league's training, but also including their own reminders and information to players and the staff. 

With so many violations, the front office and coaching were left with no choice but to take corrective actions. I would assume the Lions will be much more diligent in their efforts, especially since they incurred the most punishments.