Following the exit of their tight end coach, the Lions might want to fill that position with someone from the tight end factory

Remember the scene in Wedding Crashers where the guy says, “Crabcakes and football—that’s what Maryland does?” So, if Maryland does that, Iowa will have corn and tight ends.

Iowa has produced some of the NFL’s best tight ends over the last decade. Sam LaPorta, George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant, and Erick All. This team just produces them like a factory.

The Detroit Lions lost their tight ends coach, Steve Heiden, to a job with the Jets this week. The Lions will need to replace not only Heiden, but also everything that helped their tight ends reach their current level.

Heiden was a tough loss, as was former tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. So what this team needs is a coach who knows how to best utilise tight ends. That’s why someone from Iowa, where the offence is heavily reliant on the position, could be the best option.

Abdul Hodge, current Iowa tight ends coach, worked with LaPorta throughout the 2022 season to prepare him for the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. There is a lot of respect there.

Hodge has no connections to the Lions’ coaching staff other than the fact that he played for the Packers when Dan Campbell was with the Lions. So they played against each other. However, that is not a particularly significant connection.

One of the unique aspects that Hodge can bring to the table is that he played linebacker in the NFL and has coached on both sides of the ball at the college level. There is a thorough understanding of not only the tight end position, but also the position against which the tight ends will most frequently compete. That could be very useful in the NFL.

Hendon Hooker may be released by the Detroit Lions

One question that has surfaced as the Detroit Lions focus on the 2025 offseason is whether backup quarterback Hendon Hooker will stay on the team.ESPN’s Bill Barnwell claims that Hooker, who hasn’t played much since being selected, might be a cap casualty for the team.

Age Issues and Hendon Hooker’s Limited Role

In his two years with the Lions, 27-year-old Hooker has only thrown nine passes. Although he was selected with potential in mind, his lack of substantial playing time has cast doubt on his long-term viability. The Lions have used Hooker sparingly since veteran quarterback Jared Goff secured his starting position.

Barnwell draws attention to a crucial detail that might portend Hooker’s future with the group. Late in the 2024 season, the Lions signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was immediately ranked higher on the depth chart than Hooker. When Goff briefly left the playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, this move was especially telling. Despite Hooker’s lack of significant playing time, the coaching staff’s choice to put their faith in the veteran raises concerns about the rookie’s preparedness and roster fit.

Cap Hit and Contract Circumstances

For the 2025 season, Hooker owes $1.3 million in unguaranteed funds. The Lions may decide to cut Hooker to free up space, even though this isn’t a huge cap hit, especially since the team is concentrating on improving in other areas. Hooker’s future with the Lions seems uncertain given his lack of experience and the team’s dedication to Goff following his contract extension in May.

The Bottom Line

Hooker’s situation is worth keeping an eye on, even though the Lions might not have a clear-cut option to release due to cap restrictions. His status as a backup quarterback may be in doubt as the Lions try to bolster their roster for the 2025 campaign. He is a 27-year-old with little NFL experience. Hooker’s future in Detroit might not last much past the offseason because Goff is set to be the starting quarterback and Bridgewater is a more dependable backup.

The Lions’ choice regarding Hooker will probably depend on whether they want to look into other backup quarterback options or if they believe he is a viable option for the future. The team will likely assess its quarterback depth during the offseason and determine whether it makes sense to let go of Hooker for the 2025 campaign.

The Lions’ success is causing a major offseason shift around the NFL

The Detroit Lions have laid out the perfect blueprint for success in recent years, and NFL teams are attempting to follow suit this offseason.

Although the Detroit Lions’ playoff run did not go as planned, the 2024 season was not a complete failure.

After all, the Lions did a lot of things right this season, particularly in the backfield. Throughout the season, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery terrorised opposing defences, resulting in Detroit’s average of 146.4 rushing yards per game (6th) and 4.7 yards per carry (T-6th).

The Lions demonstrated that having two RB1-caliber runners on your roster is a viable option. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the NFL appears to be attempting to replicate Dan Campbell and Co.’s success this offseason.

Lions Rumours: NFL Teams Will Copy Detroit’s RB Strategy

On Monday, Jim Nagy, executive director of Reese’s Senior Bowl, revealed that the Lions’ Gibbs-Montgomery tandem has inspired many in the league to follow in their footsteps.

“Everyone in the (NFL) is trying to get where Detroit is,” Nagy stated (via The Draft Network).

Some people were surprised when the Lions draughted Gibbs 12th overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Taking a running back early in the first round can sometimes backfire on a team, and some Detroit fans were concerned that the team would come to regret its decision.

It only took two seasons for Gibbs to disprove his doubters.

The former Alabama runner led the NFL with 20 scrimmage touchdowns in 2024, converting 250 carries into 1,412 rushing yards and 52 receptions into 517 receiving yards. Only Saquon Barkley (2,283) and Derrick Henry (2,114) had more scrimmage yards than Gibbs (1,929), establishing him as one of the league’s top running backs.

The 22-year-old phenom received a second consecutive Pro Bowl nomination for his efforts.

Gibbs also benefited from Montgomery’s assistance in taking breaks when necessary. The veteran running back performed admirably in his second year in Detroit, surpassing 1,000 scrimmage yards for the sixth consecutive season and finding the end zone 12 times in 14 games.

Montgomery signed a $18.25 million extension in October, giving the Lions peace of mind that both he and Gibbs are under contract until 2027 (assuming the latter’s fifth-year option is exercised). Barring a significant drop-off, the dynamic duo will ensure that Detroit has one of the best backfields for years to come.

In the meantime, it will be revealed whether any other franchise can successfully replicate Detroit’s model. Few teams have one or two game-changing running backs on their roster.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Lions should be honoured that the league sees their roster construction as a blueprint for success.

In a strategic internal move, the Detroit Lions promote Kelvin Sheppard to the position of defensive coordinator

The Detroit Lions have hired Kelvin Sheppard as their new defensive coordinator, drawing from a pool of internal talent in a clear attempt to maintain continuity following Aaron Glenn’s departure. Sheppard, 37, is a former linebacker for the Lions and other teams, and he now has the promotion after three seasons as linebackers coach.

In a team that isn’t afraid to promote from within, Sheppard’s promotion from linebackers coach came as no surprise, especially since Glenn had been preparing him for leadership, saying in a December interview, “And I think he’s damn near close if not ready to do that,” an endorsement that likely weighed in Sheppard’s favour, despite interviews with external candidates such as former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers coach Larry Foote. In December, Sheppard expressed gratitude to Dan, Brad Holmes, and AG for empowering him to take leadership roles in his room, as reported by the Detroit Free Press.

Sheppard, who played in the NFL for eight seasons, brings a wealth of experience and a track record of developing talent, including linebacker Jack Campbell, whom he helped develop into an every-down player. His rapport with players and unique coaching style, influenced by Glenn, may provide a new perspective while remaining true to the team’s philosophy. His ability to develop players and his candid approach to the team demonstrate his readiness for a higher-level role.

Details of Sheppard’s coaching philosophy emerged as he learnt from Glenn the importance of being “demanding, but not demeaning,” which was critical given his self-described passionate and aggressive approach. In a recent interview with CBS News Detroit, Sheppard stated, “I’ve never seen a guy [Glenn] that can be so hard on people without demeaning them,” which he appears to have incorporated into his coaching arsenal.

Detroit Lions have signed former 49ers wide receiver Ronnie Bell to a reserve/future deal

The 49ers have just lost one of their draft picks for 2023.

On Tuesday, wide receiver Ronnie Bell signed a reserve/future contract with the Detroit Lions. Bell finished his season on the 49ers’ practice squad.

The 49ers selected Bell in Round 7 of the 2023 NFL Draft. And, as a rookie, he demonstrated promise. He played in all seventeen regular-season games, catching six passes and scoring three touchdowns.

However, 2024 proved disastrous for Bell. He was given the opportunity to play early in the season when Deebo Samuel was out with an injury in Week 3. That week, the 49ers faced the Rams in Los Angeles, and Bell dropped a crucial deep pass late in the fourth quarter that would have put the 49ers in field goal range. They eventually lost by three points, and their season went out of control from there.

Of course, Bell isn’t to blame for the 49ers’ disastrous season. However, they eventually waived him and placed him on their practice squad, which likely meant his time with the 49ers was over. Now it appears he’ll get another chance with the Lions. He will be added to their 53-man roster when the new league year begins on March 12.

Bell still has talent as a receiver. He’s not the biggest or fastest player, but he could be useful in the slot, backing up Amon-Ra St. Brown. Furthermore, Bell is a willing and effective blocker who previously played for Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan.

Grant Cohn has been covering the San Francisco 49ers on a daily basis since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes like Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick, and Patrick Willis. Inside the 49ers won the Peninsula Press Club’s Sports Blog of the Year award in 2012. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing for All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel that has become the go-to place on YouTube for 49ers content. Cohn’s channel typically receives around 3.5 million viewers per month, whereas the 49ers’ official YouTube channel receives about 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn livestreams almost every day and posts videos hourly during football season. Cohn is dedicated to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered while providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His commitment is to the reader and viewer, not to the team, any player, or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with a traditional mindset, as his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. Every Tuesday, the two record a live podcast. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA between 2006 and 2010. He is currently living in Oakland with his wife.