And just like that, the Detroit Lions got poached to hell by the NFL head-coaching carousel. Former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson took over the Chicago Bears earlier in the week.
With defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn moving over one of the clubs he used to star for in the New York Jets, Dan Campbell needs to replenish the supporting staff around him.
The first step is to promote this particular instructor.
Inside linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard, a former third-round pick out of LSU, has not been associated with either the Bears or Jets.
Sheppard played for six different teams during his eight years in the league, most notably the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, but he played his final season with the Lions before turning to coaching a few years later.
According to rumors, Mark Brunell, the quarterbacks coach for the Lions, who is expected to be the Jets’ next offensive coordinator, is the most prominent figure to succeed either Glenn or Johnson.
The legendary Jacksonville Jaguars player has effectively transitioned from a thriving media career to a fantastic coaching job. What is that man incapable of? The Lions must make keeping Sheppard on staff their top priority. The fact that Campbell is still under contract and knows Sheppard well is his greatest advantage.
The Philadelphia Eagles lost both of their top coordinators to head coaching opportunities not too long ago, and while Sean Desai and Brian Johnson may not have clicked as replacements for Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon, respectively, it was worth a try.
To be honest, Campbell owes it to himself to see if he can fill any voids on his staff internally before looking outside.
Ultimately, I do believe that the Lions will withdraw at the end of this season.
Why wouldn’t they, after all? When will this team ever have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and the top seed? The good news is that I do not have big expectations for either the Minnesota Vikings or the Green Bay Packers in the next season. The Chicago Bears can’t possibly be any worse, but they should be better.
To make it abundantly clear, the Lions may have seen their Super Bowl window close after losing their two rockstar coordinators to other jobs.
Coaching attrition is the quickest way to bring a team back to earth, college or pro. However, I do think promoting someone from within like Sheppard helps stop the bleeding a bit. Even if the Lions bleed out, they are not going to run dry because of Dan Campbell.
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