Detroit Lions fans have been patiently waiting for news on how the team is going to address their need for an edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.
The team didn’t have a single other player register more than four sacks during the 2024 season.
There are plenty of options out there for the Lions to address their need this offseason as the free agent class is loaded and a couple of big names have requested trades.
However, it seems they’ve decided to make a move not many were expecting before the start of free agency.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Lions have agreed to a one-year deal with edge rusher Marcus Davenport after he missed almost all of his first season with the team.
The Lions signed Davenport to a one-year deal last offseason that was worth $6.5 million. Unfortunately he was only able to appear in two games on that deal.
Now they’ve surprisingly brought him back for another year.
The Lions were decimated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball in 2024. Davenport has missed games in every season of his NFL career. He has played in just six games over the last two years.
He could be worth the risk if he was a proven producer, but that’s not really the case. Davenport has only reached five sacks twice in seven seasons.
With Za’Darius Smith still on the roster, Hutchinson still waiting for his extension, and now this move for Davenport, it’s hard to see the Lions spending much more at the position.
Maybe that means they really are planning to draft an edge in round one this year.
That will likely need to be the hope now for Lions fans if they want to see their pass rush improve this offseason.
The Commanders are bringing back another one of their key free-agent additions from 2024.
Tight end Zach Ertz has agreed to terms on a one-year deal to remain in D.C., per multiple reports.
It’s a one-year, $6.25 million contract for Ertz, with another $2.75 million available in incentives, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
The move comes on the same day the Bengals re-signed tight end Mike Gesicki, which removed one of Ertz’s potential destinations for 2025.
Ertz caught 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He added 18 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown in three playoff games
The 34-year-old Ertz entered the league in 2013, as a second-round pick of the Eagles. He was a member of the Super Bowl LII championship team. He was traded to the Cardinals during the 2021 season, where he remained through 2023.
Ertz joins linebacker Bobby Wagner as Super Bowl winners who have returned for a second shot at taking Washington back to the top of the mountain for the first time since 1991.
NFL free agency will get underway March 12 as the new league year gets underway. Teams can start talking to prospective free agents two days earlier during the legal tampering period. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold figures to be one of the most sought after free agents, and he could be headed towards a conversation with the Seattle Seahawks since that team traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings would like J.J. McCarthy to become the starting quarterback, but could the Vikings have an interest in bringing Aaron Rodgers aboard?
NFL insiders Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports and Mike Garofalo of the NFL Network both raised that possibility. The Vikings may need a backup who can man the QB position if McCarthy is not ready to take over and play on a regular basis. McCarthy was selected with the No. 10 pick in the first round of last year’s draft, but he suffered a torn meniscus in the team’s first preseason game last summer.
McCarthy was out for the rest of the year. He appears to be on schedule for the upcoming season, but if he suffers any kind of setback or struggles in his performance, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell may want to have an experienced quarterback who can man the position.
Since Darnold is likely to leave, the Vikings would have to look elsewhere. Former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is currently on the roster and could be an answer, but he will have an opportunity to pursue free agency.
Rodgers will be available in free agency
Related Minnesota Vikings News
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If the Vikings need a new backup quarterback, a marriage with Rodgers would seem to be a long shot. The 41-year-old former Packer and Jet has never indicated that he would be happy to be a No. 2 quarterback.
The Vikings would have to be convinced that Rodgers not only would take on that kind of role willingly, he would also have to take backup quarterback money. Neither of those scenarios seem likely based on Rodgers’ history.
However, the Vikings have a history of bringing in a legendary former Packer to play quarterback in the late stages of his career. Brett Favre played the last 2 seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the Vikings in 2009 and 2010.
Favre led the Vikings to a 12-4 record in his first year with the team and was on the verge of winning the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints. However, a late Favre interception prevented the Vikings from attempting a game-winning field goal in the final seconds and the Saints would go on to win the game in overtime.
The Detroit Lions and edge rusher Marcus Davenport agreed on a one-year contract worth up to $4.75 million, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday night because the agreement had not been announced.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes and the team reached an agreement earlier in the week on a three-year deal worth up to $25.5 million, the person confirmed.
Barnes and Davenport were among the many Lions players whose 2024 season was cut short by injury, hurting the team’s chances of living up to expectations.
Detroit went into the NFL playoffs as Super Bowl favorites and as the NFC’s top-seeded team, lost to sixth-seeded Washington in the divisional round with a short-handed defense and a turnover-filled performance by quarterback Jared Goff.
The Lions added Davenport in free agency last year with a $10.5 million, one-year contract and torn triceps limited him to two games. The 28-year-old Davenport was healthy enough to play in just four games the previous season during his second stint with the Minnesota Vikings.
FILE – Detroit Lions defensive end Marcus Davenport (92) rushes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sept. 8, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/David Dermer, File)
Morgan is living life with an ultra-rare disease. Her mother, Kelly Kozole, says doctors diagnosed Morgan with beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration, or BPAN. The disease progressively damages the nervous system. It causes recurrent seizures, developmental delays, and impacts movement.
DETROIT (FOX 2) – Like most children, Morgan enjoys games, showing off her toys, and spending some time on her tablet.
But sadly, unlike most children, Morgan is living life with an ultra-rare disease. Her mother, Kelly Kozole, says doctors diagnosed Morgan with beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration, or BPAN.
Why you should care:
The disease progressively damages the nervous system. It causes recurrent seizures, developmental delays, and impacts movement.
“There are about 400 million people worldwide that are impacted with rare diseases,” said Kozole. “My daughter right here, Morgan, is one of those kids. Once we figured out the diagnosis of BPAN, the second really traumatic news was that there was no cure and no treatment, and go home and love your child.”
What makes Friday so special is it’s Rare Disease Day, which annually falls on the last day of February.
Kozole, who is the vice president of revenue for the Detroit Lions, is on a mission to raise $10 million for a new gene therapy to treat Morgan.
What’s next:
Her connection with the Lions has helped get some big names on board to spread awareness of BPAN and other rare diseases.
“We had people like Eminem, and Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Calvin Johnson, Barry Sanders, Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone all retweeted, posted our messages about Morgan,” she said. “My message to people is never give up. It took us two years to find out what the diagnosis was. Once we found the diagnosis, it’s now even a longer journey to find a cure, but we really, we can see it behind us, we believe one day we will find a cure for Morgan.”
What you can do:
If you want to learn more or help support, you can tap here and here.
The Detroit Lions are likely to be targeting quite a few defensive players when the time comes for the NFL Draft.
One position that is not likely to be high on the list of priorities on the defensive side of the ball is safety.
The team currently has two of the best in the league.
Kerby Joseph was a First-Team All-Pro in 2024 after leading the NFL in interceptions while Brian Branch earned a Pro Bowl nod in just his second NFL season.
Despite that, it seems a safety prospect who played alongside Branch in college is interested in potentially joining the Lions.
While speaking at the NFL Combine, Alabama safety Malachi Moore revealed that he would like to reunite with Branch and some of his other college teammates on the Lions.
“It would be great to play with my guys Terrion and BB on the defensive side of the ball. We already had that great chemistry, and we come from the same lineage in college football, playing under Coach Saban,” Moore said (via Mlive’s Kory Woods). “So, all of us are like-minded, and we’re still brothers to this day. Like I said, our relationship is great.”
The Lions have had quite a bit of success drafting players from Alabama in recent years.
In the last three drafts they’ve selected Branch, Jahmyr Gibbs, Terrion Arnold, and Jameson Williams. Two of them have earned spots in the Pro Bowl and another and 1000 receiving yards in 2024.
Moore played multiple roles for the Crimson Tide over five seasons in Tuscaloosa, including a lot of time playing in the slot.
This past season was the most productive of those five years. Moore was a part of 70 total tackles, intercepted a pair of passes, and defended eight passes.
He obviously can’t be somebody the Lions will prioritize in the draft as they already have one of the league’s best safety duos.
However, his versatility as a defender could give the team some depth that would be very appealing to a team that was depleted by injuries in 2024.
If Moore is available after the Lions have addressed their more immediate needs, he could be a very good fit for the team.
Brad Holmes knows that talent is not what makes the biggest difference in players’ success.
Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Listen to Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, and head coach Dan Campbell for that matter, talk about the possibility of adding a player and they’ll use some iteration of the phrase “fits us” a lot. As in, said player has to “fit us” and they are talking about more than sheer talent.
“We have to get past just looking for the most talented player,” Holmes said.” In my opinion, that’s the prerequisite of evaluation. That’s the – who’s the fastest? Who’s the strongest? Who’s got the most height? That’s a very coherent thing to do. No, it’s how do you find the right intangibles in a football player? And that’s what’s made us who we are.”
The Lions have clearly found a lot of players who fit the intangibles they want. Those players have been the foundation for the team’s progress and success since Holmes and Campbell took over, and many will remain the foundation for the foreseeable future as they “reward their own” with notable contracts.
Brad Holmes reiterates the difference between average and great players
Holmes recently did a lengthy interview with Local 4 News in Detroit at the Lions’ facility. A wide range of topics were discussed, including his thoughts on talent evaluation. We’ve heard the notes of that tune before.
“It’s just the intangibles, the intangible qualities of the players. Talent is easy to identify, it’s easy to find,” Holmes said. “This guy’s big and he’s strong. Okay, I get that, all these other hundreds and thousands are big and strong too. But who has the makeup and drive and determination and competitiveness and passion for the game that we’re looking for?”
“It’s not just about how much talent you have, it’s about how much determination, how you’re gonna face adversity,” Holmes said. “Are you gonna sink down in a hole? Are you gonna just rise to the occasion? And do you have the mental toughness and mental fortitude to do that? Those intangible qualities, that’s what we look for. In my opinion, that’s the separation between being a great player and being just an average player.”
It’s not breaking news that it takes having something extra to be a great player, and those intangibles are what separates the great from the average. Every NFL team looks for those things. But few are like the Lions in terms of knowing what those things look like to them, then finding and getting players who fit that template.
Check out the entire interview with Holmes, about 46 minutes long, below.
When the Detroit Lions took quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round (pick No. 68 overall) in the 2023 draft, they knew he would have what amounted to a redshirt rookie season as he worked his way back from a torn ACL late in his final college season at Tennessee.
Moving toward last season, Hooker was the easy favorite to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback. A finger injury lingered from OTAs into training camp, which seems to have impacted how quickly he usurped the unremarkable Nate Sudfeld in that position battle.
Hooker saw some action in the Lions’ blowout wins over the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars during the regular season. But amid rumored interest in Daniel Jones during the season and the late-December signing of Teddy Bridgewater, it has become easy to question if Hooker has a future with the Lions.
Bridgewater was also elevated to the No. 2 quarterback spot over Hooker for the playoff game against the Washington Commanders. It seems the Lions are ready to find a different backup for Jared Goff if they can.
“I’m gonna tell ya exactly what I’m gonna do”, Harrison said. “I’m gonna call Detroit, and say ‘hey, I’m very interested in Hendon Hooker, your backup quarterback’. He’s healthy, he was a Heisman guy, until he got hurt at the University of Tennessee. I think this young man, I got a chance to see him often, he’s big, he’s smart, he’s an older guy, because he spent a lot of time in college…he’s very mature. But I would trade for Hendon Hooker. Watch out for that name.”
Do the Lions have a sneaky plan with Hendon Hooker?
Florio brought up Bridgewater being signed off the street after leading his high school alma mater to a state title and elevated over Hooker as the No. 2 quarterback for the playoff game as a possible concern.
Harrison continued to pull no punches in his praise of Hooker.
“You know Mike I was thinkin’ about that, because I was very frustrated because I thought Hendon would get his opportunity”, Harrison said. “Then I started thinkin’ ‘this kid is a really good player, maybe they don’t want the rest of the league to see this kid play and see how good this kid is.”
Harrison overlooked that Hooker’s “opportunity” for the playoff game against the Commanders would have been to be in uniform, as he had been all season, and he only would have played if something happened to Jared Goff or it was another blowout win. Goff did leave the game briefly in concussion protocol, and Bridgewater played one series that ended quickly with Jameson Williams’ 61-yard touchdown run.
Florio took it to the tentacle of if it comes out the Jets want Hooker and the Lions say no, then they might believe they have something and “aren’t ready to deploy it.”
Florio cited an example from 2006, when Sean Payton left the Dallas Cowboys to become the New Orleans Saints coach and tried to trade for Tony Romo. Then Romo became the Cowboys’ starting quarterback the following season. So if it plays out that the Jets want Hooker, or anyone else wants him for that matter, and the Lions don’t let him go, Florio wonders when they might “take the baton from Jared Goff and give it to Hendon Hooker.”
Harrison sort of backed up the idea of Hooker replacing Goff at some point, with the notion that playing Hooker may invite questions about why the Lions paid Goff like they did.
All in all, launched by the idea the Jets should be very interested in him, Harrison made Hooker out to be something we simply haven’t seen so far as an NFL quarterback. Which isn’t to say he can’t be a starter, but he’s 27 years old. So if the Lions have some sort of sneaky plan to have him replace Goff (they probably don’t, and shouldn’t), the clock is ticking. Otherwise, the door should be wide open for trade offers.
Could Myles Garrett be the next big acquisition for the Detroit Lions? Former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum thinks so. During a recent appearance on “Get Up,” Tannenbaum predicted that Detroit will land the Cleveland Browns’ star pass rusher, making the case that it’s a perfect move for the Lions.
Why Myles Garrett Makes Sense for Detroit
Tannenbaum believes the Lions are in a prime position to contend for a Super Bowl, and Garrett could be the key piece to take them over the top. He said, “This just makes too much sense. If you’re the Detroit Lions, you have a chance to win right now and when you have to beat San Francisco, Philadelphia, Green Bay (and) Minnesota, you’ve got to beat some great passing games.”
Aidan Hutchinson’s Recovery & the Case for Garrett
With Aidan Hutchinson recovering from injury and Za’Darius Smith added to the fold, Tannenbaum sees Garrett as the final ingredient the Lions need. He added, “You have (Aidan) Hutchinson coming off injury. I liked the Za’Darius Smith addition, but go get a Hall of Famer in his 20’s. He may get you over the hump.”
Cleveland’s Rebuilding Dilemma
Tannenbaum also addressed the challenges of acquiring Garrett, noting that the Browns have maintained their commitment to him. Still, he believes a trade is possible if Cleveland decides to rebuild: “If you’re Cleveland rebuilding, get as many assets as you can get.”
The Bottom Line
With Garrett on their roster, the Lions would have one of the most formidable pass-rushing duos in the league. If this trade happens, Detroit’s Super Bowl aspirations would become much more realistic.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell has added a new offensive coach to his staff.
The Detroit Lions are adding a new offensive coach from the college ranks with a national championship pedigree to Dan Campbell’s staff. Iowa State assistant head coach and running backs coach Tyler Roehl will be joining as an offensive assistant, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported on February 11, 2025.
Roehl was a 7-time FCS National Champion while coaching at his alma mater, North Dakota State, as a graduate assistant, running backs and tight ends coach and offensive coordinator, according to his biography on the Iowa State website. He joined the Cyclones staff in 2024 after spending 2014 to 2023 in North Dakota.
Roehl, 39, joins new offensive coordinator John Morton, who was hired from the Denver Broncos to replace Ben Johnson after Johnson left to lead the Chicago Bears. Morton was the passing game coordinator in Denver for one season after spending 2022 as a senior offensive assistant with the Lions under Campbell.
The Lions have also hired former Stanford University head coach David Shaw from the Broncos as their passing game coordinator and former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski as an offensive assistant. Gradkowski was the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL/UFL for two seasons.
The Cyclones went 11-3 in 2024, reaching the Big 12 conference championship game and then beating the Miami Hurricanes in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Roehl is the second offensive coordinator from Iowa State coach Matt Campbell’s staff to make the jump to the NFL in two years. Nate Scheelhaase left the Cyclones to become the passing game coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams after the 2023 season.
Before taking the job at Iowa State, Roehl’s North Dakota State Bison offense averaged 38.1 points per game, which was the 3rd-best in the FCS in 2023.
“As coordinator in 2023, NDSU had one of the most prolific offenses in FCS. The Bison led the nation in rushing yards (3,560), rushing touchdowns (47) and overall touchdowns (74). In his five seasons leading the offense, NDSU ranked among the top five nationally in rushing offense four times and paced the nation in rushing touchdowns in three straight seasons,” the Iowa State website says. “Roehl coached five FCS All-Americans and 11 players who combined for 15 all-conference honors.”
Roehl is from West Fargo, North Dakota, and was an All-American running back for the Bison. He played for North Dakota State from 2004 to 2006 and was the starting running back for two seasons, rushing for 1,431 yards with 21 touchdowns in 2007 and 1,053 yards for 13 touchdowns in 2008.
Roehl was signed by the Seattle Seahawks in 2009 as an undrafted free agent, but tore his ACL during offseason workouts, according to InForum. He was part of a rookie camp for the Minnesota Vikings the next season but his playing career ended after that.
Roehl started his coaching career as the running backs coach at Concordia College in Minnesota in 2010. He spent a season as an offensive graduate assistant at North Dakota State and two seasons as a high school coach in Moorhead, Minnesota, before he was hired as the tight ends/fullbacks coach by the Bison in 2014.
Tom Cleary is an editor and reporter who covers breaking news, fantasy sports, golf, the NFL, NBA and UFC. Tom is based in Connecticut and started his career working in local newspapers. He has worked at Heavy as a writer and editor since 2015. More about Tom Cleary
