The Detroit Lions have ascended to become an NFC force over the last two seasons, thanks in large part to the competitive climate created by head coach Dan Campbell. While Campbell probably does not want his players biting kneecaps in practice, he does want them to maintain that mindset as they compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.
The first stage of competition will take place during the team’s offseason training. While the Lions have already begun preliminary preparations for the 2025 season, things will heat up in the coming months, prompting one Lions coach to convey a message to a group of players preparing for offseason team activities (OTAs).
Lions Coach Wants Competing Safeties to ‘Go Earn’ Their Spot
On Thursday afternoon, safeties coach Jim O’Neil spoke with media about the state of his team. While Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, and free-agent addition Avonte Maddox are guaranteed spots in camp, he stated that five young players will compete for the remaining position.
“There’s one spot,” O’Neil told The Detroit News’ Richard Silva. “Go earn it.”
O’Neil’s message is as impactful as The Joker alerting a pair of henchmen that auditions would be held in The Dark Knight. Erick Hallett II, Dan Jackson, Ian Kennelly, Morice Norris, and Loren Strickland will compete for the final berth. Jackson is considered the favourite after being taken in the seventh round of last month’s draft, but the rest of the group has a shot based on previous results.
When the Lions appeared on Hard Knocks at the start of the 2022 season, one of the most notable incidents was when then-linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard criticised the effort of his veterans, who were being outplayed by a sixth-round rookie. That rookie was Malcom Rodriguez, who has been a cornerstone of the Lions’ defence for the past three years.
With Sheppard as defensive coordinator, the principle of competition isn’t going away, and it might result in one of the more exciting position battles of OTAs.
