Detroit Lions fans got clarity on a headline decision. On today’s Daily Detroit Lions Podcast, Jeff Risdon unpacked why Carlton Davis chose New England and how Detroit pivoted. Dave Burkett, reporting from the Super Bowl, relayed Davis’ words: he would have signed in Detroit, and it wasn’t about money. It was the structure.

Davis, the former Lions starter now with the Patriots, signed a three-year, $54 million deal with $34.5 million guaranteed and a $16.5 million signing bonus. No void years. He started slowly but improved as the season went on, then played very well in the playoffs, especially when CJ Stroud threw him the ball a lot. Davis reiterated he liked Detroit’s process.

After Davis moved on, the Detroit Lions signed DJ Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract with $32 million guaranteed and a $15.2 million signing bonus. Detroit’s wrinkle under Mike Disner stands out: three void years. The contract technically runs through 2031, which makes Reed easier to cut after the second year or to renegotiate.

Reed was off to a very good start in Detroit before an injury. When he returned, he wasn’t the same player yet. Expectations remain that he will be a very good starter in 2026. Reed projects as part of a fine starting cornerback duo. Are there better ones in the NFL? Yes. Can you win with these guys in the style of defense the Lions play? Yes.

Davis cited structure as the hang-up, and the void years are the obvious difference. For an older player seeking to cash in, void years can mean less immediate cash in year one. They can also reduce player leverage when a team wants to renegotiate or move on, since the organization carries obligations whether the player is there or not. Workout bonuses can factor in too, but the void years are the clear separator here.

Davis emphasized there was no drama with Detroit or its leadership. “I love Detroit… I was rooting for those guys… It was a straight up process… Good communication… I got nothing bad to say about them.” The takeaway for the Detroit Lions and the NFL at large is simple: the Lions’ preferred tools work for the team, but certain veterans and their agents may push back. As Detroit keeps using void years on contracts and future extensions, this will be worth watching.

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Episode 562 of the Detroit Lions Podcast opened with Detroit Lions talk pointed straight at Super Bowl week, but the NFL Pro Bowl stole the first segment. Jeff Risdon flipped over after basketball and landed on a perfect scene: Jared Goff dropping a pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The scoreboard was already wild. More than 100 points lit up the broadcast. It felt like 56 to 50 at one point. The pace never slowed.

This was not football as we know it. It was flag football. No tackling. No contact. No one even allowed to touch. Yet the hosts liked the energy. Jeff caught the last 35 to 40 minutes and agreed it beat the old 11-on-11 walk-through. Goff wore his hat and looked relaxed. He was clearly having fun. St. Brown moved like it mattered. For Lions fans, seeing that connection on a national stage was the hook that kept the channel right there.

After the quick Pro Bowl review, the rundown hit Detroit-centered questions. Levi Onwuzurike and Paschal came up under the banner of paying the toll. Is the player paying it, or are the Lions paying it? The conversation promised to sort through that. Salary cap talk is coming, and it sounds crazy. The Vikings got a mention as a punchline. Super Bowl choices were on deck, teased as a segment still to come.

The aim is clear. Keep the focus on how Detroit Lions decisions intersect with an NFL offseason that is already moving. Tie the Pro Bowl flashes from Goff and St. Brown back into what matters next. Keep the Detroit Lions Podcast locked on the things fans actually need to think about this week.

The show remains the official Detroit Lions podcast for Reddit. Studio upgrades are on the way. Better lights. A new space. A former Cleveland Browns scout is lined up for Monday to talk prospects. The cadence of content is increasing, and the boys are clearly having fun building it.

Detroit is front and center this week. The Lions have stars who just showed out in the NFL’s showcase, even with flags at their hips. The next steps on cap, depth, and health are the real story. Episode 562 keeps those steps in focus.

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The Detroit Lions tolled the contracts of Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal after both spent the entire 2025 season on the NFI list. The practical outcome is simple. What was slated for 2025 now applies to 2026. Neither player hits free agency. Both remain Detroit Lions into the new league year.

Onwuzurike’s 2025 deal carries forward. Paschal moves into the final year of his rookie contract. The distinction matters inside the NFL calendar and for how the Lions plan the defensive line room into training camp.

Onwuzurike has a one year, $4,000,000 deal with $3,500,000 guaranteed. The contract included a $2,000,000 signing bonus, which is typically paid at signing, so the cash outlay this year is lighter. He had a likely to be earned playing time incentive of $250,000. He did not reach it. That amount credits back to the Detroit Lions cap, a small but welcome bump.

Paschal sits in the final season of his rookie deal. One key difference with the NFI list compared to IR is that teams are not obligated to pay base salaries on NFI. Beyond signing bonuses, it is unknown what either player received while sidelined.

Expectations must be measured. Neither should be penciled in for significant snaps. Both must prove they can make the team. Prior second round draft status should not influence the competition. If healthy, their presence adds depth and pushes the group in camp.

The medical histories frame the caution. Onwuzurike played well in 2024 before his knee gave out. He later needed knee surgery. A torn ACL was discovered after he signed, and it was not related to his longstanding back issues. He is playing after a spinal fusion surgery, which remains remarkable. Paschal had back surgery last offseason. His prior issues included melanoma that metastasized in his foot, knee problems, and a hamstring issue. He missed last season for a back problem. Availability will decide their paths.

The Pro Bowl shifted to flag football and still offered a Detroit moment. A switch of the channel landed on Jared Goff delivering a pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It is not tackle football. Accept that and the pace can be enjoyable. The connection was a quick reminder of timing and touch, even in an all star setting.

The Detroit Lions Podcast goes live tonight at 8 PM with Chris to dig deeper into the cap ripple and the defensive line outlook.

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Russell Brown and Jeff Risdon turned Senior Bowl week into an NFL reality check on the Detroit Lions Podcast. Mobile is hard to reach. This year it was worse. Flights through Atlanta and Charlotte snarled schedules. Players spent extra hours in airports, then dove straight into meetings and practices. Every prospect met with all 32 teams. Some chats lasted five minutes. Others stretched to forty five. Minds raced. Bodies adjusted to new time zones.

Then came the field work. Wide receivers faced corners they had never seen. Quarterbacks threw to targets they had never met. Timing lagged. Some passes sailed high. The context mattered. It was not a polished team practice. It was a showcase under unfamiliar circumstances, with coaches installing concepts on the fly and players trying to absorb it all.

One offensive winner stood out. Wyoming tight end John Michael Gillenborg flashed real juice. He is a former basketball player who played only three high school football games after COVID wiped out his senior year. Athlete first, growing football player second. In one on one drills he was a problem. He separated cleanly. He was uncoverable for stretches. Safeties and linebackers struggled to mirror him in space.

His game performance did not match the practices. The hosts said it plainly. The week still helped him. Movement skills at that size are hard to teach. A slot tight end who wins on timing and leverage translates. One linebacker did hold up well in coverage during those periods, a note that sharpened the evaluation of the tight end work. Even with the natural advantage for tight ends in those drills, Gillenborg’s get off and pace changes carried weight.

The install meetings mattered as much as the reps. Players jumped into systems that did not mirror their college playbooks. Think of a running back used to inside and outside zone suddenly asked to run duo. That changes everything. An offensive lineman who rarely worked a deuce block now has to climb to a linebacker on a different track. In zone you lean on the drag hand and cross the face of the nearest defender to pin and create a lane. Duo shifts the aiming points and the communication. Those are real stressors on short notice.

The Detroit Lions value how players handle chaos. One bad Tuesday does not define a prospect in the NFL. Meetings, installs, and adaptability do. Gillenborg’s week offered a profile worth tracking for a Detroit offense that prizes matchups in the middle of the field. The linebacker who showed coverage chops added another data point on the defensive side. For the Lions, the smart move is weighing practice tape, mental processing, and the ability to translate coaching quickly. Senior Bowl week delivered all three.

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The NFL salary cap is set to clear $301 million. That surge changes the Detroit Lions math. Default figures still place the Lions a few million over, as with the rest of the NFC North, but routine moves and rollover can flip the ledger fast. The Detroit Lions Podcast drills into who and what unlocks space, and how it shapes spring decisions.

League guidance pegs the 2026 cap north of $301 million, with projections ranging from about $301.2 million to $305.7 million. Five seasons ago it sat near $208 million. Revenue is up. So are choices.

On default calculations, the Lions sit roughly $7.65 million over. There is a straightforward release or restructure lever at guard. Moving on from Graham Glasgow would free about $5.56 million. If he returns, it should be in a supporting role, not at a starter’s rate. Restructure pathways also exist, including converting portions of Jared Goff’s money into guarantees to smooth the hit. The menu is familiar. The new cap ceiling makes each option more palatable.

David Montgomery remains a core piece. The expectation here is that he stays. The bigger picture is flexibility. Detroit can clear room without gutting its identity.

The higher cap improves odds for continuity on defense. Bringing back linebacker Alex Anzalone is more feasible now. He handled the defensive calls, played well last season, and stayed on the field. Keeping the ringleader in the middle adds stability as the Lions push for more in the NFL postseason.

Kalif Raymond is a pending free agent. He has been the No. 4 wide receiver and a trusted returner. Detroit drafted Dominic Lovett as a projected successor, but Lovett did not see the field on offense. If Raymond is open to returning as a primary return specialist, that path aligns with an offense that leans into two wide receivers and two tight ends.

Glasgow remains the cleanest cap lever. If not released, a pay cut or restructure fits. Either way, the cap jump gives Detroit Lions decision-makers a buffer to keep preferred pieces together.

The cap rise also eases a practical question at quarterback. Retaining Kyle Allen as the backup in the $3 million range makes sense. He was solid last summer and looked better than his prior tape suggested.

Coaching movement around the NFL has settled at the top, but Detroit still needs a tight ends coach. Dan Skipper is a sensible in-house option. He logged more than 400 snaps as an extra offensive lineman in heavy packages and knows the operation. He could also slot as an offensive assistant if that’s the better fit.

There is talk out of Chicago that JT Barrett could become offensive coordinator under Ben Johnson. Chicago moved on from its OC and is surveying options. For the Lions, the immediate task is simple. Leverage the cap windfall, lock in key voices, and keep the program’s rhythm intact.

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Mock Draft 1.0 on the Detroit Lions Podcast set the board with a clear priority. Offensive tackle at No. 17. The choice is Utah’s Caleb Lomu. The approach mirrors the current reality. Taylor Decker played through a shoulder injury and a potential retirement hovers. Operate as if Decker will not be back. If he returns, that is preferred. A rookie develops behind veterans and the line stays stout. This is about protecting Jared Goff and sustaining a top NFL front five.

Lomu brings outstanding athleticism and smooth movement in space. His footwork on the edge is clean. He rarely opens the gate and gives up the corner to bend rushers. He uses length well. If he is beaten initially, he shows quick reaction and recovers. That recovery mirrors what the Lions need on the left side. It also covers for breakdowns that happen on long downs. The cons are real. He will be 24 as a rookie, almost as old as Penei Sewell. He does not move people in the run game. Power rushers can get into his pads and walk him back. Functional strength must improve. Add eight to ten pounds and those issues tighten up. Among the two Utah tackles, Spencer Fano looks better right now. In two years, Lomu’s ceiling could be higher. Less mileage. More room to grow. The fit in Detroit works. The profile matches the offense and the locker room.

Day two brings a Senior Bowl riser. Michigan edge Derek Moore flashed an upper tier week. His Michigan tape had peaks and long quiet stretches. Splash or invisible. In Mobile he stacked more consistent reps. One stood out. Aligned on the edge, he collapsed the blocker inside and forced the run into the A gap. That is assignment sound football. That translates to the Lions front. It shows he can anchor, set an edge, and still chase. He is a little smaller for the role, but the technique win matters. The arrow is up.

This is an early guess. Only one mock each year reflects personal board. The rest project what the Detroit Lions will do. The NFL combine hits at the end of the month. Pro days follow. Those trips produce fresh data from scouts and coaches. Notes from the road sharpen the board and the next iteration gets tighter. For now, tackle at 17 with Lomu, then Moore as the front seven boost. Needs met. Upside secured. The plan holds until new information moves it.

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Senior Bowl week set the tone in Mobile. The Shrine Bowl wrapped the other night. Scott Bischoff and Russell Brown are deep in practice tape on the Detroit Lions Podcast. The conversation zeroed in on offensive tackle and how it drives every Detroit Lions decision.

Offensive tackle is the biggest need for this roster. Outside of Penei Sewell, the future at left or right tackle is unclear. Decker’s status is not defined. That uncertainty elevates tackle above every other position.

You can patch the interior with a veteran and a younger center. Graham Glasgow remains in place. That worst case is manageable. The priority is tackle.

In a perfect world, you would not move what might be the best right tackle in football. Sewell fits that bill. Disrupting that matters.

Yet it is easier to find a right tackle than a premium left tackle in the NFL. Sewell can be a strong left tackle. The best team-first move could be shifting him left if the rookie fits better on the right.

Conversely, if pick 17 yields a true college left tackle, keep Sewell at right tackle. Let the rookie learn and possibly sit behind Decker for a half season. The player dictates the plan. The larger question remains whether you should move a foundational piece at all.

At pick 17, a few intriguing tackles could reach Detroit. One or two at the very top likely will not. The board will decide how aggressive the Lions must be.

This offensive line class looks deeper than expected. There may be fewer elite names at the top, but there is quality through the first two rounds. Options exist at 17 and again around pick 50. The further down the list you go, the more developmental tackles you can target.

Interior paths also exist. The mix could include Chris Mahogany, Kate Ratlitsch, and Mills Frazier, with Graham Glasgow in the room. That flexibility allows a rookie tackle to grow while the line holds together opposite Sewell.

Senior Bowl practices are on day three, technically day four of the week. Shrine Bowl work is in the books. Those sessions shape the board and the fit at tackle. A fuller recap of both events comes next week.

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Jeff Risdon welcomed Tyler Brown of Best Available after a long, weather-chopped week inside The Star in Frisco. The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on access, evaluation, and Detroit Lions offensive line priorities. All 32 NFL teams showed up. The vantage points were elite. The stories were close to the grass.

Brown’s first trip to the facility impressed him. He called The Star absurd in the best way. The complex felt brand new. Frisco is its own scene, and it shows. He understood why they host state championships there.

Weather shut down much of what surrounded the event, but the on-field work kept rolling. Media access stood out. Credentialed reporters could walk up and talk to people without stigma. Brown even spent about twenty minutes chatting with Dante Corleone during practice while the defensive tackle was hurt. The week ended with a brutal exit from Dallas for Brown. Two days. Twenty-seven hours. One flight day. He still called it worth it.

Scouts were everywhere. The setup allowed personnel and media to stand right on the sideline, only a couple feet from one-on-one drills. You could slide into the stands and jump to the end zone for a different look in seconds. That flexibility mattered when team periods started.

Both Brown and Risdon prefer the end zone view for team work. Risdon even noted he leaves the press box at Western Michigan to watch from the end zone front row. The Star let them simulate that angle for NFL-caliber talent. It felt like the same sightline scouts used.

The Detroit Lions need offensive line help. Everyone does, but this roster needs both tackles and guards. The conversation was set to start inside. Interior linemen drew attention during the week. The proximity to drills made it simple to focus on hand placement, anchor, and recovery in live reps.

One Detroit note stood out. Dan Skipper was on the field as one of the Lions coaches just days after he retired. Brown caught up with him on the sideline. Skipper sounded energized about coaching and eager to get started. That is a notable development for a locker room that values continuity and voice in the trenches.

The week at The Star offered uncommon clarity. Sideline access. End zone angles. Scouts elbow to elbow. A quick chat with Dante Corleone. And a sharpened picture of the Detroit Lions’ offensive line priorities as the NFL calendar turns to team-building.

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Jeff Risdon is not in Mobile, but he is deep in the Panini Senior Bowl practice film. The Detroit Lions Podcast zeroed in on five defensive players who stood out on the first day. The lens stayed on the defensive front. Think day two or day three targets, with one possible first-rounder in the mix.

The Senior Bowl staff set up on-demand practice cutups for those not on site. That access matters. The tape shows pace, drills, and assignments without the noise. The Detroit Lions need disruption and discipline up front. Day 1 offered both, and the film backed it up.

TJ Parker of Clemson checked in at 6-foot-3 and three-quarters, 263 pounds, with 33.25-inch arms. That falls within the Detroit Lions’ edge profile, even if it is smaller than Josh Paschal and lighter than Hutch by 10 to 15 pounds. The game is power to speed. He does not flash the same speed to power you see from Hutch or Micah Parsons, but he carries force through contact.

Parker plays the run on the way to the pass. On Day 1, the team drills told the story. He stacked and shed on the edge. He got into the backfield and stayed assignment-sound. No freelancing. No lost contain. That backside contain matters in the Kelvin Sheppard defense. He must improve his get-off and block deconstruction, but the traits align with what Detroit wants.

If the board falls a certain way, Parker fits the conversation at number 17 overall. The measurements are close enough. The role is clear. The tape shows a defender who can set an edge, disrupt, and finish within structure.

Every single player in Mobile meets with every NFL team. It is scheduled. It runs 10 to 15 minutes per club. Do not get swept up in “met with” posts. That is the format. Informal chats still happen after practice, like when Ray Agnew once spoke with Hendon Hooker, but those are not the only touchpoints. The universal meetings keep players engaged in the process and give teams baseline exposure.

Michigan edge Derek Moore delivered a whopper of a first day. The clip made the rounds on social media. The key is that it was not a one-off flash. The first look showed power, urgency, and finish from a Big Ten frame. As the week continues, the team periods will confirm whether that surge holds when the offense hits back. For a Detroit Lions front seeking reliable force and clean edges, Day 1 put Moore firmly on the radar.

The Detroit Lions Podcast will keep grinding the cutups as the practices roll. Day 1 gave Detroit clear defensive front options. The tape will decide who sticks.

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Detroit moved on offense. Yesterday the Detroit Lions hired Mike Kafka to an unspecified but prominent role. He is the former Giants interim head coach and offensive coordinator. He also coached quarterbacks in Kansas City under Andy Reid with Patrick Mahomes. His calling card is aggressive creativity and adaptability. He has shown he can build an attack around the talent on hand, not just the playbook. With backups at key spots, no Malik Nabers, and a battered line, his offense still put up points. The concepts were fresh. The execution fit the personnel.

Drew Petzing is the offensive coordinator. He is most notable for work with tight ends in Cleveland. In Arizona, his plans were limited by personnel, but the structure was sound. Petzing comes from the Kevin Stefanski tree. Kafka arrives from a different West Coast branch. The Detroit Lions are rooted in West Coast principles. Timing and spacing in the passing game matter. So do route combinations, gap and duo runs, and a little zone. Kafka is experienced in aggressive play calls. Petzing can marry that with tight end usage and practicality.

The staff must correct a 2024 problem. After injuries, the offense often ran like Sam LaPorta and Frank Ragnow were still in the huddle. Brock Wright is not Sam LaPorta. Anthony Firkser is not Brock Wright. Yet the calls asked them to be. Dan Campbell eventually took over play calling, and the buck landed on him. Now the buck will be shared. Two proven offensive coordinators sit on staff. That should drive faster adjustments and better fits when injuries hit.

One reason Kafka's title is not set yet: Scotty Montgomery, the assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, is in Baltimore interviewing for the Ravens OC job under Jesse Minter. There is a real chance he gets it. If he leaves, Kafka can step into a senior offensive assistant role that leans into the passing game and receivers. Quarterbacks are covered with Mark Brunell. Another option is passing game coordinator. David Shaw holds that post as of this recording. He came to Detroit through his connection with John Morton after working together in Denver. Shaw's son just transferred to Stanford from UCLA. That could pull him west. It would not be a surprise if the title board changes again before the combine.

The Detroit Lions Podcast framed it plainly. The Lions added two sharp minds who value fit, spacing, and flexibility. That should raise the floor on Sundays in the NFL and sharpen the ceiling when everyone is healthy.

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