Three days into training camp, three thoughts on what we’ve seen and heard from the Detroit Lions so far:
Jahmyr Gibbs gab
Let’s start with Jahmyr Gibbs, who hasn’t practiced yet this summer while awaiting a new deal. Gibbs’ “hold in” appears set to extend into next week, but there’s no need to press the panic button on this situation yet.
The Lions and their star running back appeared far apart on a new deal heading into summer, when indications were the team wasn’t ready to make Gibbs the highest-paid RB in the NFL.
I don’t know how contract talks have progressed in recent weeks. Neither the team nor Gibbs’ agent are providing updates. But these deals usually have a way of working themselves out.
This is not a Micah Parsons situation, like what the Dallas Cowboys went through with their star pass rusher last year. Parsons reported to camp but didn’t practice while awaiting a new contract, claiming a “back injury” – presumably similar to the one Gibbs is dealing with now.
Negotiations got so contentious between Parsons and the Cowboys that Dallas traded him to Green Bay for defensive lineman Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Packers made Parsons the highest-paid defensive end in football, and the trade looked like a steal for Green Bay … until Parsons tore his ACL.
Unlike Parsons, Gibbs is not in the last year of his contract, and the Lions have no plans to shop him to the highest bidder this summer. The Lions control Gibbs’ rights for at least two more seasons (with a potential franchise tag waiting in 2028 if no new deal is done), and Lions ownership isn’t the type to butt Gibbs’ agent aside and try to do a deal on its own.
As a general rule, I don’t think it’s great business to pay running backs market-setting money, and I’d be leery of handing Gibbs that type of coin if I was the Lions. But I also don’t think the Lions have much of a choice at this point.
If I was Gibbs, I wouldn’t sign a contract that didn’t make me the league’s highest-paid RB and, given how the Lions have lavished so many new deals on recent draft picks, that’s the expectation in the locker room.
“Just looking for Jahmyr to get what he deserves, that’s it,” third-year running back Sione Vaki told a small group of reporters Thursday, July 30.
Vaki and other players have said they’ve been in regular contact with Gibbs during his “hold-in,” and Vaki said Gibbs has “emphasized” to him “he definitely wants to be out here” practicing with his teammates.
“It’s just the business,” Vaki said. “He definitely wants to be with his teammates, but he’s that kind of guy so anytime we get to see him we’re still loving him up, telling him just do what you got to do.”
Vaki said everyone in the locker room understands “hold-ins” are part of business in the NFL, and Gibbs will be back make electrifying plays on the field soon.
“For a player like Jah, yeah, most definitely,” Vaki said. “He’s definitely not just putting himself first for selfish reasons. But yeah, it is what it is.”
Chemistry 101
Dan Campbell has talked twice in three days about the importance of chemistry, specifically on the offensive line and in the defensive secondary.
And while it’s not exactly news those two units need to work well together for any team to reach its potential, it’s clear how big an emphasis that it is for the Lions this year.
The Lions overhauled their offensive line this offseason and are navigating major injury and personnel issues in their secondary.
Up front, they added new starters at center (Cade Mays in free agency) and right tackle (Blake Miller in the draft), moved their best player (Penei Sewell) from right to left tackle and have three players competing for the left guard job. That’s four potential new starters – or starters in new spots, at least – in a group where the league’s best lines have been together for years.
In the secondary, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch remain out indefinitely while rehabbing knee and Achilles injuries, respectively, and the Lions are sorting through replacement options for Terrion Arnold at cornerback. Both Joseph and Branch could be back early in the season, but especially with Joseph’s balky knee there’s no telling for sure.
At the two position groups that require the most cohesiveness, the Lions are rolling the dice they can develop it in six weeks this summer.
“I say this all the time, but between the O-line and the DBs, I feel like that’s the most correlation when you start talking about communication and how they flow,” Campbell said. “And a lot of times, things happen without a word being said. Once you really get to know the guy you’re next to and you got a smart, headsy group and they’re pretty aware and instinctive is, man, you start anticipating these things, you start anticipating the movement, the spikes, the pressure, and you’re working all as one.”
The Lions didn’t always seem to be working as one on offense last season and that contributed to their struggles early in the year. And because Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow missed significant practice time with injuries, they never found the continuity they needed on the offensive line.
Campbell said he thinks the line will be “better than what we had last year … and not just [by] a little bit.” I’m buying a step forward for the unit, though I don’t think the group with a rookie and second-year starter on the right side will be among the NFL’s elite again.
In the secondary, I’m optimistic that Joseph will be able to play meaningful defensive snaps this fall – and not just in October. He has gone hard in two workouts with trainers in front of reporters, and his playful demeanor is a complete reversal from the burden he carried last year.
But the reality is, there’s no telling how his knee will respond to the pounding of the season and there’s no guarantee Branch will return to his Pro Bowl form less than a year removed from his injury.
The Lions will start the season with a bottom-third-of-the-NFL secondary, and if Joseph and Branch don’t return healthy it could be a long year.
Expectations for Jamo
For all the concerns I have about the Lions secondary, I still think this is a team that can go a long way in the playoffs once the winter rolls around. The Lions’ offensive skill group looks as dynamic as ever in camp, and as long as Gibbs stays healthy upon his return – soft-tissue injuries are always a concern when a player misses time – they will be a tough team to stop.
I don’t think he qualifies as a breakout candidate considering he has topped 1,000 yards receiving each of the past two years, but if I had to single out a player to overshoot his consensus projections this fall, I’d take Jameson Williams.
Williams has been stupefying at times during camp, delivering some of the biggest highlights of the summer, including a contested catch over Ennis Rakestraw in one-on-one drills Friday. New offensive coordinator Drew Petzing seems to be leaning into Williams’ ability to get open deep.
“He’s doing all the little things right,” Campbell said. “That’s where he’s made the most growth, man. Watch his route definition, man, watch the details to it. Him dropping his weight, him pulling out, playing strong, catching the ball, reaching out, plucking. And, so with his ability, man, the sky’s the limit. And that’s what you’re starting to see.”
Williams has seen his receptions and yards tick up every year he’s been in the NFL and I’d bet on those numbers going up another notch this year.
Amon-Ra St. Brown should still lead this team in catches as Jared Goff’s favorite security blanket and one of the most well-rounded receivers in the game, but I won’t be surprised if Williams hits 75 catches, 1,250 yards or 10 touchdowns this year.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 thoughts after 3 days of Detroit Lions training camp
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
