The Detroit Lions have found themselves embroiled in some major offseason controversy. After numerous player suspensions and a few releases, the Lions have also cleaned out their front office.
Five Lions players got suspended for illegal gambling. Alongside the player punishments, several Detroit staff members, “in various departments,” have been dismissed due to their violation of the gambling policy, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
The staff members' names have not been revealed. However, it's clear the Lions' gambling problems went deeper than just the surface. After the firings, Detroit will look to move past its controversy and look towards the future.
Still, the Lions have suffered tremendously from the NFL rulings. Wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety CJ Moore were both suspended indefinitely for gambling on NFL games. Cephus appeared in 13 games as a rookie but had seemed to fall out of favor. Moore had recently signed a two-year extension with Detroit.
Wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill remain on the team, but they have both been suspended six games for betting on non-NFL games in the team's facility. Losing Williams is a major hit for the Lions. After missing most of his rookie season as he recovered from an ACL tear, Williams seemed poised to take a step forward in year two.
Now, his second run with the Lions will have to wait. For numerous Detroit staffers, that second chance will not come. The Lions' gambling scandal puts a dark cloud over the momentum Detroit had seemed to gained. With those who participated in the gambling now gone, the Lions will hope their franchise is in for better days.
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