It's OTA season for NFL teams, and a number of organizations are hoping to develop talent and find hidden gems among their players. One such team is the Detroit Lions, who are gearing up for another campaign with head coach Dan Campbell. Amid their ongoing activities, it seems like the Lions' eagerness for physical play backfired on them this Friday.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter posted a picture of Campbell on Instagram and added a caption that goes as follows:
“Lions admitted they ‘violated player work rules pertaining to on-field physical contact pursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreement' and they now will forfeit their Monday, June 10 practice.”
For more context, the NFL has a collective bargaining agreement with its Players Association, which includes parameters and regulations for offseason workout programs. Live contact is prohibited during OTAs and is generally reserved for the teams' mandatory training camps, which start in late July.
Campbell and the Lions will be missing a day's practice, but that sure won't stop them from regrouping and continuing where they left off. Detroit is coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory, appearing in the NFC Championship for the first time in over three decades. They missed out on a Super Bowl appearance by just a few points, but the team's offseason moves indicate that they could very well be a championship contender once again.
The Lions have been making quality moves
The Lions were able to re-sign star QB Jared Goff, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and lineman Penei Sewell. In addition, Detroit was able to make the most out of free agency. The team may have parted ways with C.J. Gardner Johnson, Josh Reynolds, and Jonah Jackson, but they gained plenty of new names in return. D.J. Reader (DT), Carlton Davis (CB), and Marcus Davenport (DE) will be boosting the defense, while lineman Kevin Zeitler enters the picture to replace Jackson at guard.
Looking at the holdovers, most of last year's faces are still present. On offense, (besides Goff and St. Brown), Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, Kalif Raymond, and Jameson Williams will be tallying yards for the Lions once again. As for the defense, Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph are expected to do what they do best: wreak havoc on the field.
Add in the young prospects that Detroit drafted during April and the team looks more formidable than ever.
As historic as last year's run was, Dan Campbell and everyone else are surely unsatisfied. The Lions have yet to win a Super Bowl, with their last NFL Championship occurring in 1957. If there's a time for them to change all that, it's now. The front office has done what it needs to. All that's left is a campaign that'll give the Detroit fandom what it has longed for all these years.
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