Detroit

Lions

This subplot had a brief little surge ahead of the draft that led nowhere, but the Lions did trade up to take Isaac TeSlaa in the third round of the draft. While the team has publicly prioritized extensions for Aidan Hutchinson and Kerby Joseph, GM Brad Holmes has been more muted while talking about Williams. Williams is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract ahead of his fifth-year option. The actions here are speaking loudly to the idea of dealing Williams after getting one more productive year out of him. It should be said, none of this speculation impacts Williams’ fantasy value this season, and coaches have raved about him all offseason in John Morton’s more downfield-focused attack. But the Lions have not appeared to prioritize a Williams extension and this could shape up to be the last dance for him in Detroit.

Per Detroit Lions’ reporter Tim Twentyman, Choice believes “the sky is the limit” for Gibbs, whom he calls “one of the smartest running backs I’ve ever coached.” Choice is intimately familiar with Gibbs’ game, having “recruited and coached Gibbs at Georgia Tech.” While we would reasonably expect Gibbs, an elite back, to “consistently produce at a high level year after year,” Gibbs could feasibly take on a larger workload than the eighth-ranked 302 touches handled in his overall RB1 season last year. Gibbs is currently being drafted as the PPR RB3.

Campbell acknowledged that this is a conservative projection, giving Rodriguez at least some chance to return sooner. The Lions’ defense was hit hard by injuries last season, so the front office added a bevy of defenders via both the draft and free agency. Hopefully, Rodriguez returns in full force in time for a playoff push.

There is more to be learned on this issue, but it stands to reason that the cleanup procedure is linked to the right knee injury he suffered while filling in on punt return duties against the Colts in Week 12. St. Brown was listed as questionable for the Lions’ Week 13, Thanksgiving game against the Bears, but did suit up for the occasion, catching 5-of-7 targets for 73 yards. St. Brown is known for playing through injuries, and doing so effectively, so fantasy managers should not be overly concerned. As long as he makes a full recovery and is indeed on the field by training camp, he should again deliver season-long WR1 results.

Campbell giving props to his starters is nothing new. The Williams drumbeat has been marching onward all offseason and has no end in sight. Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the most electric backs in the NFL. It’s no surprise he’s standing out in padless practices. The most interesting name of the bunch, outside of a handful of defenders Campebll also shouted out, is LaPorta. The third-year tight end took a step back in 2024, going from 86 receptions for 889 yards as a rookie to 60 grabs for 726 yards and three fewer touchdowns. LaPorta got a slow start to the year and was then hampered by ankle and shoulder injuries. After making noise in early offseason practices, it’s safe to assume this is the healthiest he has been since his rookie season. Even if LaPorta’s target volume is capped by the surrounding talent in Detroit, his involvement as a red zone weapon alone keeps him in the middle of the TE1 mix.

The move gives Detroit some interior offensive line depth following center Frank Ragnow’s abrupt retirement. Colon started seven games at right guard for the Cardinals last season. He previously made starts at left guard in Arizona and earned a handful of spot starts at center while in Baltimore. His addition will create some flexibility in the trenches for Detroit even if he doesn’t win a starting job in camp.

Ragnow and linebacker Alex Anzalone were the only players not in attendance for this week’s OTAs. While Anzalone has made it clear with social media posts that he’s unhappy with his contract situation, it appears that Ragnow also wants a new deal. The 29-year-old center signed an extension in 2021 to make him the highest-paid center at the time. His current deal, which runs through the 2026 season, is just fourth in average annual value among centers and has no guaranteed money remaining. Ragnow is still at the top of his game, coming in as PPF’s highest-graded run blocking center in 2024 (90.9). Lions coach Dan Campbell downplayed the absences, mentioning that he’s been in contact with both players and that there’s still a month to go before training camp. While the Lions have handed out many extensions in the last two years, the front office is aware that a cap crunch is looming in the years ahead, which could put a strain on negotiations with veteran players like Ragnow and Anzalone.

Williams showed his full potential as a playmaker for the Lions in 2024. The former first-round pick posted career-highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (1,001), and receiving touchdowns (7) while averaging an explosive 17.3 YPR. Hopes appear sky high for Williams heading into this season after new offensive coordinator John Morton said he expects a “breakout year” for him in 2025, and Campbell added this week that the “sky’s the limit” for the speedster. Williams’ success on the field resulted in him averaging 13.7 PPR per game for fantasy managers last season, although he only produced a top-24 week in 40 percent of his games. He may remain a bit of a boom-or-bust option next season, but he has a chance to be an impactful player on deeper rosters as a home run threat WR3/WR4.

Terms weren’t announced. The former Texans stalwart has become a journeyman, spending 2022 with the Titans, 2023 with the Eagles, and 2024 with the Broncos. He didn’t start any games in Denver last year. He’ll play a role for the Lions in camp as they deal with Alex Anzalone holding out.

Morton previously worked as a senior offensive assistant with Campbell’s 2022 Lions squad before serving as the Broncos’ pass game coordinator in 2023-2024. While Birkett expects “the Lions to throw the ball downfield more under Morton,” we can also safely expect Morton to continue featuring Jahmyr Gibbs in the passing game. Both Campbell’s 2022-2024 Lions offenses and the Broncos’ 2023-2024 offenses ranked top 12 in total targets thrown to the running back position annually. Gibbs should again contend for the overall RB1 spot in PPR formats.