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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton addressed the media on Tuesday as the Lions intensify their offseason training with the imminent commencement of OTAA practices in the coming weeks. Below are my 10 most significant observations from that media interaction. One, do not anticipate major overhauls in the offensive approach compared to last year’s scheme under Ben Johnson. Morton indicated that the adjustments would be more nuanced, focusing on integrating some elements from previous experiences that he knows are effective in this league. I’m not altering much, he stated. I mean, why? Two, the Lions have entered phase two of the offseason training program, allowing coaches to participate alongside players in both individual and group drills. Morton expressed his excitement about the array of talent he is inheriting in an offense that topped the NFL in scoring. 332 PPG and total touchdowns ox 70 last season. The team retains two running backs, Jamir Gibbs and David Montgomery, and two receivers, Aean Raw St. Brown and Jameson Williams, all of whom achieved at least 1,000 scrimmage yards last year. Three, regarding Williams, Morton remarked that he has never encountered a player demonstrating such extraordinary speed and explosiveness. He believes Williams is on the verge of a breakout season in 2025, particularly noting the focus he has displayed in meetings and his attention to detail. Morton characterized himself as an aggressive play caller and is eager to utilize Williams in open space and behind opposing defenses within his offensive strategy. Four, the Lions conducted a rookie mini camp last week and Morton was struck by the minimal number of mental errors made by the offensive rookies. He noted that this was an unusual rookie camp in this aspect. This bodess well for the prospects of newcomers like Tate Rattlage, Isaac Tlea W, and Miles Frasier, to have significant early contributions on offense. Five. Morton is fully aware of head coach Dan Campbell’s boldness in fourth down situations. He indicated that this will be an enjoyable dimension of his role this year. Campbell will discuss the fourth down strategy with him each week in preparation for the game. When they reach specific areas on the field, Morton understands that his mentality as a play caller must adjust, keeping in mind that going for it on fourth down is a possibility. Six. Morton recognizes that he is succeeding a highly accomplished offensive coordinator and play caller in Johnson who has now taken the head coaching position in Chicago. He remarked that this does not add any undue pressure to his responsibilities. It is important to remember that Morton was part of the staff in 2022 when this offense was developed and many of the concepts that have been familiar over the last 3 years were implemented with his involvement. He intends to create his own vision of what this offense will represent in 2025. Seven. In 2016, Morton was serving as the wide receivers’s coach in New Orleans when Michael Thomas entered the league as a rookie. He remarked that they successfully maximized Thomas’ potential at an early stage, 92 receptions for 1,37 yards and nine touchdowns by avoiding overwhelming him initially. Morton explained that they provided him with a limited number of route concepts to master, gradually expanding his responsibilities each subsequent year. This strategy is expected to be applied to the rookie Tess Laya, focusing on identifying his strengths and preferences early on and then enhancing those aspects within the offensive scheme. Eight. While discussing the remarkable speed and explosiveness of Williams and expressing his eagerness to utilize those traits, Morton also referred to Gibbs in a similar context. He perceives both athletes as comparably explosive and has never previously worked with a running back and receiver combination that boasts such explosiveness. This scenario must be quite exhilarating for a new offensive coordinator. Stepping into a situation with such abundant speed and capacity for game-changing plays in those positions. In a recent video from the Detroit Lions social media department, various organization members expressed their most anticipated matchups for the 2025 season. With the schedule now released, the team can clearly see its trajectory for the 2025 campaign. It starts with a game at Lambo Field, concludes with a visit to Soldier Field, and includes 11 matchups against teams that made the playoffs in the previous year. The social media team displayed the logos of each opponent on a table, enabling the players to choose their favorite matchups as they walked past. Wide receiver Jameson Williams did not select any logos, but instead made a statement. There’s no one out there who can compete with us, bro. Williams declared, “Be sure to capture that on video, too.” Defensive end Aiden Hutchinson finds the matchup against Pittsburgh in week 16 particularly thrilling as it will allow him to reunite with former Michigan teammate and Steelers defensive lineman Julius Welshoff. Running back David Montgomery opted for the week five clash with the Bengals, asserting, “If you know, you know. This one is personal.” New defensive back DJ Reed took his time examining the logos before ultimately deciding to pick up each one. Quarterback Andis Raikstraw is looking forward to the team’s week 14 Thursday night football game against the Dallas Cowboys as he was raised in Texas. Quarterback Henden Hooker also chose the Cowboys. recently signed veteran quarterback Kyle Allen selected both the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers as he has previously played for both teams. In a similar manner, defensive lineman Pat O’Conor picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with whom he spent six seasons before joining the Lions. Defensive back Maurice Norris was among those who chose the Commanders, stating, “We need that.” in reference to seeking retribution for the playoff loss from the prior season. First round draft choice Tyreek Williams selected the Minnesota Vikings given that the division rival chose his college roommate Donovan Jackson in the first round. Multiple athletes expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to compete against the defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, with Malcolm Rodriguez and offensive lineman Coyote Aosa being among them. Players who opted for the Kansas City Chiefs included wide receiver Ronnie Bell, tight end Kenny Yabboa, and cornerback Khalil Dorsy. Bell is especially eager for the week six contest as he hails from Missouri. Bell and Raikstraw were not the sole players to choose their local teams. Offensive lineman Colby Sorsdoll, a Pittsburgh native, selected the Steelers. Defensive lineman Isaac Uku from Maryland opted for both the Commanders and the Ravens. A duo of rookies, offensive lineman Miles Frasier and defensive lineman Akmed Hassan, each displayed all the team logos, signifying their enthusiasm for every matchup. Veteran offensive lineman Jamarco Jones chose the Bears, who are coached by former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Detroit Lions have gone off the clock and returned to their schedule. The NFL is set to unveil the regular season schedules for all 32 teams in its official announcement on Wednesday, May 14th. The announcement will be aired on the NFL network and made available for streaming on the NFL’s digital platform, including the NFL Plus app and NFL Kamea. While all of the Lions opponents are already known, the specific sequence of their matchups remains to be seen. Moreover, it is understood that the Lions will face a difficult path toward the Super Bowl, possessing the third toughest regular season schedule within the NFL, as noted by betting analyst Warren Sharp. Additionally, due to their participation in the preseason Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, the Lions will engage in four preseason games instead of the traditional three. Although the official schedule release is not scheduled until Wednesday, the NFL has a history of leaking notable matchups and significant games in advance of the actual unveiling and this process has already commenced. We will provide all the speculation, updates, and key highlights regarding the Lions schedule release in this space. Despite the Lions having a greater number of away games, nine, compared to home games 8, in 2025, they will have the fourth shortest travel itinerary among all NFL franchises for the next regular season. According to Bill Sparrow, the Lions are expected to log approximately 11,411 m during the 2025 regular season, ranking behind only the Cincinnati Bengals, 8,53 miles. Buffalo Bills 10,546 miles and the Baltimore Ravens 10,747 m. In contrast, the Los Angeles Chargers are anticipated to break the record this year with 37,000 86 miles traveled, attributed to a series of East Coast games and a week one contest in Brazil. Part of the Lions reduced travel schedule can be credited to their closeness to their NFC North rivals. Both the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears fall within the lower tier of NFL teams, each anticipated to travel less than 13,000 m, while the Minnesota Vikings will approach 20,000 m due to consecutive international games in Dublin and London during weeks four and 5. Among the 32 NFL teams, 16 have at least one regular season game for 2025, officially confirmed. The Lions are included among the 16 teams yet to have a game confirmed. To add to the peculiar situation, each of the divisional rivals of the Lions has two confirmed games scheduled, whereas the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles possess four officially confirmed matchups. We have information about all the Lions adversaries detailed below and are certain the Lions will host their annual Thanksgiving game at 100 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 27th. Beyond this event, however, details remain uncertain. The Lions are not slated for an international regular season game in 2025, while the Minnesota Vikings are set to partake in two consecutive overseas engagements. The first encounter is scheduled for September 28th against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croak Park in Dublin, Ireland. A week thereafter, on October 5th, they will compete against the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. In both contests, the Vikings are the designated visiting team. The NFL still has one international matchup to disclose, featuring a September 5th contest between the Los Angeles Chargers and a yet to beannounced opponent in Brazil. However, since the Lions are not on the calendar to face the Chargers in 2025, fans of the Lions will not need to arrange any international trips to support their team. One aspect that poses challenges for assessment at this time of year as NFL teams commence their rookie mini camp and OTAA sessions is the performance at the line of scrimmage, particularly among the offensive and defensive linemen. It is not until training camp kicks off, the pads are dawned, and the intensity of physical play escalates that a clearer evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of both lines can be made. However, attributes such as size, athleticism, and technique are observable early in the process, and Detroit’s second round selection, Tate Ratled, Georgia interior offensive lineman, exemplifies this as the Lions initiated their rookie mini camp at the Meyer Performance Center on Friday morning. Following the selection of Rat Ledge with the number 57 overall pick, Lions general manager Brad Holmes informed the media that the strategy was to train him in both guard positions and at center. During Friday’s mini camp practice, the first position Rattlage occupied was center during the primary team period. It is distinct from guard, of course, Rattlage remarked. I’m pleased I have previous experience playing center, so it’s not entirely new for me. I’m reacquainting myself with the position. The Lions feature allp pro center Frank Ragnau, but will aim for an open competition for his backup role in 2025 and thereafter. Currently, this position is held by veteran Graham Glasgow. However, it is widely acknowledged that competition fosters success in this league. Ratlledge indicated that his current priority is to familiarize himself with the playbook and the strategies employed at all three interior positions, allowing him to enhance his speed of play and potentially vive for an immediate playing opportunity at one of the two starting guard roles. You have to communicate much more, Rattlage remarked regarding the center position. It’s essential to understand the safety alignments and similar elements. As a guard, you primarily await direction from the center about your assignments. Conversely, in the center role, you are responsible for directing your teammates. Ratlage finds himself in a favorable situation in Detroit, where there are likely two vacancies at his position, situated among three allpro and pro bowl athletes. Ragnau, right tackle pane Su and left tackle Taylor Decker. The Lions appreciate Rattlage’s resilience and his capability to maneuver and execute blocks in open spaces. Qualities that position him favorably in the contest for starting guard alongside veterans Glasgow and Christian Mahogany. “It’s a dream to be here,” Rattlage stated following practice on Friday. “I couldn’t have asked for a more ideal situation to join this team in this program.” Rattlage intends to continue working diligently on mastering the playbook, assimilating the strategies, and demonstrating that he can serve as a versatile asset within the interior of Detroit’s offensive line. “At the moment, my objectives are to absorb this playbook as thoroughly as possible and to position myself advantageously for training camp and competition,” he expressed. He has observed a significant amount of Detroit’s offensive line performance over the years with his attention increasing since being drafted by the team. He admires the mentality exhibited by the group and their determination to complete blocks. He believes it aligns perfectly with his style of play. After analyzing the film, he looks forward to gaining insights from a team whose playing approach reflects his own, particularly in their enthusiasm for finishing blocks and playing until the whistle.
