Daily DLP: Mailbag Time! – Detroit Lions Podcast

Rapid-fire Lions mailbag from the DLP Slack

The Detroit Lions Podcast delivered a true mailbag. Questions came straight from the DLP Patreon Slack. No screening. Just quick, honest responses on the Detroit Lions, the OC search, and the NFL draft. The aim was immediacy and candor, with room to revise later if needed.

Draft focus: Why Caleb Tiernan makes sense

A listener asked for a favorite, not necessarily best, offensive tackle for Detroit. The answer landed on Caleb Tiernan from Northwestern. He is solid. He is not spectacular. He almost never loses a play. That reliability stood out. The point echoed what was missed with Kevin Zeitler at right guard this past season. Steady performance matters. The question also asked about draft range, but the focus here stayed on why his style fits what Detroit values up front.

OC search and the offensive identity

The OC search framed several questions. The sense here is that Dan wants to call plays. If he keeps calling plays, Antoine Randle El makes a whole lot of sense once the bear season’s over. The Detroit Lions are not trying to reinvent the wheel. There is a limited scope with Jared Goff as the quarterback, and the staff has maximized it. No reason to veer from that. Expect tweaks instead. The blocking scheme could be simplified after asking too much of players who could not execute those asks. Lean more on 11 personnel. Use less 12 personnel, especially when the two tight ends who are NFL worthy are injured. Those small choices can add up in the NFL.

Defensive tweaks that finally landed

On defense, mixing up the pass rush is a priority. There was progress late. Kelvin Shepherd adapted his defense. Over the last three games, the unit was pretty darn solid, even if the results did not always show it. There was more zone coverage. More stunts and twists. More asynchronous rushing. Tyleik Williams excelled at waiting a count, then attacking the double team flowing to Hutch. That showed up a couple of times in the Bears game, and it worked. The adaptation arrived late, and that is acknowledged, but the blueprint is there.

What’s next on the Detroit Lions Podcast

Another mailbag is coming in a few weeks. After the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl, the show will shift more draft-centric. Until then, enjoy the football, stay warm, and look out for one another.

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About the Author

Chris
Chris is the founder of everything you see here. A former radio presenter and Detroit native, he now resides in sunny California – and like so many of us, he found himself marooned on an island devoid of other Lions fans. After spending a few years in the Detroit Lions Reddit community he decided to start the Detroit Lions Podcast. Its become the #1 Detroit Lions podcast, and regularly ranks with the top podcasts in Detroit. With a mixture of pre-recorded shows, live & recorded phone-ins, and live post-game broadcasts - this is his slice of Honolulu Blue heaven.