Earlier in the Week, Dan Campbell alluded to the fact that things just weren’t working for Rookie Aidan Hutchinson and that they were going to look to make adjustments as needed to give him as much room to improve and find opportunities as possible.
New faces on the Line – Demetrius Taylor makes his debut
Undrafted rookie defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor will make his NFL debut this Sunday against the New England Patriots as the Detroit Lions’ new big Defensive End. Taylor most recently played inside as a Defensive Tackle during the Lions Training Camp but is not new to the Defensive End position.
http://gty.im/1340095040“I played there in college, so it’s like I’m comfortable out there,” Taylor said Wednesday. “It’s just me making the calls and making sure everybody’s on the same page. So that’s like another thing that I don’t want to mess up on, so every time I get it I’m just trying to be as loud as I can so everybody on the D-line is on one accord.”
Demetrius Taylor via Dave Birkett – Detroit Free Press
Aidan Hutchinson looks to find his way
The move to shift Aidan Hutchinson off of the big Defensive End position comes after the rookie struggled to make an impact over the first four games of the season and after the Detroit Lions gave up 48 points against the Seattle Seahawks.
http://gty.im/1429693053Aidan Hutchinson has played primarily out of the Lions’ big end spot in base defensive packages through the first four games of the season, with Charles Harris at the rush end position. He will now shift around the line to see where the young rookie can succeed more.
While Hutchinson leads the Lions with three sacks, all three sacks came in a week two win against the Washington Commanders. He is now one of the most double-teamed linemen in the league.
Demetrius Taylor is ready to make an impact
6′ 1, 295lb Taylor will bring size to the Defensive end position, helping with the struggling run defense. Aidan Hutchinson is tall and lean, at 6’7, and 264 lbs.
“We’re really motivated to fix everything cause as a defense you’re thinking, ‘Man, the offense is putting up 30 points a game, you shouldn’t lose,’ so it’s like it’s on us,” Taylor said. “We know it’s on us to fix what we got going on and that’s what we plan on doing.”
Demetrius Taylor via Dave Birkett – Detroit Free Press
Taylor, who has yet to play a game this year, learned that he would be suiting up on Twitter as Dan Campbell shared his thoughts during his weekly radio show on Tuesday. By Wednesday, Taylor took his first reps with the team during practice.
Other Defensive Adjustments
- Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson (finger) – is slated to return on Sunday
