On Thursday, while meeting with reporters, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell noted that the team may be looking to add some ‘girth’ to his defensive line.
With John Penisini retiring, the Lions only have two defensive linemen on their current roster who weigh over 300 pounds, compared to the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears, who combine for 21 300-pounders.
Prior to Thursday’s practice, Campbell spoke to the media and he made it clear that the Lions’ defense cannot allow themselves to “get road graded.”
“Look, it goes without saying, you better be disruptive then,” Campbell said on Day 2 of training camp. “We’ve got to hit these gaps. We’ve got to hit the blocks. We can’t allow ourselves to get road graded. Now, I would tell you this: I do think that we may need a little bit more girth up front. I wouldn’t say that we’re not looking for that, or won’t be.”
So, who are some players the Lions could consider to help beef up their defensive line?
Could Detroit Lions bring back old to help with ‘girth’ issue
One player the Detroit Lions should consider to beef up their defensive line just so happens to be an old friend.
That “old friend” is Danny Shelton.
Shelton, who is now 28, was originally selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round (No. 12 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He spent the 2020 season with the Lions, under the “guidance” of head coach Matt Patricia. In 12 games that season (all starts), Shelton had 31 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
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At 6-2, 345 pounds, Shelton is a “space eater” who is more than capable of helping a team stuff the run. In fact, back when he actually played for a good coach (Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots), he was part of a team that shut down Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.
One thing is for sure, if the Lions bring back Danny Shelton, he will certainly be playing for a MUCH better coaching staff than he did during his last stint in Detroit when he played for arguably the worst coaching staff in franchise history.
Nation, would you like to see the Detroit Lions bring back Danny Shelton for a second go-around?
