Detroit Lions News - A Detroit Lions Podcast

JC Sports Network
  • 4.9 (18)
  • Football
  • Updated Weekly

On the Detroit Lions News Podcast, We will bring you everything Detroit Lions as well as the NFL. The newest Lions Podcast is here, and we will break it all down for you!

  1. 6d ago

    Is This Brad Holmes’ Best Front 7? Detroit Lions Roster Reaction & Jared Goff Analysis

    The Detroit Lions set their initial 53-man roster on August 26, 2026, and the biggest surprise was who was not on it: wide receiver and punt returner Greg Dortch, who signed with the Buffalo Bills practice squad within a day. Joe Chapp and James break down the full 53, the 14-man practice squad that dropped live during this episode, why cornerback Ennis Rakestraw made the roster over more productive options, and what the Lions still have to fix before week one. WHAT HAPPENED ON CUTDOWN DAY Detroit kept five running backs and only four wide receivers. Tyler Conklin and Greg Dortch were both released. No Lions player was claimed off waivers by another team. Troy Reeder signed with the New York Jets practice squad. The initial Detroit practice squad came in at 14 players, two short of the 16 allowed. THE PRACTICE SQUAD, AS ANNOUNCED Luke Altmyer, Joe Bachie, Amarius Brown, Devin Cochran, Thomas Gordon, Lucky Jackson, Tom Kennedy, Anthony Lucas, Mason Miller, Chris Smith, Ben Stille, Nick Whiteside, Tyree West, plus linebacker Amen Ababgbemega. Eric Hunter, Tyler Conklin and Greg Dortch did not make it. QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE Why did the Detroit Lions cut Greg Dortch? Who returns punts for the Lions in week one? Should Ennis Rakestraw have made the 53-man roster? Is this the best front seven of the Brad Holmes era? Who wins the NFC North in 2026? Why does Jared Goff get sacked less than almost any quarterback in the league when pressured? CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro & 53-Man Roster Gymnastics 01:47 - Practice Squad Gymnastics & Early Additions 02:44 - Ben Bartsch, Mason Miller & Offensive Line Depth 08:21 - Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Roster Debate & Coverage Metrics 10:10 - Comparing Rakestraw to Historical Draft Pick Trends 13:15 - Secondary Depth: Amarius Brown & Keith Abney 19:26 - BREAKING: Greg Dortch Signs with Bills Practice Squad 20:09 - Why Cut Dortch? Speculating Dan Campbell & Roster Roles 24:03 - Jacob Saylors Preseason Breakout & Running Back Room 25:47 - Isiah Pacheco Injury Concerns & RB2 Outlook 27:37 - Defensive Line Standouts: Skylar Gil-Howard & Eric O'Neill 32:00 - Front 7 Deep Dive: Is This Brad Holmes' Deepest Group Yet? 32:29 - Linebacker Room: Jack Campbell's Rise & Devin White's Role 37:32 - Troy Reeder Disappointment & Linebacker Cuts 41:06 - Trevor Nowaske's Versatility & Sam Linebacker Role 45:24 - Greg Dortch to Buffalo Reaction & WR Depth Concerns 51:17 - NFC North Overview: Packers, Josh Jacobs & Off-Field News 53:41 - Vikings Quarterback Situation & Defensive Concerns 55:01 - Bears Offensive Line Losses & Caleb Williams' Bad Throw Rate 1:08:04 - Jared Goff vs. Caleb Williams: Pressure & Sack Metrics 1:09:57 - Interior D-Line Pressure: Alim McNeill & Tyleik Williams 1:17:55 - Calvin Sheppard's DC Growth & Play-Calling Dynamics 1:23:20 - Lions 2024 Unlucky Metrics: Fumble Recoveries & Penalties 1:29:38 - Injury Luck & Super Bowl Contender Trends 1:30:38 - BREAKING: Official 14-Player Practice Squad Announced 1:30:50 - Analyzing Practice Squad Additions: Whiteside, Stille & Kennedy 1:31:27 - Notable Omissions: Greg Dortch, Tyler Conklin & Eric Hunter 1:37:58 - Final Thoughts & Season Opener Outlook

  2. Aug 24

    The Lions' Last Two Roster Spots Are Brutal

    Detroit Lions 53-man roster projection — we built the full roster live on the show with one preseason game left. Plus takeaways from the Washington game, stock up / stock down, and the center problem nobody is talking about. Joe Chapp and James (@Section344Lions) go position by position on the Detroit Lions roster: Juice Scruggs locking down the center job, Cedric Wilson landing on IR, Jackson Meeks playing his way onto the team, the backup quarterback battle between Josh Dobbs and Luke Altmyer, and the linebacker logjam that comes down to one open spot. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro — James kicks a field goal at Ford Field 02:54 Washington takeaways: Juice Scruggs is the starting center 04:38 Cedric Wilson to IR and Jackson Meeks' case for a roster spot 08:48 What losing Kendrick Law actually cost this team 11:23 Defending Juice Scruggs against the Twitter reaction 14:46 The safety and nickel picture is changing 17:54 PFF grades and the defensive line depth 22:33 Is this defense deeper than the offense? 24:34 The backup QB reality: Josh Dobbs vs. Luke Altmyer 32:09 Stock Up / Stock Down — six players each 41:17 Luke Altmyer's pressure numbers say a lot 42:58 Building the 53: quarterbacks and running backs 46:32 Receivers and tight ends — do you keep four or five? 48:52 The offensive line and the left guard spot 50:19 The center problem and who's available elsewhere 55:18 Defensive line: who makes it 58:30 The linebacker logjam 1:02:09 Cornerbacks, safeties and specialists 1:06:53 The last two spots on the roster 1:15:21 The final 53, position by position 1:19:52 Preseason finale: what actually matters 1:23:44 Around the league: the Colts QB mess 1:25:16 The 2027 QB class and the JJ McCarthy question 1:28:05 Wrap

  3. Aug 17

    Detroit Lions Stock Up & Stock Down After Preseason Opener! | Roster Battles & Injury News

    The Detroit Lions News Podcast is back to break down a rain-drenched preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals! Who boosted their stock for the 53-man roster, and who fell short? In this episode, we evaluate standout performances from Ahmad Hassaneen , Keith Abney , Skylar Gil Howard , and Blake Miller. We also dive into Dan Campbell’s injury updates regarding Jameson Williams and Levi Onwuzurike , the interior offensive line battle featuring Tate Ratledge and Juice Scruggs , and Dan Campbell's plan to play a "significant amount of starters" against the Washington Commanders! 00:00 - Opening & Bengals Preseason Opener 02:15 - Standout Rookies: Keith Abney & Jacob Saylors 05:45 - Defensive Gems: Ahmad Hassaneen & Skylar Gil Howard 09:15 - Trench Evaluation: Blake Miller's NFL Debut 13:30 - Backup QB Battle: Luke Altmyer vs. Joshua Dobbs 17:00 - Cornerback Room & 53-Man Roster Crunch 21:30 - EDGE Depth & Marcus Davenport News 26:00 - Practice Context: DBs vs. Amon-Ra & JAMO 34:30 - Injury Updates & Dan Campbell’s Preseason Announcement 39:00 - Interior Offensive Line: Tate Ratledge at Center? 50:00 - Special Teams Snap Counts & Kick Return Search 58:30 - Interior D-Line: Chris Smith & Levi Onwuzurike Setback 1:06:30 - Linebacker Competition 1:10:00 - Running Back Room & Free Agent Market 1:13:00 - Saints WR Injury, Red Wings News & Wrap-up

  4. Aug 11

    Cade Mays Is Out. Don't Panic.

    Cade Mays fractured a bone in his wrist and is expected to miss roughly 8-10 weeks, per Ian Rapoport. Dan Campbell says he will be back this season. Joe Chapp and James break down what the Lions actually have behind him, why this offensive line is built to survive it, and why the early schedule gives Detroit room to absorb it. Also on this episode: Teddy Bridgewater retires and the Lions sign Josh Dobbs, Isiah Pacheco's MCL sprain and the RB2 role, the Jahmyr Gibbs extension and where the running back market is heading, and a look ahead to Thursday's preseason opener against the Bengals. New episodes every Monday. Subscribe for Detroit Lions news, roster analysis, and film-informed takes all season. Follow the show: linktr.ee/detroitlionsnewspodcast

  5. Aug 3

    Lions Camp Day 5: Pads On, Gibbs Out, Branch Ahead Of Schedule

    The pads came on in Allen Park and the roster finally started separating itself. Joe Chapp and James break down Day 5 of Detroit Lions training camp: what the Devin White signing actually tells you about how Kelvin Sheppard plans to use him, why Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph doing side work is the biggest story of camp so far, where the Jahmyr Gibbs hold-in stands after his first comments to reporters, and who won the first day of one-on-ones. Covered in this episode: - Devin White's coverage numbers and why his role is likely situational behind Jack Campbell - Jimmy Rolder's hamstring, Derrick Moore's groin, Miles Kitselman, Lawrence Keys, Payton Turner and Ben Bartch - Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Tyler Conklin working off to the side - The Gibbs hold-in, the Bijan Robinson standoff, and what the number is likely to land at - Dan Campbell walking back the "bell cow" comment - The cornerback competition: Rock Ya-Sin, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Nick Whiteside - The 2025 luck data: 30th in field goal luck, last in fumble luck, most accepted penalties in the NFL - First padded practice one-on-ones: Hutchinson vs Sewell, Tyleik Williams, Blake Miller, Tyler Lacy, the left guard battle - Why no true nose tackle on the roster points to a more aggressive defensive front - Camp standouts: Cedrick Wilson Jr., Nick Whiteside, Ahmed Hassanein, Anthony Lucas New episodes every Monday through the preseason.

  6. Jul 27

    Lions Camp Is HERE: Gibbs Contract, New OC & Secondary Chaos

    Detroit Lions training camp is finally here. Full preview before veterans report Tuesday and practice starts on Wednesday. In this episode: • Jahmyr Gibbs contract — extension timing, hold-in vs. holdout, and why the Lions likely pay him • Todd France's agent track record (Aiyuk, Burns) and what it means for leverage • The running back room after trading Montgomery — Pacheco, and depth • Wide receiver 5 battle and Tom Kennedy's improbable path to the roster • Offensive line roster projection • BREAKING: Vita Vea trade request out of Tampa New episodes every Monday.

  7. Jun 18

    Dan Campbell's New Approach Sending Clear Message to Roster

    Joe Chapp and co-host James (Section 344 Lions) break down the end of Detroit Lions minicamp — and a Dan Campbell who looks and sounds different heading into 2025.   After a disappointing 2024 and the failed John Morton offensive coordinator hire, Campbell has stopped hyping individual players and is hammering one thing: competition within the roster. That puts Terrion Arnold squarely on notice at cornerback — he has to go earn his starting spot. We get into the new tone, the "pajama party in May" mindset, and why this version of Campbell makes sense.   Also in this episode: - Defensive end position grade: C+ (78/100, 14th-18th in the NFL) — up from a D- last year - Aidan Hutchinson third in Defensive Player of the Year odds - The Alim McNeill hype train — and a bold All-Pro prediction - Kelvin Sheppard's year two and what the front seven could look like - Jack Campbell's "win the North" interview with Brad Galli - Brendan Sorsby and the supplemental draft   Subscribe to the Detroit Lions News Podcast — we're pushing for 1,000 subscribers before training camp.   Hosted by Joe Chapp (JC Sports Detroit) and James (Section 344 Lions). Find us on X: @JCSportsDetroit and @Section344Lions   #DetroitLions #Lions #DanCampbell #TerrionArnold #AlimMcNeill #OnePride

  8. Jun 2

    Bold Moves & Building Right: Myles Garrett, Detroit's Schedule & the NFC Picture

    We're back. After a Memorial Day break, we came back to the table — and the NFL handed us a monster story before we even hit record. Myles Garrett is a Ram. Jared Verse is a Brown. And the trade that shook the NFC has Lions fans asking the same question they always ask: why not us? We break down why the Cleveland Browns quietly won this deal, why LA's all-in window may be shorter than people think, and why Brad Holmes doesn't need to play Howie Roseman to build a contender. We also get into the Lions 2025 schedule — the road games you should love, the ones to watch, and why the back half of the year sets Detroit up for a statement run. Plus, the NFC quarterback carousel, Kyler Murray's "leadership" moment, and why JJ McCarthy's classroom answer might be the most honest thing said in an NFL facility all offseason.

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On the Detroit Lions News Podcast, We will bring you everything Detroit Lions as well as the NFL. The newest Lions Podcast is here, and we will break it all down for you!

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