NEWSLETTER
The Detroit Lions stock is at an all-time high (at least, in my lifetime). After winning eight of their final 10 games and narrowly missing the postseason last year, Detroit is riding a strong offseason into some high expectations for 2023 and beyond.
In fact, many have the Lions as the favorites in the NFC North. And even if Detroit doesn’t leapfrog the Vikings, they’ve got a solid chance to snap their postseason drought. But first, Lions head coach Dan Campbell is focused on building his team up this spring. The foundation is in place, but Campbell has to shape this team into winners on the field, and according to Campbell, that starts with getting the chemistry right in practice.
“Right now, everything is about the work, and it will be when we get into training camp,” Campbell said. “We’ve got a brand-new team that we’ve got to build from the ground up again. Yeah, we’ve got a foundation, but yeah, man, we’ve got to get the chemistry right, we’ve got a lot of new faces. And all of that other stuff won’t matter if we don’t put the work back in. So that, to me, is the focus.”
Unfortunately, one of the Lions’ most intriguing talents has been in trouble this offseason. So naturally, it’s been a hot topic during the team’s offseason program.
Jameson Williams Speaks
In an offseason filled with good, Lions’ second-year wide receiver Jameson Williams was among four Lions to get suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy this offseason. Williams will miss the first six games of the 2023 season for placing bets on non-NFL games inside of the Lions facility last season.
“I was sick,” Williams said of his reaction to the news. “I was hurt.”
Williams spoke to reporters for nearly 10 minutes on Thursday and answered every question. Here are some important takeaways:
It’s easy to poke fun at the young wide receiver’s mistake, but it seems like he genuinely didn’t know that he was doing something wrong. Similarly to Calvin Ridley, Williams owned his actions. He said he is focused on getting better before his suspension starts in September.
Jameson Williams was taken by the Lions with the No. 12 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Williams was limited to just six games last season due to injury and caught only one pass. However, he’s a player that the Lions are really excited about.
Honestly, in my opinion, the NFL partnering with gambling companies and then using those partners to actively seek out rule violations by players is a cringey look. At a minimum, the NFL and NFLPA need to better educate their payers on what is and isn’t acceptable on the front.
