The Green Bay Packers sent a message to the entire NFL when they pulled off the blockbuster trade of the year for star edge rusher Micah Parsons. After a frustrating finish to the 2024 season, they are going all in to try and win a championship for the first time since 2010-11.
And it's not hard to see the vision. The Packers have their franchise quarterback in place with Jordan Love, and the pieces around him that they feel are suitable to make a title run. Parsons, in many ways, felt like the missing piece, the closing juice this already-solid defense needed to take it over the top.
It remains to be seen where this leaves Green Bay in the NFC North pecking order. But frankly, it feelt like the Packers did what the Detroit Lions should be doing. But instead, Dan Campbell and Co. didn’t make any really big splashes this offseason.
An underwhelming offseason
Detroit didn’t get aggressive in the spring, despite being right on the cusp of getting over the hump. They’ve been in serious contention for the past two years and right now would’ve been the time to make that move to put the Lions over the top. Instead, Campbell came out of the preseason worried about his team instead of feeling good about them. Campbell’s squad finished the preseason just 1-3 and did not look great by any means.
“The practices look really good, but all four of these games have not been good,” Campbell said. “That’s an issue. Because all of a sudden the lights are on and we’re in real games, and the coach isn’t behind you, and there’s no scripts. That’s a little bit concerning.”
Maybe the loss of former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is to blame for the offense looking out of sorts. Or losing defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn could be the reason the defensive wasn’t clicking. Of course, losing both coordinators to head coaching gigs, one in-division, is going to cause some slippage.
However, Campbell views that notion as a challenge and looks to prov wrong those who think he may not be able to get the job done minus Johnson and Glenn.
“It’s not hard for me to find things that can drive you,” Campbell said. “That’s how I was as a player, that’s how I am as a coach. I’ll pull anything negative because it motivates me. So I would be lying if I said, ‘No, that doesn’t get me going a little bit.’ That’s the next challenge.
“If I really did this right, I should be able to just leave and these guys don’t miss a beat. If you really do your job, that can happen.”
On the clock
Hopefully for Campbell, the front office led by general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t lose faith in his ability to get this team to run through a wall for him. That attitude is what this team has been built on since Campbell was named head coach in 2021. While the core of this Lions team is good, not making any big moves to continue growing could come back to haunt them.
Cornerback C.J. Reed was the biggest move Detroit made this offseason in terms of bringing in new talent. Sure, they re-signed some of their own players, but the Packers went out and got the best player available in Parsons. Not that there is another Parsons-level playerout there, but the Lions needed to do more than we saw to continue competing in a tough NFC North. Don't be surprised if the Lions take a significant step back this season.