New Detroit Lions cornerbacks coach Dre Bly is no stranger to the ups and downs of NFL life. He played eight seasons in the league, including four with the Lions spanning from 2003-06.
The Lions struggled while he was a player. Now, he rejoins the team as it is trending upward.
Since the team finished with a 9-8 record in 2022, the eyes of the NFL world have highlighted the potential for the team to take a significant leap forward in 2023.
"It's the same organization, fiery fans, fiery people, people that love football here in Detroit. I will say, the talent is a lot different, the leadership is a lot different," Bly explained. "I'm actually, I'm a little jealous because I'm just looking at how they finished last year, looking at all the excitement they had on the field, how much fun they were having with Dan and the rest of the team. ... It's a lot of excitement. When I hear people talk about the Lions here and this community all across the football world, there's a lot of excitement. Me as a former player, that's something that you wish to be a part of and I didn't get a chance to experience some of that as a player."
Goals for improving cornerback room
Bly will have a tough task in his first year leading the Detroit Lions' cornerback room.
Hired in the offseason to fill the void left by Aubrey Pleasant, the first-year coach will be asked to improve a secondary that has struggled mightily in Aaron Glenn's first two seasons as defensive coordinator.
As he begins work with a secondary that ranked 30th in passing yards against last season, he'll be leaning on experience gained as a player.
"Just me being who I am," Bly said. "I wasn't the tallest of players, I wasn't the fastest, but I was able to do some things in this league because I was instinctive, I was smart and I was very confident and competitive. That was one of the first things (head coach) Dan (Campbell) said that he was looking for out of his corners coach was a guy that was very competitive, a guy that had a certain amount of confidence about himself.
"A lot of times, coaches will have it. If your leader is a certain way, the guys around him are gonna move the same way. That's why you were able to see the Lions, last year, play the way they played. Dan moves a certain way, A.G., those guys move a certain way. That's the way I move, we have a lot in common."
Bly listed several qualities he brings to the room, including instant credibility from his days as a player, passion and relatability.
The Lions have one of the league's youngest rosters. The plethora of former players on staff helps to ease the transition by providing coaches who understand the day-to-day life of a NFL player.
Bly is no exception for the Lions' secondary.
"When you look at this staff and look at what Dan has assembled, there's nothing like it in the NFL, I feel," he said. "We have a group of guys that all played, and guys that can get out there that are great teachers. So I'm excited for that opportunity. I think we're very relatable to players, so to give them that point of view, I think it's gonna be very helpful."
Reaction to Jeff Okudah trade
The Lions have been active in making moves at this cornerback position throughout the offseason.
Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley are new additions, as both were signed early in free agency.
The team also traded 2020 first-round pick Jeff Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons.
Though Bly wasn't able to build a solid relationship in the short time they shared with the organization, he expressed support and faith in the Ohio State product as he begins with a new team.
"Sometimes this happens in the game," Bly commented. "Don't really know much about the situation, my job is to coach the players that are here. But I'm sure he's gonna embrace that situation, that opportunity, to go to Atlanta."
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