Roundtable: Should Lions Hire More Staff from Cardinals?

1.) Do you think the Lions should add any staff from the Arizona Cardinals?

Christian Booher: I personally think the Lions have a pretty solid offensive staff. Scottie Montgomery, Hank Fraley and Mark Brunell are all long-tenured coaches who have yielded strong performances from their respective groups on a yearly basis, and as a result, I don't think any changes are necessary in those spots. Detroit has one opening on its offensive staff, as Tyler Roehl has departed leaving a vacancy as the tight ends coach. Ben Steele is the Cardinals' current tight ends coach, and could be an option to replace Roehl. However, I don't think that the Lions should be looking for replacements for some of its incumbent offensive staff members amidst any staff.

Vito Chirco: At this juncture, I don’t think so. For starters, Scottie Montgomery, Hank Fraley and Mark Brunell are all relatively long-tenured Lions assistants at this point. And more importantly, each of them is well-respected both within the organization and league circles. Subsequently, I don’t see Detroit moving on from any of them anytime soon. And I also don’t believe it’s worth it for Dan Campbell & Co. to pry away any of Arizona’s assistants. 

2.) Are there any free agent tight ends the Lions should target?

Booher: I do think there are a couple interesting free agent options for the Lions at the tight end position. Brock Wright is entering the final year of his contract and as a result the Lions don't have a pressing need with Sam LaPorta and Wright holding the top two spots on the depth chart. However, they could give themselves some extra freedom for creativity by bringing in another pass-catching threat.

A player like Tyler Conklin or Foster Moreau could be a nice addition, as both have produced when given big opportunities and have experience shouldering the load for their respective teams. Taysom Hill's production tailed off throughout the season for the Saints last year and he's 35 years old, but his unique versatility and familiarity with Dan Campbell from their time together in New Orleans could make him a fit as well. 

If the Lions are looking to make a splash, then they could target a higher end option like Cleveland's David Njoku or Atlanta's Kyle Pitts. 

Chirco: I would target New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper. He hasn’t had a very active role in the Patriots’ offense this season. However, he’s been a serviceable tight end in years past, including with the Patriots a season ago when he caught 45 balls for 476 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also a sufficient pass-blocker and could help out the Lions in that regard. He will be 32 come next season, which could be a turn-off for Detroit. However, on a one-year deal, I’d be willing to bring him in to serve as a complement to Sam LaPorta.   

3.) Do you think the Lions hired their OC too early? 

Booher: I think the Lions cast a wide net of candidates and were aggressive in their interview process, bringing in many of the top candidates early in the offseason. For that reason, I don't think that they made their decision too early given the amount of options they interviewed.

Whether or not they made the right call by hiring Drew Petzing remains to be seen. There's a lot to like about how Petzing schemed the run game in 2023-24 when the Cardinals had a healthy backfield, but detractors can also point to some of the struggles the team had and it was clear that the fan base had grown weary of him. Still, I think the Lions took a pretty thorough look around at potential candidates and cast a wide enough net that their decision doesn't look rushed.

Chirco: I think you can make the argument for that being the case since coordinator candidates like Mike McDaniel and Mike Kafka are still available to be hired. I believe that McDaniel and Kafka both would’ve been upgrades over Drew Petzing, who ultimately landed the Lions’ OC gig earlier this week. I believe in giving Petzing a chance and also think he could work out in Detroit, due to his run-first philosophy and heavy usage of two tight ends. Yet, I don’t believe Petzing was highly coveted by other organizations, so the Lions certainly could’ve extended their OC search before hiring the former Cardinals offensive play-caller. 

4.) Should the Lions re-sign DJ Reader?

Booher: Reader is a tough evaluation when it comes to whether or not the team should re-sign him. On one hand, Reader is a serviceable veteran even at this stage of his career and he can bring leadership both to the locker room and the city of Detroit. He had his moments this year, but his snap count dipped at times and he may command more than it would take to re-sign Roy Lopez, who was more productive on less snaps.

I think Reader was a nice fit for Detroit over the last two years, but I think it would be better for the organization to invest reps in first-round pick Tyleik Williams and make a bid to bring back Lopez as a complimentary piece up front for the defense.

Chirco: I’d consider bringing him back, but only on a short-term deal (of the one-or-two-year variety). Reader was mildly productive this past season, earning a 68.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. However, he will be 32 come the start of the 2026 campaign, and nearing the end of his “prime” years as an NFL player. Thus, I wouldn’t be willing to break the bank to retain the services of the veteran defensive lineman.  

5.) Who gets to the Super Bowl?

Booher: This may be an unpopular pick, but I think the Denver Broncos still find a way to get to the Super Bowl with a win over the New England Patriots. Bo Nix is out for the rest of the season, and as a result the Broncos will be led by Jarrett Stidham who has not started a game this year. While Nix is a big loss, I think Stidham has enough ability to confidently lead the Broncos' offense and prevent too much of a dip, and Denver's defense can create takeaways against Drake Maye and the Patriots. I think Denver wins a close one on the AFC side.

As for the NFC, I think Seattle is going to be a tough out. They blasted the 49ers, and they have the most complimentary offense and defense when the run game is humming. The key will be Sam Darnold avoiding mistakes, as a turnover could be tough for them to overcome against a tough Rams offense. Ultimately, I think this is a tight one that Seattle finds a way to win, thanks in part to their home-field advantage and a clutch performance from Kenneth Walker III.

Chirco: I’m going to go with the Patriots and the Rams. I think the Broncos, without Bo Nix, are the weakest of the four teams remaining. However, I don’t think they’re going to roll over by any stretch of the imagination. And I believe that Sean Payton’s defense, and playing in the Mile High City, will give Denver a fighter’s shot against Mike Vrabel’s squad. Yet, I believe that Drake Maye & Co. will prevail in the AFC Championship Game. 

Meanwhile, in the NFC title game, I believe that Seattle will be a tough out, especially with the contest being played at Lumen Field. Yet, I believe that Matthew Stafford will outplay Sam Darnold, and do just enough to get Sean McVay and the Rams back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2021 season.

• Predicting Next Contract for DT Roy Lopez
• Matthew Stafford Should Not Be Remembered as Detroit Lion
• Lions NFC North Rival Hires Jonathan Gannon as Defensive Coordinator
• Lions' Free Agent Fits in NFL Conference Championship Games