Ben SolakAug 18, 2025, 06:10 AM ET
- Ben Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.
It's mid-August, which means most NFL teams are more than halfway through training camp. Joint practices and blistering heat together have worn on everyone's patience. It's time for the season to get here. But first: one more camp notebook.
I hit 10 teams in eight states on my tour this year. I really love touring -- I like the driving, the different areas of the country, the padded practices, the going away to colleges. And I love seeing teams practice. It's rare that anyone from the outside gets to see coaches coach, see rookies grow, see veterans lead -- most of it happens behind closed doors. But for a small slice of August, it's accessible and shareable.
From each stop, I grabbed one interesting thing I saw and one interesting thing I heard. Schemes that will define the season, rookies who will rise to relevance, and predictions precipitated from all my info gathering. These are the juiciest nuggets I have, starting with my most recent visit.
Jump to a team's camp notes:
BAL | BUF | CIN | CLE | DET
HOU | IND | PHI | PIT | WSH
Notes from Indianapolis Colts camp
Location: Westfield, Indiana
Dates visited: Aug. 11
One thing I saw: A depleted secondary. When I was at practice, none of these defensive backs practiced: starting safety Nick Cross, starting nickel Kenny Moore II, depth cornerback JuJu Brents, depth cornerback Jaylon Jones. Brents and/or Jones might become starting CBs following the season-ending injury to third-round draft pick Justin Walley (who also didn't practice, if that bears mentioning).
Quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones continued to alternate opportunities with the first- and second-team offenses, and as such, the best QB on the field was whoever was facing the second-team defense at the time. With all of the secondary injuries, pass catchers Anthony Gould, Will Mallory and Laquon Treadwell (yes, that's 2016 first-round pick Laquon Treadwell approaching his ninth season in the league) were making plays for their dueling quarterbacks.
But for as much coverage as the quarterback competition has gotten, my eyes were drawn toward the back seven. Indianapolis already had an LB2 question next to Zaire Franklin and now has a CB2 question opposite free agent addition Charvarius Ward. If injuries linger for Moore or Scott, the Colts will have a nickel question or a strong safety question, too. That's a lot for a defense in its first season under a new coordinator (Lou Anarumo), with two new free agents still onboarding in Ward and safety Cam Bynum in a scheme that relies on communication in zone coverage more than almost any other.
No matter who wins that quarterback job, the Colts need their defense to win games for them, turning turnovers into easy scores and protecting second-half leads. That might happen right away in September.
One thing I heard: Last year, a rookie tight end named Brock Bowers led his team in targets. (He also did way more impressive things, such as setting a rookie tight end receiving yardage record, but focus on the targets right now.) I wondered if the Colts' front office believes rookie tight end Tyler Warren, another guy who specializes in turning quick touches into big gains with yards after the catch, could do the same.
Yes, it does. There is no hiding the excitement in Indianapolis for having a legitimate talent at tight end for the first time in years. I'm not sure Warren will get enough routes to actually lead the team in targets, as he'll be used plenty as a blocker even on passing downs. But there is a large chapter of the Colts' playbook that has opened up exclusively because Warren is in the building. He's going to get his -- third down, red zone, two-minute drives. And if he produces early, expect the portion of the pie that is schemed up for him to grow and grow.
Notes from Cincinnati Bengals camp
Location: Cincinnati
Dates visited: Aug. 10
One thing I saw: Two plays from third-year cornerback DJ Turner II. The first: perfect coverage on Tee Higgins on an out-breaking route in one-on-ones. Then Higgins did what Higgins does -- skied over Turner, ripping the ball off the rim before Turner could get his hand involved at the catch point. Two toes tapped against the sideline. First down.
These things happen when you're going against Ja'Marr Chase and Higgins every practice. Gotta shake it off. Turner had a nice late pass breakup on Andrei Iosivas (who, by the way, looks bigger and stronger than he did last year) on a crossing route two periods later.
Turner has looked like a solid CB2 when healthy and active. Despite starting as a rookie, he lost his job last season to Dax Hill, who is moving into the slot this year, reopening the outside corner role opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. Veteran Marco Wilson is also vying for the job, as are 2023 seventh-round pick DJ Ivey and 2024 fifth-round pick Josh Newton. Turner has the highest athletic ceiling of them all, and his peak plays in coverage are the most impressive. On the long list of young players who can improve this defense by ascending into a quality starter, Turner is the first name I circled.
One thing I heard: The Bengals know they have a September problem. Since Zac Taylor became the coach in 2019, here are their major offensive metrics split by month:
In an effort to perform better out the gate, Joe Burrow and the other starters played in their first preseason matchup and will likely see more action in upcoming games. The relative merits of playing or resting starters in the preseason is a worthy debate, but for the Bengals, the past couple of seasons just haven't been good enough. A change in philosophy reflects the urgency.
Here's another key point: In previous seasons, training camp has been impeded by hold-ins -- Chase and Higgins missed time last year as they sought new contracts -- and by injury recovery for Burrow. I remember visiting camp last summer and watching Burrow uncertainly flex his throwing hand after targeting Charlie Jones and Jermaine Burton. This year, he's celebrating after laser-sharp throws to Higgins, Chase and Chase Brown. This is Dan Pitcher's second year as offensive coordinator. Everything seems more stable.
Will Cincinnati really be fast out the gate? It gets the Browns and the Jaguars as its first two opponents, which provides a nice onramp to the Vikings in Week 3 and the Broncos -- in Denver on "Monday Night Football" -- in Week 4. Here's to a better September.
Notes from Pittsburgh Steelers camp
Location: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Dates visited: Aug. 7
One thing I saw: A miscommunication on a rep between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and second-year wide receiver Roman Wilson. In a one-on-one period in the high red zone, Wilson was running an out-breaking route from the slot. The cornerback had nice underneath leverage, but that meant he couldn't see the trajectory of an incoming throw. Rodgers tried to throw the ball to the back shoulder, stopping Wilson's momentum to allow the corner to breeze by -- not an uncommon approach in the red zone.
Wilson adjusted late and barely got an outstretched hand on the ball -- incomplete.
Rodgers let him have it. On the long jog back to his position group, Rodgers alternated between laying into Wilson and laying into Zach Azzanni, the Steelers' wide receivers coach. The QB wagged his head, planted his hand on his hips and stopped only to start up again twice.
Let's be clear: This happens in training camp. The point of camp is ironing out issues like this one. At other stops in my tour, I watched Washington's Jayden Daniels get in the face of an offensive lineman for procedural issues and Buffalo's Shane Buechele nearly rip his helmet off in frustration for similar pre-snap problems. From the bottom of the roster to the top, guys get angry -- especially quarterbacks.
Of course, it is a little more significant when it's a 41-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback known for the specifics he requires from his receivers. Mere days before this on-field exchange, Rodgers told reporters about Wilson: "I gotta get Ro[man] out of his own head a little bit ... he cares so much, whether it's my approval or if he's doing it right ... the more you can play free and not think out there, the better he's going to play. The more he can just trust what he's got, and then just go out there and react, the better he can play."
2:06
Stephen A. expects big things from the Steelers' offense
Stephen A. Smith breaks down why he thinks the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers could have a big offensive year.
I don't know how Wilson will react, but I would be further in my own head after a moment like that, not venturing out of it. A 2024 third-round pick who missed almost his entire rookie season with ankle and hamstring injuries, Wilson could be an important player for these Steelers, who are in desperate need of a WR2 behind trade acquisition DK Metcalf. The contenders are Calvin Austin III, the clear leader in the clubhouse; Scotty Miller; Robert Woods; and Wilson. If anyone can prove a functional WR2 to join Metcalf, a deep tight end room and an excellent pass-catching back in Jaylen Warren, the Steelers should have enough to support a solid passing attack.
One thing I heard: In an active offseason, the Steelers' headlining acquisition is certainly Rodgers. But the storyline I gravitate to more is that of Jalen Ramsey, who is approaching a career crossroads. Ramsey, who was a safety for one season in college, looks to be moving to that position -- at least part time.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin still considers Ramsey a cornerback: "We think we have three pretty good corners," he told me. Those CBs are Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay. When the Steelers are in their nickel defense (which they, like most NFL teams, will be in for a majority of snaps), expect to see Ramsey playing the slot. But when they are in base personnel packages -- which they used on 26% of their defensive snaps last season -- they intend to keep those three pretty good corners on the field by lining Ramsey up as a true safety.
This is a significant change. Though he has experience at the position, the most snaps he has taken in a season in a safety alignment (per Next Gen Stats' charting) is 59 in 2017. If he plays "safety" in every base defensive snap, and the Steelers retain their rates from last year, that will jump to 269 this season.
I was most interested in how the Steelers are onboarding him into his familiar roles (corner, nickel) in a new system, while also preparing him for an almost-new role (safety) in that same new language. I thought it might be hard, but Ramsey is no chump: "Because he wasn't here with us all offseason, we just threw him in and gave him as much to learn right off the bat as possible to see where we were," Austin explained. "And he answered the bell. So he's learning nickel, he's learning corner, he's learning safety."
Ramsey was traded to Pittsburgh on June 30 -- 69 days before the Steelers' season-opener against the Jets. The plan is to have him on the field and ready to play three different roles depending on formations, matchups and personnel. There aren't a lot of guys athletically capable of that, and the list gets even smaller when filtering for those mentally able to learn all three roles that quickly.
Notes from Houston Texans camp
Location: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Dates visited: Aug. 5-6
One thing I saw: A lot of Jakob Johnson. Well, not a lot, but more than I'd expect! A fullback through and through, Johnson first made his mark with the Patriots from 2019 through 2021 when a young offensive coach named Nick Caley was promoted from tight ends coach to tight ends and fullbacks coach. After a couple of years with the Rams, Caley is now the playcaller for the Texans, and Johnson, after a few seasons with the Raiders and Giants, is back with him.
In 2023, when C.J. Stroud emerged as a dominant rookie quarterback, the Texans used 213 snaps with two-back formations -- only the Falcons had more. That number fell to 135 last year as H-back Andrew Beck was cut before the season began. Now, with a true fullback in Johnson (and another H-back type in Cade Stover), the Texans look to be renewing their commitment to two-back backfields and more diverse run actions.
Critically, Caley's offenses in Los Angeles rarely incorporated a fullback -- that's not in the Sean McVay playbook. Should Johnson make the 53-man roster -- something I believed would happen even before Brevin Jordan's injury -- consider that a strong sign that Caley is grabbing rushing schemes from his Patriots days to install in Houston. Gap runs, baby: power and counter. An overreliance on wide zone runs and the accompanying rollouts condemned this offense last season, and Caley won't make the same mistake twice.
It might not be pretty right away -- the offensive line needs work. But it's new and exciting.
One thing I heard: Unstoppable hype for second-year safety Calen Bullock. I spoke to defensive backs coach Dino Vasso, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre. All three brought up their appreciation for Bullock's impact as a center-fielding, ball-hawking safety without prompting. In fact, I was supposed to be reporting on Stingley, but all my subjects kept getting distracted by Bullock.
I eventually spoke to Bullock right after Pitre. After several questions on Stingley's ball skills and receiver-like hands, Pitre saw Bullock approaching and said, "This guy's a real ballhawk, too!" -- and he's right. Stingley and Bullock tied in the regular season with five interceptions apiece, but Stingley grabbed another two in the postseason. Bullock wanted me to point out that Stingley knocked an interception out of Bullock's hands against the Vikings that would have given him the regular-season team title.
Bullock is only 22. Fellow rookie defensive back Kamari Lassiter (four interceptions last season) is also 22, and Stingley is 24. That makes 16 collective interceptions for three DBs under 25. For my money, Houston has the most exciting young secondary in football.
Notes from Baltimore Ravens camp
Location: Baltimore
Dates visited: Aug. 3
One thing I saw: I spent my day in Baltimore sitting in the press box of M&T Bank Stadium enjoying the Ravens' lone stadium practice with fan seating and a live broadcast -- a fun experience. Baltimore ran a drill I hadn't seen elsewhere on my travels: 11-on-11, but no helmets, and it didn't go beyond the first two steps of the play. The entire focus was on pre-snap operation into snap timing and cadence, and the goal was to minimize pre-snap penalties.
The Ravens had 65 offensive penalties last season, which tied the Titans, Cowboys and Patriots (not necessarily the greatest offenses ever!) for fifth most. By EPA, the Ravens lost a whopping 18.6 expected points via offensive penalties -- the worst for any team since the 2018 Jaguars. One of the best offenses of the past five years left a ton of meat on the proverbial bone.
Pre-snap penalties aren't necessarily a bigger issue than post-snap penalties (their worst penalty on offense was a holding call), but they are easier to eliminate. Baltimore worked not just on timing its motions to the snap, but also on dummy counts (for key third downs) and silent cadences (for hostile road playoff environments). To the same end, the Ravens hired longtime NFL referee Tony Michalek this offseason as an officiating consultant. They're going to get this right.
One thing I heard: Here are the leading receivers last season in yards per route run when their quarterback was blitzed (minimum 50 total targets):
Puka Nacua (LAR)
CeeDee Lamb (DAL)
Ladd McConkey (LAC)
Justice Hill (BAL)
Justin Jefferson (MIN)
George Kittle (SF)
Josh Downs (IND)
Ja'Marr Chase (CIN)
Cooper Kupp (LAC)
George Pickens (PIT)
Look at that list! Nine of the league's most valuable, dangerous, talented pass catchers. Half of these guys will probably go in the first round of your fantasy draft. And Hill is right there.
The Ravens' screen game in the face of blitzes was really the secret sauce -- they always seemed to have the right call dialed up at the right time. Hill told me the key to being a good receiver on screens is patience, then acceleration: "Patience to wait for the blocks to set up, acceleration to get to the first-down marker before the defenders get there," he said with a smile. "It sounds simple in theory, but it's a little harder in practice."
Hill ranked fourth in yards per route run on screens (behind Nacua, Alvin Kamara and James Conner). For all the ink spilled on the addition of Derrick Henry, the excellence of Lamar Jackson and the growth of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely, permit me these few paragraphs on Hill as the safety valve and screen savant. What a handy player.
Notes from Washington Commanders camp
Location: Ashburn, Virginia
Dates visited: Aug. 2
One thing I saw: Spinner handoffs. A favorite of the Dolphins and Packers last season, spinner plays feature the quarterback handing the ball off from the gun while spinning in the backfield. Borrowed from single-wing and wing-T offenses, the spin allows the quarterback to bluff one handoff but execute another and can disorient opposing linebackers when dressed with more backfield eye candy. Here's an example for the visual learners.
The Commanders want to have as disorienting a running game as possible. Without an elite back in the backfield, yet with a couple of tricky, movable players in WR Deebo Samuel and RB Austin Ekeler, they will benefit from a nontraditional handoff game that makes their jet motions and screens all the more dangerous. The most important part: having a quarterback who is also unlocked by read options and shifting backfields. With his smooth ballhandling and impossible quickness, Jayden Daniels is going to shine even brighter with these nifty backfield shenanigans forcing hesitations from unblocked defenders.
One thing I heard: Not only can I not find anyone who believes wide receiver Terry McLaurin will play for another team in 2025, I can't find anyone who has a remotely plausible hypothetical in which McLaurin plays for another team in 2025. This section might better be called one thing I didn't hear: a way McLaurin actually gets out of Washington. I strongly believe this standoff will end with a compromise extension before Week 1.
Notes from Buffalo Bills camp
Location: Pittsford, New York
Dates visited: Aug. 1
One thing I saw: Some surprising schematic silliness on defense. No team ran fewer snaps in base defense last season than Buffalo -- 42, or only 4% of its regular-season total -- and nobody ran fewer than the Bills in 2023 or 2022. Yet, it looked like they ran a 5-down front and base personnel when I was out there.
This might not be significant. It's important for teams to install everything they can in camp, even if they won't use it heavily. The Bills barely used any 5-down fronts last season until they ran into Baltimore in the postseason, when they needed more base packages to deal with the Ravens' heavy running game. The Bills spent 33.3% of their snaps in that game with only four defensive backs on the field -- the most in any game of the past three seasons.
But let's extrapolate things: The Bills' passing defense was a problem last season. It ranked 24th in success rate against dropbacks and 29th in third-down conversion rate allowed. Some of that had to do with personnel -- the Bills need better play from their safeties, and an improved pass rush would help -- but some of that is structural. In their nickel defense, they have been pretty committed to four-man rushes and split-field zone coverages behind.
But that defense wasn't a good fit against the Ravens, and it also has been shredded against the Chiefs in recent postseasons. In their past three postseason meetings, Patrick Mahomes has averaged 0.30, 0.24 and 0.29 EPA per dropback against Sean McDermott's defense -- staggering single-game numbers. Buffalo needs something new on defense to make up ground in the ever-competitive AFC race.
1:35
Bills GM gives McAfee insight on filming 'Hard Knocks'
GM Brandon Beane talks with Pat McAfee about how the Bills are balancing player privacy with being featured on "Hard Knocks."
It might be counterintuitive to say that the Bills had a passing defense problem last season and that they can solve that by taking a defensive back off the field. But if we widen the scope, the Bills had a predictability problem on defense, and they might be more willing to experiment with different looks in camp. I consider that a good sign.
One thing I heard: 2024 was Joe Brady's first full season as the Bills' offensive coordinator, and his impact on Josh Allen can be captured in just one stat: interception rate. Allen had interception rates of 2.3%, 2.5% and 3.2% the previous three seasons -- that number fell to 1.2% in 2024.
Allen got away with more turnover-worthy plays than his INT rate might suggest, and a few more picks might come this season. But the core of the issue is clear: He believed he needed to take far fewer risks last season. I asked Brady how he helped Allen.
"If I call this play, and it's designed to get Khalil Shakir the ball, and they take it away? Cool." Brady said. "You progress. I'll come back and get the ball to Khalil. Don't feel like you have to come back."
This was really interesting. The Bills had such a spread-the-wealth offense. Did you know Curtis Samuel had 46 targets, or that Mack Hollins had 50? Of course, it wasn't always like that -- they had a star receiver in Stefon Diggs for much of Allen's early career, and feeding him targets and touches was an understandable priority.
But the new message to Allen is: Don't feel like anyone needs to get fed. If there's an issue with getting one player enough touches, Brady will handle that with his playcalls. "[Allen]'s extremely mindful, understanding that when he plays good football, sound football -- when he's checking the ball down and progressing through -- we're tough to beat. He's always known that, but last year, he got even more of a taste of that," Brady said.
Notes from Philadelphia Eagles camp
Location: Philadelphia
Dates visited: Aug. 2
One thing I saw: On the day I was at camp, the Eagles had rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell playing two positions. With the first team, he was the weakside linebacker -- Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was calling in the plays as the Mike while Zack Baun was resting because of a back injury. With Campbell at weakside backer, he would occasionally walk down to the line of scrimmage in blitz looks, and he got a couple of nice reps in as an edge rusher. With the second team, he remained on the field and became the middle linebacker. He called in the plays besides second-team Will and fellow rookie Smael Mondon Jr., who looked solid.
It is always significant when a coaching staff believes it can train a rookie at multiple positions. It is doubly significant at linebacker in a Vic Fangio defense because a lot can change between the Will and Mike roles -- different coverage reads, different landmarks and different responsibilities making audibles.
And they're not taking it easy on Campbell. The offense went after him in scrimmage periods, targeting him on a wheel route to running back Will Shipley (Campbell got beat, but he's far from the first linebacker to get burned on a wheel) and manipulating his focus in zone coverage by hi-lowing him incessantly.
This was a good sign, even if he gave up the big catch. The Eagles' staff is pushing Campbell hard, and would not be doing so unless it felt he could handle the load and thrive under pressure. Remember, cornerback Cooper DeJean was also getting different assignments in training camp last year before his injury, and he hit the ground running as a rookie. I walked into Eagles camp thinking Campbell might play 500 snaps as a rotational linebacker and edge rusher; I'm closer to 700 now.
One thing I heard: How upset Jordan Mailata was at being graded the best offensive tackle by Pro Football Focus. He was devastated by it. "I feel like it's stolen valor. I talked to Lane [Johnson] and he said, 'You deserve it.' Shut the f--- up, man. I know what I know."
These are champagne problems for the defending champs.
Notes from Cleveland Browns camp
Location: Berea, Ohio
Dates visited: Jul. 30
One thing I saw: Third-round rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. looks like a useful player early. He had an explosive run on a screen in 11-on-11. Fannin is springy laterally but not as explosive moving forward and must be used intentionally. But wiggle is wiggle, and his ability to separate on heavy-footed linebackers pops in the NFL just like it did in college. (He had 117 receptions last season.) He catches well, too. If either rookie passer (Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders) gets action, his role as a quarterback-friendly underneath target will prove valuable quickly.
As many other reporters have pointed out, the Browns are attempting to return to the scheme that first made Kevin Stefanski successful as their coach: under center, wide zone, boot action. It's worth remembering Stefanski didn't just major in multi-TE sets -- he had his masters in them. The 2020 Browns are one of only seven teams in the Next Gen Stats database to play a majority of their snaps with two-plus tight ends on the field. They ranked fourth in their 13 personnel rate -- one back and three tight ends. First in the database? The 2021 Browns.
If Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and David Njoku are the three best receiving threats on this team, the fourth spot -- and final starting role among the pass catchers -- is up for grabs among WRs Diontae Johnson and Jamari Thrash, and TEs Fannin and Blake Whiteheart. Given what I've seen and heard, Fannin is the clear winner. Six-hundred snaps and 300 routes are well within his range this season.
0:45
Why fantasy managers should still target David Njoku
Daniel Dopp says that despite the Browns' quarterback uncertainty, fantasy managers should still put their trust in David Njoku.
One thing I heard: Though the offense might be written from Stefanski DNA, coordinator Tommy Rees still has a critical role. A longtime college coordinator, he climbed back up to the NFL ranks in 2024 as the Browns' tight ends coach. His college background helps him better translate the pro game to Gabriel and Sanders. "I know you're so used to talking about hashes. That's not really a conversation anymore," Rees recalls saying to his two rookies. "The numbers are so much tighter than what you're used to, so when we say 'This ball is outside the numbers,' it's a little bit different than what you think," Rees told me.
The slight space differences are an underdiscussed but critical aspect of a quarterback's transition to the pros. As observers, we don't think much about how the hashes are narrower in the pros than in college, or how the numbers are tighter to the sideline. But for quarterbacks making the leap, those little changes in formational space and route distribution force recalibration on throws that have been second nature.
One thing to keep in mind: The Browns have fewer reps to give to their young quarterbacks because they're also onboarding veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. These little things matter when you don't have time to iron them out.
Notes from Detroit Lions camp
Location: Allen Park, Michigan
Dates visited: Jul. 29
One thing I saw: I saw the best day edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson had in camp since returning from the broken leg that ended his season last October. He had somewhere between three and four sacks -- quarterbacks don't get taken down to the ground in practice, so it's hard to tell. But camp stats matter a lot less than the visuals. For Hutchinson and other players returning from major injury, are you moving as fast and as confidently as you used to? Are you cutting and exploding and bending off that bad leg without fear?
Hutchinson looks back, which is more significant than training camp stat production. I doubt he's 100% back; it'll take a couple of games to knock the rust off and return to full confidence. And it's never a guarantee that a player returns to full DPOY form after a major injury.
But with all of those caveats in place, Hutchinson looks like he's back.
One thing I heard: The main thing I wanted to do in Detroit was poke around the new offense. Scheme has been more significant to Jared Goff than any other current quarterback. He looked like a bust with the Rams, got into Sean McVay's offense, excelled, was cast off to Detroit, got into Ben Johnson's iteration of the McVay offense and excelled again. Goff's new offensive coordinator is John Morton, a longtime offensive coach who was in Detroit in 2022 when Johnson and Dan Campbell designed the offense around Goff.
We don't know what Morton wants to run, though. He has only one year of experience as an NFL offensive coordinator (2017 with the Jets) and has worked under many coaches -- Pete Carroll, Steve Sarkisian, Sean Payton and Jon Gruden, who is perhaps the most significant influence. Morton is joined in Detroit by passing game coordinator David Shaw, the longtime Stanford coach who worked with Morton in Oakland in the early 2000s under Gruden in a staple West Coast offense.
Some bells and whistles -- pre-snap motion, condensed sets, under-center play action -- will diminish in frequency. Goff is an established veteran, so the Lions feel comfortable spreading the field, putting five in the concept and letting him read out and beat a defense. They won't abandon what has made him viable, and they have new wrinkles to add -- expect to see Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery on the field together more. But this passing game will return to a more traditional approach.
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