The Detroit Lions defense has new leadership with Kelvin Sheppard taking over for Aaron Glenn as coordinator.
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Sheppard, who had previously led the team's linebackers, had seen increased responsibility over the last four years before ultimately taking the position he's in now. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, he expressed thanks for the mentorship he received from Glenn.
The former NFL player had been viewed as a potential candidate to replace Glenn in the event that he took a head coaching job, which he did this offseason, and as a result he saw his workload increase from a game-planning standpoint.
“The last two years, to be specific, just the game-planning aspect and that really grew last year. Just A.G. allowing me to do the things he did weekly," Sheppard explained. "The things he allowed me to do for him weekly, things he allowed me to do for him. Some I’ll disclose, some I won’t. And just the depth they allowed me to go to that they didn’t have to. They could’ve just said, ‘Coach your position and do your job,’ like some other people do.”
Using the opportunities Glenn allotted for him, Sheppard gained valuable experience as to what life is like for a coordinator in the NFL. In helping to design the team's scheme on a weekly basis, he gained aptitude for his new role.
Now, as he's set to fully take over the role in 2024, he's appreciative of the helping hand Glenn extended throughout his time as a position coach.
“I had a heavy hand in first and second down game-planning last year," Sheppard stated. "(Those are) things that A.G. put on my plate going into the 2024 season, and he made no mystery why he was doing it. And again, that’s something he didn’t have to do. The trajectory and the outlook they had for me, and I had aspirations, but for other people to see that stuff for you, and try to put you in position to get there, that’s why I owe those guys everything.”
Here is a collection of Lions headlines on Tuesday, March 4.
1.) MLive provided a look at where the Lions stand at the quarterback position heading into free agency, analyzing where Hendon Hooker stands and what free agents the team might look at.
2.) The Detroit Free Press compiled a roundup of recent NFL mock drafts to offer a look at who pundits believe the Lions could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
3.) Detroit Football Network analyzed what potential contracts could look like for each of the Lions' top six free agents.
4.) Only two NFL players were franchise tagged. The Lions made the decision not to place the franchise tag on cornerback Carlton Davis. OL Trey Smith of the Chiefs and WR Tee Higgins were franchise tagged by their organizations.
