Lost in the excitement of draft picks and free agents, a healthy DJ Reader might be one of the most important aspects of the Detroit Lions’ offseason – and the veteran nose tackle will be entering training camp with something to prove after hearing whispers about his contract.
“I think there has been some slight disrespect thrown on DJ Reader’s name this offseason as a cap casualty. ... Are you kidding me? They paid for DJ Reader for a reason. This guy is a game-changing nose tackle,” MLive’s Ben Raven noted on the latest Dungeon of Doom podcast.
For the first time in years, Reader is entering an offseason program fully healthy and ready to show Detroit exactly what it invested in.
“The biggest thing that I took away from DJ Reader, he said, like, hey, this is the healthiest offseason I’ve had in quite some time. And he’s just ready to get in there and get back rolling,” co-host Kory Woods said.
The timing couldn’t be better for the Lions’ defensive front, which is facing significant questions with Aidan Hutchinson returning from injury and Alim McNeill working his way back as well. Reader’s presence becomes even more critical.
The podcast hosts pointed out that Reader’s impact goes far beyond statistics. While casual fans might focus on sack numbers and tackles, Reader’s true value comes in occupying blockers, controlling the line of scrimmage, and making everyone around him better.
Despite questions about his deal, Reader made it clear that winning a championship is all that matters.
“He doesn’t care about anything else. He said he didn’t care about whether that extension got picked up or whatnot. Right now it is all about getting to that goal of winning the Super Bowl,” Woods said.
