‘Don’t act like we’re bringing in a scrub’: Why Lions believe they’ll rebound from brain drain

As Terrion Arnold jogged out to practice Monday morning, he turned back to a coach and nodded: I know I’ve got research to do.

Arnold wasn’t talking to his teammates about a conversation they had in the locker room. The Detroit Lions’ 2024 first-round draft pick wasn’t talking to defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, either, nor to his defensive backs coach.

The cornerback was following up about a research assignment from … receivers coach, Scottie Montgomery?

Neither player nor coach found this unusual.

“Always trying to get that extra,” Montgomery, who’s also assistant head coach, told Yahoo Sports. “Things that they can see that maybe we’re putting on tape, but definitely that other people are putting on tape. To help them get to not only formation recognition better, but route recognition.

“A lot of questions and answers.”

Montgomery spoke about the cross-field collaboration as if it is normal and standard in the NFL. In Detroit, he said, the offensive and defensive line coaches aid players across the line of scrimmage. As running backs coach last year, Montgomery alerted linebackers to keys worth remembering.

Like the level of physicality in Lions practices, this is not the NFL norm. There are some teams that don’t organize interdisciplinary conversations at all, and others that do so only during a bye week as the exception rather than the rule.

In Year 5 of head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions expect more.

“The maturation process of our program, of what Dan has been able to do for the organization — it just kind of turned everything into think tank,” Montgomery said. “We’re going against each other in training camp [and] there’s no doubt we’re competing our ass off.

“But at the same time, we know that this is for a bigger goal that’s going to start a bit later.”

The think tank mentality sweeping the Lions organization has contributed to Detroit’s recent success, the Lions’ playoff berths the past two years were their first consecutive postseasons since 1993-1995. The Lions are looking to follow their 2023 season NFC championship appearance and 2024 franchise-record 15 wins with the spotlight that’s eluded the franchise its entire history.

Detroit has never played in, much less won, a Super Bowl.

Multiyear success is a good start. But the Lions lost three key members of their braintrust during the offseason.

Their plan for maintaining the standard amid turnover at offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and center?

Enter the think tank.

“We're going to do what we do here from Dan more than anybody else — he’s the top of the brain trust,” Montgomery said. “Everything changes. Nothing stays the same.

“If it is, the complacency will kill you.”