On this episode of the Secondhand Lions Podcast, John Drennan and Bill Radford break down the latest Detroit Lions offseason headlines as OTAs begin and expectations continue to rise for one of the NFL’s most exciting teams.
The conversation dives into Jared Goff’s elite touchdown statistics since 2023 — including how he stacks up against Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and other top quarterbacks — while questioning why national media still refuses to give him proper respect.
John and Bill also discuss:
Sean McVay publicly admitting he mishandled Jared Goff’s departure from the Rams
The Lions locking in linebacker Jack Campbell with a major long-term contract extension
OTA updates and injury concerns surrounding key players like Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, and Terryon Arnold
Whether Detroit should reunite with veteran guard Kevin Zeitler
Free agent possibilities including Joey Bosa and veteran edge rushers
Why the Lions may actually be stronger heading into this season than they were a year ago
The ongoing lack of national respect for Detroit sports teams, including both the Lions and Pistons
Plus, the guys touch on the NBA and NHL playoffs, college football playoff expansion, and why the Lions’ Super Bowl window feels more real than ever.
If you’re a Detroit Lions fan looking for honest analysis, offseason updates, roster talk, and weekly Lions conversation, this episode is for you.
Transcripts
John Drennan: Well, welcome to the Secondhand Lions podcast here, John Drennan with my good friend Bill Radford, and we haven't missed a week, Bill. We started the week of the Hall of Fame game last year in July, and we've done this every single week, and
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John Drennan: We're in a little bit of a dull period here between the draft and the training camp, but there are a few things going on, and we can get into that. Before we do.
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John Drennan: You know, I just need to marvel some more at the fact that last week, we went through the schedule, and you came up with Lions finishing 14-3. I came up at 13-4, so I just want to commend you for
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John Drennan: Putting yourself out there like that.
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John Drennan: I thought your logic all made sense, so I'm a little bit jealous I didn't come out 14-3, but hey, with that, over to you.
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Bill: Well, it's, like you said, it's, sort of the lull before the…
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Bill: Things really pick up with the OTAs.
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Bill: But I was interested today to see this report about Josh Jacobs, The running back from,
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Bill: Green Bay seems to be… in a lot of trouble. He's… he's been arrested
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Bill: on 4 different counts. Two of them are misdemeanors, but there's 2 felonies,
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Bill: One of them including strangulation, which, I certainly hope that
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Bill: When it comes out that these are overblown for his sake.
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Bill: But, I just shake my head in amazement.
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Bill: At how these young, strong, gifted.
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Bill: Rich guys can just throw it away, With stuff like this.
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John Drennan: Yeah, it's sad to see it. You know, I'd like to see all these guys have success and stay injury-free, but…
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John Drennan: Neither of those are gonna happen, but, you know, these are… I…
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John Drennan: I learned a long time ago, if you get a lot of money before you have personal growth, mentally and emotionally, it's not a good combination.
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John Drennan: I just think that happens a lot, not just with star athletes, but any celebrities, musicians, etc. There's a full history of that, so…
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Bill: Yeah, that's probably… good thing I didn't win the lottery in my 20s.
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John Drennan: Oh, you'd be… you'd be a financial mess.
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John Drennan: So, well, hey, I also… so that, you mentioned that, and by the way, fans might think, who's Josh Jacobs? You mentioned Green Bay, you know, anything that happens in the NFC North.
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John Drennan: with the Packers, the Vikings, the Bears, and then our Lions, that's newsworthy. So last week, you mentioned, well, Nolan Smith, but he's with the Eagles, but he had some… an issue. I think he got arrested, but…
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John Drennan: This thing with Josh Jacobs is more serious, and it'd be a blow to the Green Bay Packers if he's not on their roster next year, and hopefully he is. Wait and see.
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John Drennan: But Bill, didn't you send me something this week showing…
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John Drennan: Jared Goff… a Jared Goff stat.
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John Drennan: For the last few years. Do you have that handy? I was pretty intrigued by that.
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Bill: Yeah, it's, amazing that,
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Bill: Has done so much better then…
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Bill: All the other… most of the other quarterbacks, passing touchdowns since 2023.
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Bill: Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield are both tied at 79.
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John Drennan: Is that the NFL or NFC?
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Bill: NFL.
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John Drennan: Wow.
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Bill: Then, Lamar Jackson's at 75, Josh Allen's 66.
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Bill: Jordan Love, 65, Patrick Holmes and Joe Burrow.
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Bill: It's 60.
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Bill: to, Tagavaloa, Well, I hope I said that name right, it's 58… Prescott's 57, Stafford 55.
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Bill: But…
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Bill: Jared Goff is con… I saw another thing where quarterback, top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL, Goff wasn't on the list.
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John Drennan: Yeah.
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Bill: It just… it amazes me how they ignore is superior stats In every regard.
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John Drennan: No, I agree with you, Bill, and that would be, you said, since 23, so that's 3 seasons in a row.
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John Drennan: Those accumulative numbers.
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John Drennan: I know some people say, well, yeah, but look at the line he had for 2 years, or yeah, but look at the weapons he's got, but… and then they say, you know, he's not that mobile. Well, what he is, is he's absolutely great at what he's good at.
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Bill: Yeah, and hardly anyone would place him above… Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen.
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Bill: or Patrick Holmes, or even Joe Burrow.
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Bill: And some even Dak Prescott, but he's… he's out… as far as touchdowns thrown, he's outshone all of them.
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Bill: So, I just get a little tired of the disrespect that he gets.
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Bill: Yeah. And I'm not exactly sure where it comes from.
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John Drennan: Well, speaking of him, and it might relate to this, you know, he was the cast-off from the Rams.
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John Drennan: He did go to a Super Bowl with them, and he was a number one pick in the draft back in 2017, I believe.
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John Drennan: And went to the Super Bowl a couple years later. They did not win. But what came out this week was,
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John Drennan: his former coach there in Los Angeles,
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John Drennan: Why am I drawing a blank? .
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Bill: Sean McVay.
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John Drennan: Thank you. Sean McVeigh, who I think's a great coach, and he came out 5 years later, and he said, I was not mature, and I did not handle it well.
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John Drennan: When we did the trade for Matthew Stafford, he…
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John Drennan: You know, golf was completely blindsided. There was no kind of pre…
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John Drennan: conversation about, hey, here's what we're thinking, but I really respect that Sean McVay came out and admitted that, and said, hey, I screwed up. I own that.
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John Drennan: I just thought that was a healthy thing to do. And that was a trade, and I think most people know what we're talking about, when Matthew Stafford went to the Rams 5 years ago, and Lions got Goff and a couple first-round draft picks. That was a win-win trade, big time.
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John Drennan: And I think for Lions, just continues to be a gift that keeps giving.
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John Drennan: Bill, after you read that stat, I'm really excited to see this year how many TDs with an improved offensive line, and I think an improved receiver core, and I think they'll have a strong running game, which always makes for a better passing game, so…
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John Drennan: Pass in your seat.
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John Drennan: hugs.
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Bill: And the Lions were top 5 in offense last year, even though they were
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Bill: They got a lot of criticism for their offense.
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Bill: Oh.
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Bill: They scored a lot of points.
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Bill: And… Again, don't understand… The criticism, but I think Detroit…
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Bill: whether it's the Lions or the Pistons, they seem to me… To get a lot less…
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Bill: Notoriety than they should.
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Bill: This last playoff run from the Pistons, I noticed that on the sports shows, they were always talking about their opponents.
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Bill: Even when the Pistons won, they were talking about their opponents.
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John Drennan: Yeah.
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Bill: So…
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Bill: I really wish the Pistons would have beat the Cavs, because I don't think the… I don't think the Knicks could have beat them, but…
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Bill: And I really don't like the Knicks.
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Bill: I hope they lose 4-0 to whoever they play.
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John Drennan: Well, there's a chance of that, because whoever they play is a powerhouse coming out of the West, but I was really surprised that they swept the Cavs.
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John Drennan: And I'm so curious what would have happened if the Cavs would have held that lead in the first game. I mean, they were up…
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John Drennan: 22 and 7 minutes to go, and ended up allowing it to go to overtime and lost, but if the Cavs would have held that lead and won that first game fairly handily in New York, I just wonder if the entire tempo of that.
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Bill: Oh, yeah.
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John Drennan: gifted.
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Bill: I agree.
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Bill: Sports can be so strange, in the hockey playoffs, Colorado Avalanche were by far
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Bill: The best team in hockey all year long.
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Bill: They won the Western Conference handily.
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Bill: They played the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
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Bill: In the playoffs, they had 26 more points. In hockey, you get 2 points for a win.
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Bill: So they had 26 more points in the season than the Knights.
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Bill: And Las Vegas swept them 4-0.
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Bill: So…
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John Drennan: Yeah.
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John Drennan: Well, hey, folks, with that, back to the Lions. Bill, you had mentioned we're going into the OTAs, and it took me, I don't know, a couple years to figure out what that meant.
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John Drennan: OTAs are organized team activities. They occur this time of year before the official training camps. They are optional, so sometimes I think of them as optional team activities.
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John Drennan: Most players do attend. I think with the Lions, they're all attending. They have a culture there where players are gonna wanna be there, and I love that.
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John Drennan: So, that's what's going on now, but they don't put on the pads and hit each other, so it doesn't really start to give you a look at your new players, but in other ways it does. So that's going on now, and different news kind of leaks out of that, but nothing big to report.
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John Drennan: the, you know, the big injuries, we still don't know what the status of Kirby Joseph's gonna be, or Brian Branch are two great safeties at the start of the year, but we don't really know how Sam Laporte is doing, because back issues can be tricky.
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John Drennan: But hopefully he'll start the year fresh.
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John Drennan: And we're hoping Terryon Arnold's injury is healed, and
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John Drennan: Boy, it's… we get these guys back, even if they're all back mid-season and real contributors, it's gonna be huge for this team.
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John Drennan: And Bill, I do, I do have two other quick things.
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John Drennan: you know, we've been talking the last couple weeks about contracts, and Jameer Gibbs getting his fifth year extension, and…
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John Drennan: Jack Campbell did not, but that was understandable. Well, this week, it was announced… Jack Campbell.
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John Drennan: Has gotten a 4-year contract extension that starts in 2027, so that locks him in till 2030.
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John Drennan: Making just over $20 million a year for those years. I think $53 million guaranteed.
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John Drennan: So they did what all of us thought. They absolutely solidified Jack Campbell being a Lion long-term, and I know Jack Campbell's excited based on his interviews. So that's really good news. They got him locked in. You know, he may be the best linebacker in the game right now.
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John Drennan: At his, you know, being young, too.
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Bill: Well, I don't know if you saw this story, John, that, Kevin Zeitler.
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Bill: remains on the market a year after departing Detroit.
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Bill: for Tennessee, and his return could make sense to some.
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Bill: According to… Alex Kaye of the Bleacher Report.
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Bill: So, Zeitler's a free agent, and…
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Bill: he was very good with Detroit.
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Bill: But he hasn't signed with anybody, and we don't know what that means. Sometimes, these guys…
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Bill: They don't want to participate in OTAs, they don't really want to participate much in, In the preseason.
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Bill: Once you've been a veteran for a lot of years.
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Bill: So they sign with somebody Just before the season starts.
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John Drennan: Yeah.
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Bill: It would make sense to sign with the Lions if we want him.
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John Drennan: What's your opinion of that person suggesting maybe the Lions should look at him? I mean, what are your thoughts on that?
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Bill: Well… We liked Zeitler.
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Bill: When he was with us.
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John Drennan: Well, we liked him at right guard.
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Bill: Yup.
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John Drennan: Do we like him at right guard this season coming up?
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Bill: Well, who else is gonna be there?
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John Drennan: Well, Tate Ratledge…
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Bill: I mean, based on last year.
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Bill: And the year before, I'd prefer Zeitler to Routledge.
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Bill: But Ratlich could improve vastly this year.
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John Drennan: You know, the biggest jump in the NFL is typically from your first year to your second.
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John Drennan: Everything I've heard about Rattledge, here comes, he's a stud.
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John Drennan: you know, he had an okay year. But this is year two, and I think he's projected as a long time
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John Drennan: Solid right guard.
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John Drennan: So, to me, the idea of bringing in a veteran
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John Drennan: maybe as a backup, but not to replace Ratledge. I think that sets him back.
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John Drennan: And doesn't give the Lions much of an edge in that exchange.
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Bill: I could see a one-year contract.
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John Drennan: Yeah, as a backup. I couldn't… I couldn't see him coming in as a starter. I just think that sets time back for Ratledge, and he's…
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Bill: Oh, you know, the way Campbell runs things… if Zeitlersch did… Signed per year.
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Bill: and he's better than Ratlage now, then he's gonna play.
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John Drennan: I agree with that. If they sign them, and it'd have to be a small contract.
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John Drennan: If they sign them to say, we want to really push Tate here, and if Zeitler wins the job, great. We've just raised the floor of the right guard position.
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John Drennan: I'd be okay with that, I just don't see it.
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John Drennan: But it's an interesting… I mean, there's a lot of interesting things like that that come up as maybes.
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Bill: Is Taylor Decker signed with anybody yet, do we know?
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John Drennan: Nope. Nope.
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John Drennan: And I don't think at this point anyone's floating the idea, well, maybe the Lions should sign him for a backup, but I…
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John Drennan: No way.
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John Drennan: I could see them still picking up one of these edge rushers if the price was right, whether it's,
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John Drennan: Haywood from the Saints, or… was it Joey?
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John Drennan: Oh, help me out. The brothers.
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John Drennan: The Ohio State brothers.
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John Drennan: Drawing a blank on last name.
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Bill: Yeah, me too.
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John Drennan: Yeah, I tried it.
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Bill: Pay attention to Ohio State.
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John Drennan: Yeah, right. Bogus… not bogus. Not bonus, but…
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John Drennan: Anyhow, this must be making some of our listeners crazy, because…
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John Drennan: His name's right on the tip of my tongue, as is his brother's. Or, Clowney, he's out there. All these guys were, at one time, just absolute great edge rushers, and…
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John Drennan: You know, would they bring them in for the experience and a little more backup at that position?
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John Drennan: You know, by mid-season, it'll be really interesting where we stand with edge rushers, with,
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John Drennan: the free agency additions, and Hasanineen being back from injury, and Derek Moore now being on the team, and speaking of edge rushers, Bill, the undrafted free agents… so right after the draft, the Lions…
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John Drennan: Picked up, I believe it was 9 undrafted free agents, 3 on offense, 6 on defense.
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John Drennan: And the one on defense, I keep seeing these stories that this guy could be… A rose.
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John Drennan: amongst the, undrafted free agents. Anthony Lucas, 6'5", 267 pounds.
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John Drennan: Played at, Texas A&M, and then switched to USC.
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John Drennan: Apparently very athletic, very strong.
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John Drennan: And the idea is, with the coaching and environment of the Lions, he could have a much higher ceiling.
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John Drennan: Then he's shown, and some projected him as a 5th round pick, but he didn't get drafted, so…
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John Drennan: We'll see where he lands in this mix.
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Bill: So, is, Ohio State brothers you're thinking of, Sonny and Lorenzo Stiles?
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John Drennan: No, no, those guys both got drafted this year.
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John Drennan: No, I'm thinking of the ones, I cannot bli- I mean…
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John Drennan: Their names are gonna pop in my head as soon as I stop thinking behind it.
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Bill: So they weren't Ohio State guys drafted this year, you're thinking of?
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John Drennan: No, not this year. No, they've been in the league for, you know, 8, 10, 11 years.
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Bill: Okay.
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Bill: Yeah, I can't help you there.
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John Drennan: Well, talk about something.
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John Drennan: Because I'm gonna find it, because it's…
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John Drennan: It's probably got my… our listeners crazier than it's got me at this point.
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Bill: Yeah, I, well, speaking of college football.
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Bill: Have you heard the proposal to go to a 2014 playoff?
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John Drennan: I've heard of it.
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Bill: Yeah, I think the…
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Bill: The Big Ten is for it, because I think they imagine they're going to get a lot more teams in.
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Bill: But, if they did that, they would eliminate the Big Ten Championship game.
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John Drennan: You know, whether it's college or pro, it's interesting because these games make so much money.
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John Drennan: But these players got only so much tread on their tire, you know?
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John Drennan: Every year. By the way, as soon as I started looking up, it's Bosa, Joey Bosa and his brother Nick.
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Bill: Oh, yeah.
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John Drennan: Nick and Joey's a pre… What's that?
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Bill: Nick and Joey.
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John Drennan: Yeah, Joey's a free agent,
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John Drennan: That wouldn't it be something having him and Hutch opposite each other, the Michigan-Ohio State.
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John Drennan: Warriors.
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Bill: So, when do… when does training camp start?
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John Drennan: I don't know the date, sometime in July.
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John Drennan: I think mid to late, but don't quote me.
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John Drennan: But I've been starting to make comparisons on paper and in my head of where we were one year ago, going into training camp versus where we are now.
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John Drennan: And if you were to go back and listen to our early podcasts, I was all gung-ho on the Lions and the roster and going into training camp. I remember how I felt and why I felt that way.
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John Drennan: This year, I'm actually more excited.
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John Drennan: And part of it has to do with what I learned I missed on last year.
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John Drennan: I underestimated… the, switch in offensive coordinator, and I underestimated losing,
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John Drennan: Couple people on the offensive line.
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John Drennan: Oh, Frank Gregg now, but then playing a rookie, and did, you know, just… and…
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John Drennan: Offensive line issues last year were worse than I had projected in my head.
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Bill: Well, I can explain why you were so optimistic last year.
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Bill: the Lions have been… A 15-2 record, the number one
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Bill: seed in the NFC the year before.
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Bill: And you are an eternal optimist.
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John Drennan: I think what carries more weight of those two things is the first thing you said.
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John Drennan: Right. And they were 15-2 in spite…
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John Drennan: nearly devastating injuries to that team. I mean, Aiden Hutchinson was out.
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John Drennan: Their defensive backfield was beat up, and they still won 15 games.
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John Drennan: So I thought, okay, we're getting a lot of these guys back.
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John Drennan: And… yeah.
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John Drennan: Well… Got it.
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Bill: That's what they say, it's all fine and dandy on paper, but you gotta play the games.
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John Drennan: That's right. Never seen a Game 1 on paper.
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Bill: All right, John, well, I think we've about exhausted the, Topic for this week.
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John Drennan: Yeah, let's come back in a week and see if there's any news, and we're gonna keep updating folks and keep this going here as we…
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John Drennan: Take the journey with the Detroit Lions to the Super Bowl, friends, and if you missed last week, go back and listen to our predictions of, how the Lions end up our very early, premature, silly, probably, predictions that we made a week ago, so…
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John Drennan: Alright, Bill.
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Bill: Well, and to do that, they go to theshlpodcast.com.
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Bill: dot com.
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John Drennan: Yeah, that'll get them to our website, they can see all of the podcasts we've done since July of last year, so…
