The Detroit Lions face a challenging task of building a competitive roster in an NFC that\u2019s becoming tougher every year, and head coach Dan Campbell has the added pressure of replacing several key coaches, including both coordinators.<\/p>\n
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was pivotal in creating the most exciting offense in the league, left to join the Chicago Bears and work with Caleb Williams. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, praised for his leadership, has taken over as head coach for the New York Jets.<\/p>\n
After Johnson recruited wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, Scottie Montgomery was promoted to assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. Tashard Choice, who spent the last six years coaching running backs at Georgia Tech and Texas, now takes over the Lions\u2019 backfield.<\/p>\n
Choice has already garnered strong praise from former players. At the NFL Combine, former Texas running back Jaydon Blue lauded Choice as a “genius” when it comes to the running back position, also highlighting his leadership off the field.<\/p>\n
These hires are showing that Campbell isn\u2019t merely a beneficiary of Ben Johnson\u2019s success, as he\u2019s capable of replacing key figures who get hired away.<\/p>\n
Fans may remember Choice from his playing days, as the undrafted free agent amassed 1,579 yards and 10 touchdowns over five seasons with the Cowboys and Bills.<\/p>\n
Choice\u2019s coaching background, especially working with Pro Bowl star Bijan Robinson, likely made him appealing to the Lions. His connection with Jahmyr Gibbs, having coached him at Georgia Tech, could also have played a role in the hire. If Choice helped Gibbs thrive in college, he may be poised to elevate his game further in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Although the Lions\u2019 passing game received much attention, the team\u2019s foundation was built around the dynamic duo of Gibbs and David Montgomery in the backfield. Replacing Johnson will be difficult, but Choice could help maintain a strong ground game while new offensive coordinator John Morton keeps Jared Goff in sync.<\/p>\n
Campbell\u2019s true test will come in demonstrating that his success with Johnson and Glenn wasn\u2019t merely luck. The growing support for Choice might signal that Campbell has a solid plan for the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Detroit Lions face a challenging task of building a competitive roster in an NFC that\u2019s becoming tougher every year, and head coach Dan Campbell has the added pressure of replacing several key coaches, including both coordinators. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who was pivotal in creating the most exciting offense in the league, left to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2007,457,2566],"class_list":["post-27339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-ben-johnson","tag-jared-goff","tag-john-morton"],"yoast_head":"\n