The Detroit Lions are expected to be without star linebacker and team captain Jack Campbell for the foreseeable future. While head coach Dan Campbell admitted it would be tough to look forward and game plan without Campbell at linebacker, he did acknowledge that the team was in a good spot at the position due to depth.
“Luckily we have some depth in there,” said Campbell at his Monday media availability. “With (Malcom Rodriguez) Rodrigo and (Trevor) Nowaske, and (Derrick) Barnes. Those three guys and Amen (Ogbongbemiga) have been up for us, which is good. And then we’ve got (Joe) Bachie ready to roll.”
Campbell noted that while they are satisfied with their depth, they are not going to stop exploring all avenues. Losing their starting MIKE linebacker is significant, and the team will need multiple people to fill that gap.
“So we may need a little bit of help,” said the Lions head coach. “We’re looking at everything. We’ll adjust as we go. Brad (Holmes) and I will get together here, you know, this afternoon, tomorrow, and figure some of this out.”
The Lions General Manager has a little more than one week until the NFL trade deadline. So, the question will be whether the team wants to make a significant move in the next week or not.
Detroit Lions Have Plan Without Linebacker Jack Campbell
One of the biggest issues with losing Campbell is losing their green dot. That means he communicates with the sideline via a radio inside his helmet. He relays the calls from the sideline to the rest of the defense. The team is losing a key communicator.
The Lions’ head coach made it clear that they are still working things out on that end.
“I don’t know if we’re that far yet,” admitted Campbell. “They honestly could all handle it. Between Barnes ended up taking it the other day because of where we were at, but Rodrigo’s done it before. He could do it, and so could (Nowaske), so we’re kind of in the beginning stages of that, but I feel pretty comfortable with all of them.”
Rookie Jimmy Rolder also suffered a season-ending injury, which is why the team might go outside of the roster to make a move. Other than that, they seem set on sticking with the internal options and seeing how they look.
Lions Could Look for Linebacker Help
The team would typically have Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes as their top two linebackers. So, the second-team defense would typically be run by Rodriguez, with Nowaske in the Barnes role.
However, the Lions had been pushing Rodriguez down the depth chart. He was beat out by fourth-round rookie Jimmy Rolder, which is why Rolder was on the field. So, the team knows that Rodriguez can call the plays, but they also know he might get picked on and eventually exposed. The Lions might have to make a trade, even if they do not want to. They will likely get one game to see if what move they should make.
Lions HC Reveals Plans After Losing Jack Campbell