After another season of struggling with their pass defense, the Detroit Lions have changed the secondary coach. Deshea Townsend will serve as the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Brian Duker, the previous defensive backs coach, left for the Miami Dolphins, while Dre’ Bly was let go after one season as cornerbacks coach.
Townsend spent 11 NFL seasons as a cornerback, largely with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has been coaching since 2011, most recently serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the past two seasons.
At the NFL Combine this week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Townsend is “gonna be able to deliver exactly what AG wants on the back end.”
According to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News, Townsend’s infatuation for Glenn began when he first entered the NFL and Glenn had already established himself as a very talented cornerback.
After another season of struggling with their pass defense, the Detroit Lions have changed the secondary coach. Deshea Townsend will serve as the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Brian Duker, the previous defensive backs coach, left for the Miami Dolphins, while Dre’ Bly was let go after one season as cornerbacks coach.
Townsend spent 11 NFL seasons as a cornerback, largely with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has been coaching since 2011, most recently serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ cornerbacks coach and passing game coordinator for the past two seasons.
At the NFL Combine this week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Townsend is “gonna be able to deliver exactly what AG wants on the back end.”
According to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News, Townsend’s infatuation for Glenn began when he first entered the NFL and Glenn had already established himself as a very talented cornerback.
Townsend is still keeping a complete record of the players he is inheriting. In addition, as the Lions look to change the cornerback depth chart, he’s been tasked with evaluating draft prospects and upcoming free agents.
Deshea Townsend gives an instant message to prospective students.
Townsend spoke with Lions beat writers for the first time this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Rogers conveyed a clear message to his new students at the Detroit secondary.
“If you won’t tackle, you won’t play,” Townsend stated. “That is it. If it’s on the tape, you can’t tackle or play. Ultimately, I’m looking for men who don’t shy away from making contact and are prepared to throw it out there.”
According to Pro Football Focus, the Lions defense received the league’s fifth-worst tackling grade last season. That is not entirely on the secondary, of course, but Townsend is clearly intent on having his unit play an important role in resolving it.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription needed), Townsend evidently wants to establish a competitive environment in which you must consistently earn your spot.
“When I walk into the room, I tell the young men it’s their responsibility to take the starters’ jobs, and the starters’ job is to keep them at bay. And it’s the same with coaching. You have to make sure you’re doing your best at all times; you have to prove yourself on a daily basis, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from myself than I do from them.”
Townsend’s expertise as a player and coach should help the Lions’ pass defense improve significantly. Overall, it appears that he’ll fit right in with Campbell’s coaching staff.
