David Long feels like a steal for the Lions, Dolphins reporter explains why he was also shocked Miami let him go and why he thinks it happened
The Detroit Lions are going through a lot of injuries right now and that is no doubt bad, but there is a tiny little good side to it. That good side is that it gives the Lions a chance to find those little diamonds in the rough. Linebacker David Long is one of those. Just […]
The Detroit Lions are going through a lot of injuries right now and that is no doubt bad, but there is a tiny little good side to it. That good side is that it gives the Lions a chance to find those little diamonds in the rough. Linebacker David Long is one of those.
Just a few weeks ago he wasn't here. He was a starting linebacker for the Miami Dolphins and not just that, he was also one of the team's captains. It was shocking when they waived him on November 14th.
He has so much of what Dan Campbell and the Lions like out of their linebackers. A leader with run stop ability and can cover when needed. Can also play special teams too. Versatility is important to this team. That's why it made all the sense in the world that the Lions would go after him. Sure enough, they did.
Through two games with the Lions we've seen Long look pretty good on 25 snaps on defense and then really good on special teams. He's been drawing rave reviews from Lions' head coach Dan Campbell too.
"He's a football player. I mean, he's pretty instinctive. He's got awareness. He's got a nose for the football. You know, he can process things pretty quick. And you can see that when he just goes in the game." Campbell said. "The fact that he's already been able to, I mean, he walked right into the game at the Colts and helped us. And now here's another one. He stepped in for, I don't know what that was, 15 plays or something, on defense, and helped us out. That's, that's huge. So he's a football player, man. I love it."
So what happened in Miami? Why was this guy just suddenly dropped? We asked Sun Sentinel Dolphins beat writer David Furones what happened and even he was shocked.
"It was all pretty shocking in Miami. First, he was demoted out of his starting role in favor of Anthony Walker. Although he was struggling in games leading up to it, it was still a surprise to actually see it happen. Then it was equally surprising to see he was actually waived because Tyrel Dodson became available. Dodson was running similar scheme in Seattle. Maybe it was change from Vic Fangio’s system to Anthony Weaver for Long."
Things like that can make a difference for a player. In 2023 he had a really solid season for the Dolphins, but then a scheme change messed that up. Sometimes players just don't work out in different schemes. Now he's the Lions gain becasue he's suddenly starting to get back to that 2023 play.
Furones also spoke on Long's mentality and further echoed the idea that he is a Dan Campbell guy all the way.
"He was good and reliable for the Dolphins last year, especially against the run. I do think back to the playoff loss in frigid KC and he was one of the few defenders that seemed to go into those elements with the right mindset. So that was something that probably led to his captaincy."
What a steal for Brad Holmes and the Lions. If he can continue to be good here, it's going to go a long way come playoffs time. Here's another veteran player that wants that championship really bad.
Dan Campbell just gave the best possible answer to Jahmyr Gibbs accidentally leaking playbook info and you will run through a wall after reading it
Over the weekend there was a little bit of controversy coming out of Allen Park when Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs posted a video of fellow Lions running back Jermar Jefferson doing something funny. In the background of that video was a whiteboard with the Lions run protection codes on it. When asked about […]
