The Detroit Lions signed wide receiver Greg Dortch this offseason, and fans immediately slotted him into the role Kalif Raymond held for years. Return man, gadget player, the guy who takes jet sweeps and catches screens. It makes sense on the surface. But Dortch doesn’t see it that way, and he made that clear on the first day of Lions training camp.

I got a chance to talk with Dortch after Wednesday’s practice, and when I asked him about the Raymond comparisons and whether he felt he could do more than that role, the passion in his response was impossible to miss.

“I look at myself as a dynamic returner. I have over 10 receiving touchdowns, over 1,000 yards receiving. So I mean, I can play receiver too. So the whole gadget thing is not something that I really like to put over my name. I’m a football player,” he said.

That says a lot. To be honest, when he was saying these things to me, I almost felt like I had insulted him by asking the question. But that’s the kind of response you want to hear from a player who plans to be more than a one-dimensional contributor.

Why Dortch chose Detroit

It’s not just about offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, though that familiarity certainly helps. Dortch spent three years with Petzing in Arizona, and he said that knowing people goes a long way. But there was more to the decision than a reunion.

Dortch told me he played the Lions a few years ago, and Detroit beat the heck out of the Cardinals. He loved the way they went about doing it. He knew he wanted to be a part of something like that. When the call came that the Lions were interested, he said it was really easy to say yes, come to Detroit, and work with Petzing again.

More than a gadget receiver

If you watch Dortch’s film from his time in Arizona, you can understand why people compare him to Raymond. Petzing moved him all over the formation. He lined up in the slot, worked outside when needed, went in motion, took jet sweeps, caught screens, and served as a return man. The Cardinals wanted the ball in his hands because he’s one of those players who can turn a 5-yard gain into a 25-yard gain in a hurry.

But here’s the thing. That’s only part of the story. Dortch wasn’t a gadget receiver for Arizona. He was a legitimate receiver, finishing his time there with over 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit receiving touchdowns. That’s why he pushes back on the label. He can do all the motion and return work, but he views himself as a complete receiver who just happens to bring extra versatility along with it.

Now, I would push back a little on what Dortch is saying. He’s got Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa ahead of him in terms of target share. All those guys are going to get a lot more targets than he will. But that doesn’t mean Dortch won’t get his opportunities. He’s going to be a bigger part of this team than anyone really realizes.

On the return side, he could handle both kick and punt return duties, which you don’t often see from one player. On offense, I think the Lions see him as someone they can do anything with. And that’s more than being a gadget guy. When you think gadget player, you think four or five plays. As much as I love what Raymond did here, once Jameson Williams came into the fold, Raymond was mostly reserved as a return man with a handful of offensive wrinkles. I don’t think the Lions see Dortch that way. And I know now that Dortch doesn’t see himself that way.

What training camp showed on day 1

We’re going to see over the course of the summer just how much Detroit wants to use Dortch. But from the first day of training camp, they didn’t just put him out there for a few plays. They used him, and not just with the second team. He was out there with the first team as well. Dortch got his touches, and when the pads go on, we’re going to see a lot more.

Keep an eye on Dortch. Don’t try to put him in a box. This guy is going to be a big part of this team.

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