Key Takeaways From Dan Campbell: It's Time For Core to Step Up

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed the media as part of the first day of the NFL's annual league meetings Monday.

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Entering his sixth year at the helm, the head coach spoke at length covering a wide range of topics surrounding the team's offseason.

Here are six takeaways from Campbell's media session at the NFL annual meetings.

Latest on Arnold

Cornerback Terrion Arnold has been linked to a Florida legal incident this offseason, with a court order alleging his involvement in an armed robbery and kidnapping scheme. However, Arnold's legal representatives have maintained his innocence, and he has not been charged with any crime.

On Monday, Campbell acknowledged the situation and noted that the team has been made aware of the information. He stated that the team is monitoring the information as it comes, and noted that it seems as though Arnold wasn't involved in the incident given what information the team has.

New leadership opportunities

The Lions have lost several longtime contributors this offseason, with players like Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Alex Anzalone, Kalif Raymond and David Montgomery no longer on the roster. Some of this is due to cap constraints, as the team is looking to utilize its payroll for extensions for its young talents.

With these departures, the Lions have had to invest in adding new faces to the room. Additionally, these losses create vacancies from a leadership perspective that the team will need new people to step into.

On Monday, Campbell specifically mentioned Penei Sewell and Jack Campbell as two prominent options who were drafted in part because of their leadership qualities. Now, both players will be looked to as leaders for the locker room.

The same can be said for a number of the Lions' core players, as the absences left on from years past have created new chances for the younger players to step up into prominent leadership roles both vocally and by example.

How additions fit defense

The Lions lost several valuable members of their defense in free agency, as Anzalone, cornerback Amik Robertson and defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad are all departing for new organizations. As a result, the Lions will need to fill in those gaps with new personnel.

Detroit was active this free agent cycle, signing defensive ends D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner, linebacker Damone Clark and defensive backs Christian Izien and Roger McCreary to one-year contracts.

Campbell noted that the Lions largely plan to stick to their principles defensively, which are focused on crushing the pocket and playing man coverage.

However, they feel they have found players who give them some flexibility defensively to expand beyond their traditional base defense packages.

Where Onwuzurike fits

The Lions got a surprise early this offseason with Levi Onwuzurike's contract tolling under a CBA provision. As a result, the defensive lineman will be back in a Lions uniform in 2026.

Campbell provided some clarity on what Onwuzurike's role could look like for the upcoming season if he's able to stay healthy. The Washington product will be a big defensive end, playing primarily in run packages and matched up to sides where teams tend to run the ball.

Acknowledging Decker's departure

Over the weekend, an article from Detroit Football Network detailed the circumstances leading to the departure of Decker. After 10 seasons, Decker was granted his release after conversations broke down regarding his contract and assumed return for an 11th season.

Campbell acknowledged the situation, noting that he plans to call Decker at some point. With authenticity in his voice, the head coach praised the veteran for all he did for the team for 10 seasons and made it known that the Ohio State product is appreciated within the walls of team headquarters, even if he is no longer with the team.

Joint practices have become 'counterproductive'

The Lions have elected to not hold any joint practices for the upcoming training camp, marking the first time since Campbell's first year that the team hasn't done so. In the past, these sessions allowed the Lions to break up the monotony of practicing against each other and create a competitive environment.

However, Campbell feels that the team haven't gotten what they needed out of these practice sessions as of late, and as a result will shift the focus back internally for their training camp.

One ripple effect from this decision could be how the Lions handle their starters' reps in the preseason. In the past, the Lions have prioritized practice reps for their starters in joint practices, but with these not happening in 2026, the team could see fit to let their first-team players get some preseason reps.