A lot of Detroit Lions followers weren’t too happy to see expert offensive coordinator Ben Johnson head to one of the Lions’ chief rivals: the Chicago Bears. But, it was nothing personal. Johnson saw a good opportunity for him have his first head coach position and work with a rising quarterback in Caleb Williams, so he took it.

Of course, Johnson leaving still stings, tough, and it’s going to make for some very intense games with the Lions go up against the Bears. Now, the Lions are moving forward, and head coach Dan Campbell is making sure the league knows that losing Johnson isn’t going to make the Lions’ offense any weaker.

Detroit Lions Head Coach on Current Offense

Speaking during the NFL’s annual league meetings last week, Campbell talked about the strength of the team’s offense.

Campbell’s message is clear: It doesn’t matter who’s calling the plays, because it’s the players who deliver those plays in a successful way. So, you can take away that coach, but if you still have the pieces of the puzzle, as the Lions do, then you’re golden.

One big piece of that puzzle is Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Campbell praised Goff during the league meetings and expressed that he has a lot of trust in the signal-caller.

“Everything we wanted him to do in the offense, he did,” Campbell said of Goff. “And then he began to bring stuff to us, as to, ‘Hey, man, I can see this look. Let me get to this play. I know I’ve got these options in the bag.

“He added, But let me get to this, as well.’ Right? Those are the things where (it’s like), ‘OK, here we go, man. That’s beginning to show.’ I would anticipate that to take another step up.”

The Detroit Lions have done their part in the offseason to secure their offensive squad. They’ve paid a lot of money for it, too. The team has secured multi-season extensions for Goff, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker. So, the pieces are there, and Campbell is putting them together.

“We can say, ‘Well this is our scheme, this is what we’re running.’ No, no, no,” Campbell said. “(The players are) the ones who make it what it is. That’s our playbook, those guys.”

Lions’ Needs in the Upcoming Draft

The NFL draft is coming up, and the Lions will be looking to secure some additional key players. One big need is for another defensive lineman to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.’

While everyone has their best guesses as to what the Lions will do, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports thinks the team should snag Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College in the draft.

“Not impossible the Lions go after Tyler Booker or their favorite remaining interior OL, but a bookend to Aidan Hutchinson remains a priority,” Fornelli said in his feature, which was published Friday, April 4. “Ezeiruaku is a high-moter player who was very productive at Boston College, and those are traits the Lions seem to prioritize.”