Deshea Townsend has already made an impression on his new students. He will be responsible for encouraging the Lions’ pass defense to make significant progress.
The coach of the secondary has changed for the Detroit Lions following yet another season of poor performance by the pass defense. Deshea Townsend will take over as coordinator of the defensive pass game and coach of the defense backs. After just one season in that position, former defensive backs coach Brian Duker resigned to join the Miami Dolphins, and Dre’ Bly, the coach of cornerbacks, was let go.
Townsend spent the majority of his 11 NFL seasons as a cornerback with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He began his coaching career in 2011 and spent the previous two seasons as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell stated this week at the NFL Combine that Townsend “gonna be able to deliver exactly what AG wants on the back end.”
Townsend’s fondness for Glenn dates back to his rookie year in the NFL, when Glenn was a standout cornerback for a brief period of time, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit News.
Townsend is currently compiling a detailed list of the players he is acquiring. In addition, he is working on assessing incoming free agents and draft prospects as the Lions look to alter their cornerback depth chart.
New students receive an instant message from Deshea Townsend.
This week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Townsend met for the first time with the beat journalists for the Lions. He had a direct message for his new students in the Detroit secondary through Rogers.
Townsend declared, “You won’t play if you won’t tackle.” “That concludes it. You cannot play if it is on the video that you refuse to tackle. In the end, all I’m looking for are individuals that are willing to make the first move and don’t back down from contact.”
The Lions’ defense last season had the fifth-worst tackling grade in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Naturally, that’s not entirely on the secondary, but it’s obvious that Townsend wants his team to be a major contributor to its correction.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription needed), Townsend is clearly interested in promoting a culture where people must constantly earn their place via competition.
“As soon as I get into the room, I remind the young men that it’s their responsibility to seize the starting job and the starters’ responsibility to hold them off. And coaching works in the same manner. You have to show yourself every day and make sure you’re giving it your all at every chance. I wouldn’t expect anything less from them than I would from myself.
Townsend’s background as a coach and player could be the key to improving the Lions’ pass defense. Overall, he appears to be a perfect fit for Campbell’s coaching style.