Kacy Rodgers won a Super Bowl five years ago as an assistant with the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay, and the Detroit lions“The new defensive line coach said that the hunger and the commitment he sees of the team This off -season looks like his time with the BUCS in 2020.
“It’s the offseason and everyone is here,” said Rodgers.
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Well, not everyone.
The Lions secondary, Alex Anzalone, does not participate in the official program of the team’s off -season this spring.
The secondary of the Lions of Detroit Alex Anzalone (34) points out a false departure from the Vikings du Minnesota during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday January 5, 2025.
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The training sessions are volunteer and Anzalone has passed part of his past springs as a lion at home in Florida, including last year.
But the veteran secondary has made veiled references to his value as a player on social networks in recent weeks, which raises questions on his contract – it is due to $ 6 million in base salary and $ 100,000 in total as a list per game this fall – and in the future in Detroit.
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Lions second coach Shaun Dion Hamilton refused to comment on Anzalone’s absence this week, and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said he had “no concerns” about Anzalone far from the team.
“Me and Alex are all good,” said Sheppard, Anzalone’s position coach in the past four years. “I have no concern. This player is a leader here and he was a leader here, he was a complex article in the construction of the culture which is here and I will pay the respect he has won and that he is due, and whatever his private situations, I will leave Alex to address them when he is face to face with you.”
The Anzalone was one of the best and reliable defensive players of the Lions since he signed as part of the first class of the team of the team under the director general Brad Holmes and the coach Dan Campbell in 2021.
He established careers in three consecutive seasons (2021-23), from 78 to 125 to 129, and the defense of the Lions had trouble when he missed six games with A broken forearm at the end of last season.
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Anzalone Go back to play with a soft molding on your forearm In the victory of the Lions season, the end of the season on the Vikings of Minnesota and made a summit of 13 plated in a defeat in the playoffs against the Washington commanders.
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Anzalone, who was 31 years old in December and played on one-year contracts his first two seasons in Detroit, recently published a photo of himself working on social networks With legend, “respect is due”. He also republished old articles referring to the difficulties of the Lions while he was injured, and Yahoo reported that he had republished the comments of the unhappy defensive of the Bengals of Cincinnati, Trey Hendrickson with legend, “this”.
The Lions have re-signed several of their main actors with long-term contracts in the last 13 months, including Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph and David Montgomery. They also signed the good friend and secondary school colleague from Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, to a 24 million dollars contract over three years before the start of the Libre.
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Anzalone between the last year of his contract.
Holmes said that this spring, the team had mainly seated the free agency to save money to re-signate other recent draft choices in the future, including Aidan Hutchinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. The average secondary Jack Campbell, the 18thth Choosing in the draft of the NFL 2023 is eligible for a contract extension for the first time next year.
“I can tell you about concerns with me, (his absence) has no effect with the way I see Alex or how I see him,” said Sheppard. “He is one of our captains, he was one of our captains and I always see him as such.”
Lions have no compulsory work on their schedule before the opening of the training camp on July 20.
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Dave Birkett is the author of the book, “Detroit lions: An illustrated chronology. “”
Order your copy here.
Contact him to [email protected]. Follow him Bluesky,, X And Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Alex Anzalone misses the training sessions of the Lions of Detroit in the middle of contractual questions
