Detroit Lions hope sum is greater than parts as LB battle heats up for roster spots

It’s not the most star-studded group in the NFL. It’s possible none of them would start on any other team in the NFC North.

But the Detroit Lions believe they have strength in numbers in their linebacking corps, that the sum of the group this season will be much greater than its parts.

“I like the mix that’s in there,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said last week. “I think there’s enough talent that’s in that room and in those players, that the competition is going to pull out the most of that group.”

The Lions have been rotating linebackers frequently throughout summer, and in one of the most hotly contested battles for roster spots in training camp, Campbell said they could end up relying on three or four players to fill starter-type roles this fall.

Chris Board, for instance, was a key sub-package defender for the Baltimore Ravens last season, when he played in most third down and red zone situations. The Lions could use Board in a similar capacity this year, and pair a young linebacker like Derrick Barnes or Malcolm Rodriguez with Alex Anzalone as their primary run defenders.

“It could be these two are the starters in base and these two are the starters in sub defense or nickel defense,” Campbell said. “I mean, that could happen. Because we know that players two through four, two through five are really good special teams players. And so, we’re not afraid to — I mean, if you’re worthy of playing, we’ll play you. If we’ve got four linebackers that we feel like are starters and can produce and help us, they’re going to play. I mean, that’s the bottom line. If we feel like it’s two players, then those two’ll play.”

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Anzalone, Board, Barnes and Rodriguez have taken most of the first-team linebacker snaps this summer and seem destined for roster spots. All but Anzalone project as key special teams players, and Barnes and Rodriguez are recent draft picks by this regime who are early in their growth phase as players.

Anzalone had a career-high 78 tackles in 14 starts last season and earned the trust of Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn from their time together with the New Orleans Saints.

Campbell said Anzalone “can be one of these better linebackers that are in this league,” and even if he is one of the few that think that way, Anzalone is the clear-cut leader of the group.

“Dan and (general manager) Brad (Holmes) did a good job of getting the personnel in that we have,” Anzalone said. “The room has taken a step forward from a year ago and everyone’s cued in to exactly what to do, exactly how to do it. and guys are competing and doing their job and playing fast.”

The Lions signed Board to a one-year free agent deal this offseason with the expectation he and Barnes would compete for the starting spot next to Anzalone.

They’ve shared first-team reps this summer, but Rodriguez’s emergence has put the rookie squarely in the mix for playing time.

A sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma State, Rodriguez has shown advanced mental skills through the first two weeks of camp, with Campbell saying “he showed up” when the pads came on. Undersized at 5 feet 11 and 230 pounds, Rodriguez had an ultra-productive college career (with 409 tackles) and could be an impact run defender in time.

“I like his demeanor,” Anzalone said. “I like the way he carries himself, I like the way he practices. He’s smart, he has really good instincts and like you said, he’s not afraid to thud anyone so, yeah, I think that as a rookie he’s definitely ahead of the curve.”

Veteran Jarrad Davis, the Lions’ other offseason addition at linebacker, has repped primarily with the second- and third-team defenses this summer. He can play as a stack linebacker and has pass rush ability, but with limited roster spots available, he might turn out to be camp insurance if he can’t win a job on special teams.

The Lions have three other linebackers competing for special teams snaps. All three – Anthony Pittman, Josh Woods and Shaun Dion Hamilton – have played primarily in the kick game in their careers.

Pittman tied for second on the Lions in special teams tackles last season. Woods worked on the No. 1 kick cover and kick return units at practice Saturday (along with Board and Rodriguez), and was on the No. 1 punt cover team Friday ahead of Hamilton.

Rookie James Houston, taken 29 picks after Rodriguez, has played primarily as an edge rusher in recent practices, and is competing for an outside linebacker spot behind Julian Okwara.

“When I look at that group, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m not worried,’” Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said. “Sometimes you look at a position group from my shoes and you’re like, ‘Aah, if we keep this guy over that guy it could be hard on special teams. Maybe good for defense, but hard for us.’ And sometimes it’s vice versa, it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s going to be great for special teams.’

“They all have different pluses and minuses, strengths and weaknesses which will factor into kind of once we cut down the roster and how we’re going to play a game and positions we’ll put guys in, in scheme and all that kind of stuff. But at the end of the day, we’re in a good position with the linebacker group for sure on special teams.”

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.