Nearly a full 90-man roster is expected to participate in this week’s voluntary OTAs for the Detroit Lions. It’s the first gathering of the returning players and the rookie class on the field together this offseason.
The activities are voluntary and non-contact, so it’s not exactly a great example of what we’ll see when the full pads come on. But OTAs offer glimpses and hints about the team, lineups and potential changes to the schemes and systems.
Here are six things I’ll be watching for during Thursday’s session that is open to the media as well as the entire group of OTAs this week.
Who isn’t in Allen Park
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
It’s important to reiterate the point that these OTAs are strictly voluntary. Players do not have to be there and don’t need a reason to not attend.
Having said that, it’s a better look for a player if he’s in Allen Park at the team facility. For a team that is stridently striving for a culture of unity, players who aren’t in town will raise an eyebrow. Again, they don’t need an excuse to skip out–but they’d better have a valid reason for Dan Campbell.
One thing the Lions don’t have to worry about that is hitting other teams as they get to OTAs: contract holdouts. Detroit doesn’t have those issues this year.
The Okwara brothers
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Julian Okwara has already been spotted in Allen Park this offseason doing voluntary workouts. Older brother Romeo has been rehabbing from his torn Achilles on his own with his private trainers.
It’s a pivotal offseason for both Okwaras. For Romeo, he needs to prove he’s healthy and still capable of being the guy he was in 2020, when he broke out with a team-leading 10.5 sacks. In four games before his Achilles injury in 2021, he had one sack and didn’t look nearly as comfortable in coordinator Aaron Glenn’s scheme. It would be nice to see him and check out how close he is to…