Detroit Lions' mid-August additions showcase high-level adaptability while attempting to make instant impact

(Photo courtesy the Detroit Lions)

Allen Park — How many Detroit Lions fans remember Giorgio Newberry? How about Jordan Lasley? Javelin Guidry?

All three wore the Honolulu blue in the past decade. Hell, Guidry was here last year. These are three examples of mid-August additions who arrived to fill a roster need, enjoyed a cup of coffee, and were looking for a new place to continue their football careers a couple of weeks later.

When you hear the cliche about football being a business, the mind typically goes to contract disputes or cap casualties. This is the other side of the coin. No, the other side of the moon. The dark side we never see and think about less.

During the offseason, NFL rosters are 90 deep. When training camp comes to an end, that’s shrunk to 53. With the expansion of practice squads to 16 in 2020, closer to 70 of those 90 players get to stick around for the regular season. The other 20 or so depart, with many never coming back.

Among that group are usually the Newberrys, Lasleys and Guidrys of the world. They’re guys added out of necessity, often filling a short-term void created by injury.

In harsh terms, they’re beggars, not choosers. They don’t have the option of being selective. If a team calls and asks them to jump — on a plane — they jump. They’ll take any opportunity to prolong their dreams, hoping to catch someone’s eye, whether it’s the team they’re joining mid-stream or any talent evaluator for one of the league’s other 31 franchises.

Detroit’s been busy making these additions this August. Injuries have demanded it, particularly at two positions, the offensive line and cornerback.

The Lions have signed three cornerbacks in August and another in late July. They’ve added four o-linemen this month, including two who have already landed on season-ending injured reserve.

Zack Johnson is the latest lineman to sign. A lot of these guys are background figures in the dog days of camp, but he stands out. For starters, he looks like a Viking warrior with his long hair. And, two, he’s the first man to wear No. 77 since All-Pro center Frank Ragnow retired this offseason. Coincidentally, both Johnson and Ragnow grew up in Minneapolis suburbs, although they've never met.

Johnson signed with Detroit on Aug. 14. He practiced once — a joint session with the Dolphins — then played all 34 snaps in the second half of the preseason games between the teams two days later.

That’s wild, any way you slice it. But for Johnson, who has a transaction history significantly longer than his glorious mane, he’s used to having to acclimate quickly. Since going undrafted in 2020, he’s played for eight NFL teams and the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.

“I've bounced around, so I kind of know the drill about diving into the playbook quickly and just getting after things,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to know your responsibilities — snap count, alignment and assignment — then go from there.”

Johnson’s been around enough that he’s overlapped with several linemen on Detroit’s roster. He was with Graham Glasgow, Netane Muti and Michael Niese in Denver and Jamarco Jones in Tennessee. Those relationships can help when you have a question, because the team doesn’t dumb down the playbook for the new guy. They’re thrown right into the fire, even if they've only been on the roster three days.

“I've grown accustomed, unfortunately, to being in this position more than I'd like,” Johnson said. “But, because of that, I'm able to adapt quickly, learn the playbook quickly and play fast. That's the whole goal.”

Johnson might be familiarized with adapting, but he’s not calloused to the sting of being cut. It still hurts every time, including when the 49ers let him go a few short days before he signed with the Lions.

Cornerback Luq Barcoo can relate to all of that. Like Johnson, the former San Diego State standout has officially been employed by a quarter of the league’s teams after signing with Detroit.

He had a 10-day jump on Johnson before playing 20 defensive snaps and four reps on special teams in Saturday’s preseason tilt with Miami. And Barcoo didn’t waste the opportunity, breaking up two passes while giving up just two catches for 29 yards on the six times he was targeted in coverage.

“One thing you learn is you have a small window of opportunity,” Barcoo said. “Whenever it presents itself, you have to be ready to put your best foot forward and make a play. That's what I focus on and meditate on. Every time I'm out there, it's in the back of my head that I've got to make a play.”

He acknowledges that cornerback can be an easier acclimation than many positions. The Lions play a lot of man-to-man, and most corners are comfortable with Cover-2, Cover-3 and Cover-4 zones. All he has to do is execute and play with the physicality the Lions demand.

“It's straightforward,” Barcoo said. “The big thing here is being physically dominant and making plays. Guard your man and make the play. It's not that difficult scheme-wise. We know what to do. You just have to do it to the best of your ability.

“…I catch on pretty fast,” Barcoo continued. “I'm used to going into a building, getting comfortable and making friends. Everything is already clicking. I'm used to moving around, making friends quickly and adjsting and adapting fast.”

One thing Barcoo and Johnson are grateful for is playing time. Oftentimes, mid-camp signings are brought in to fill practice reps. The Lions are playing each guy they sign, giving them a legitimate chance to showcase their abilities.

“It means the world,” Johnson said. “You're given an opportunity and you obviously have to take advantage of those situations.”

Of course, like every other man on Detroit’s 90-man roster, Johnson and Barcoo are hoping to stick. They're long shots, but it does happen from time to time.

Just last year, the Lions brought in quarterback Jake Fromm in the middle of August, squeezed him into the preseason finale, and he impressed so much in a quarter of playing time that he earned a spot on the practice squad he held all year.

“He digested the whole game plan, knew it inside and out, and went out and made plays,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It’s like you can’t ignore that. That’s what I would say. So, no, it’s not easy. Not everybody can do it, but the ones that all of a sudden just (get it), I mean, they stick out like a sore thumb. Like, ‘Woah. This guy just walked in the door and he knows everything,’ which means that you probably put the time in, you really worked at it to know it, you’re probably pretty aware, there are things about you that you adapt very quickly.

“So those are good things to see and we’re just, like I say, keeping our eye open for everybody that we bring in here to see if there’s something they can do.”