I had Branch not starting or playing a ton this year as I figured too many DB’s with experience in front of him. With no Mosely and Branch getting more time when CJ went down looks like he will be getting significant time. Man, that secondary looks different…
Another non paywalled article small portion copied below:
Branch played well in Gardner-Johnson’s absence and has been a ball magnet all summer, and the Lions have rewarded him with steady work with the first team. In Wednesday’s joint practice with the New York Giants, Branch stripped a catch loose from Parris Campbell to force an incompletion and had a would-be sack on a safety blitz.
“It’s early but he’s one of those guys, you kind of see the lightbulb,” Dan Campbell said earlier this summer. “What showed up on the tape in college is beginning to show up already, up here, quickly. He’s an instinctive guy. He’s got some ballhawk ability.”
Walker said he’s not worried about how the Lions have used him in practice in recent weeks.
“I just got to control what I can control,” he said. “I’m going to be honest, that’s it. It’s one of them things where I only can do what I do best and that’s make plays and continue to be me, ball. And lead my teammates out there, so if I’m out there with the ones, if I’m out there with the twos, I’m just going to lead my teammates and the rest will take care of itself.”
A little more than 10 months removed from his Achilles injury, Walker said he feels just as explosive as he was before the injury, though he knows the next step is proving that in games.
“(We have) a lot of versatility, and honestly that’s what upstairs is trying to figure out right now,” Walker said. “We’ve got so many guys who can play so many different positions, so they’re just plugging in people and just trying to figure out who’s the best options. So that’s just kind of where I stand. I just stand on what I got to do and control what I control. It’s just one of them things where, like I said, I’m going to ball when I’m out there, I’m going to get my opportunities but until then, I’m going to be a supportive teammate, be the leader that I am.”
Those quotes from Tracy are exactly what her team-first guy would say. Of course, it’s easier to say when you’ve been paid. But still, it speaks to the players and culture that Holmbell have assembled.
Walker went from the best player on this defense just 2 years ago to being a quality backup and it’s not based whatsoever on anything bad Walker has done. This offseason in particular has been an incredible piece of work by Holmes to upgrade the secondary. Add in the drafting of Kerby the season before and it’s one of the deepest groups in the league. Not to mention the talent upgrades at LB and D-Line. Okwara and Walker were their best defensive players two years ago and it wasn’t all that close and now they’re rotational guys. Let that marinate for a minute when comparing the two groups.
With that said, we need to see Branch in real game action to see if he’s ready to supplant Walker but this kid just has the “It” factor, he fell because some teams fall for athletic traits and “measurables” over Football IQ and instinct. Lucky us.
Brad gave them a second chance too when he wouldn’t give them #152 in the trade. He countered with #159, which they took. In retrospect, that was a mistake that he got away with. Brad might’ve lost The Big Cheese Sorsdal in the process. But Brad gets what Brad wants!!
If Branch is that far ahead that Walker gets bumped, that’s a good thing. You play the best players - that’s how it should work.
I’m still curious to see how this shakes out. It’s not a bad problem to have 4 guys who could all start for multiple teams in safety room. Injuries will unfortunately always happen.
I think the Lions will find a way to get all these guys involved and engaged.
