Secondary Coach Tim Walton Decides To Stay With Lions
by Sean Yuille on Jan 25, 2012 9:44 PM EST
in Detroit Lions News
Email
Print
The Detroit Lions have not yet made any announcements about which assistant coaches have re-signed with the team (beyond the coordinators, anyway). However, MLive's Anwar Richardson got word on Tuesday that the "majority" of the assistants had already re-signed and the Lions were just waiting to hear back from secondary coach Tim Walton and wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. On Wednesday, it came out that Walton did in fact decide to stay with the Lions, which is something defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham was very pleased to find out.
"I almost died the other day," Cunningham said. "I wanted to just sleep for a while and Tim Walton is getting ready to go to St. Louis. I'm going to be real honest with you about this, and I always am. I don't know how much money he was offered, but it was a lot. He didn't go. Think about that. He did not go. That says a lot.
Walton interviewed with the St. Louis Rams over the weekend and was reportedly being considered for the team's assistant defensive coordinator job. After pondering the offer, Walton decided to stick with his current job in Detroit. While the secondary did have its fair share of struggles toward the end of this season, Cunningham called Walton the "best defensive backs coach" he's ever worked with, so the Lions are certainly glad Walton is coming back.
As for Jefferson, Richardson reports that the Lions receivers coach will "likely re-sign with Detroit later this week." Jefferson has apparently received "several" offers, which isn't too surprising given that the Lions receivers did so well in 2011. Of course, he did have Calvin Johnson, which could be part of the reason why Jefferson is expected to come back. Another (not so serious) reason could be that Cunningham has the goods on him.
"Shawn can't leave," Cunningham said. "First of all, I'll bring up all the times that I beat him. Jerry Sullivan (Jaguars receivers coach) and I are close friends. He coached Shawn and I know a lot of stories about Shawn. I won't tell you those stories, but I'm going to threaten him with that, but (Shaun is) a great guy."
In all seriousness, Jefferson seems on track to move up in the coaching ranks rather soon. I'm not sure if any of his offers would serve as a promotion, but with the weapons at his disposal in Detroit and with the job he has done coaching them, I wouldn't be surprised if Jefferson is an offensive coordinator somewhere in the near future.
49 comments
|
Add comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Good to see our coaches being in line for promotions
A lot of that has to do with talent level on teams, and only good things can come of good coaches coming from our systems.
'The reality is - the police become necessary in human society, only at that junction in a society where it is split between those who have, and those who ain't got' - Omali Yeshitela
"In the absence of logic it is not uncommon that sanity can only be found by embracing lunacy." – Leonuro, circa 2011
Honestly...
I’m really happy Walton stayed. The secondary may have struggled towards the end of the year…but they were still leaps and bounds a head of where they were before he got here. I think he could make the secondary a pretty feared unit in a few years with a few weapons.
Make it bleed GG...make it bleed.
Meh
Thats really all I can say. Not that I don’t care but part of me wanted to see a new secondary coach. Walton does an ok job though.
ROAR Offically Restored ! 12/24/11
THE PHONZ ~ I LOVE THAT GUY
PCP 4 LIFE
why do you think Gun loves him as much as he does
if he only does an “ok” job?
The boys are back in town!
Dam!
Looks like teams came to there senses! Who the heck would want our db coach? You would have to ne really be desperate to take this guy! I mean our db’s aren’t being coached up! So how can he be in demand! I would’ve liked some new blood at that spot…. Teach the dbs how to look for the ball,how to break on the ball when they do find it,and how to defend it once they get to the ball! Just the basic stuff. I mean at least they need to show some kind of improvements to make our team better….
by hostage42 on Jan 25, 2012 11:56 PM EST via mobile reply actions
You forgot
How to avoid getting injured.
Grow up.
"I like to win all the time, so all the time I play with myself."
You do of course realize that
The Lions were 5th in the NFL in interceptions and 1st in the NFL in interceptions returned for touchdowns?
Make it bleed GG...make it bleed.
oh by the way..
that’s up from 19th and 12th in 2010, 30th and 5th (2 ints for touchdown was good enough for a tie for 5th that year) in 2009 and Last place in both in 2008.
Make it bleed GG...make it bleed.
Not that bright...
" I don’t know how much money he was offered, but it was a lot. He didn’t go. Think about that. He did not go. That says a lot."
He turned THEM down.
Throwing it out here because I don't know where else to put it, but...
Sources at the Senior Bowl say the Lions are prioritizing offensive linemen, corner backs, and running backs. I wouldn’t expect them to deviate from BPA, but that looks like the three positions they’re eyeing hard for draft day.
"You've got to respect your opponent, no matter who it is. You respect him best by going out there and beating him up." - Calvin Johnson
GOOD!
it’s a sad but sober situation they need to be considering RB given all that’s been spent on the position in last 2 years. It is what it is tho :/
Individuals should protect themselves. Governments can't protect individuals from themselves, it's just impossible, otherwise they become a tyranical state. -Ron Paul
True...
But we might go for a rb in the 4th or 5th round and save our higher picks for oline and db’s.
indeed
If they do feel the need to invest in another RB I hope it isn’t with a high pick, again. I’m in the club that’s holding out some hope for Joique to at least be serviceable.
Individuals should protect themselves. Governments can't protect individuals from themselves, it's just impossible, otherwise they become a tyranical state. -Ron Paul
It's all smokescreens
Schwartz and Mayhew are making it look like Lions are prioritizing offensive linemen, corner backs, and running backs :)
Hey that's a timeout, I can play right? yeah, get me--get the F-- Help me up...I can throw the ball if you need me to throw the ball...
Well...
I sure hope that in the downtime between smokescreening by interviewing all those OL CB and RBs they have enough time to interview all the QBs TEs and kickers they’re after!
"You've got to respect your opponent, no matter who it is. You respect him best by going out there and beating him up." - Calvin Johnson
we are doing DT first pick
So we can trade the hardly serviceable non team player Suh for a gaggle of picks and a magic bean.
By the way, who doesn’t Gunny love?
by BillySimsMadeMeDo on Jan 26, 2012 2:08 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
seebeeruss
You forgot How to avoid getting injured. Grow up you say? The defensive backfield was horrible in the second half of the season in my opinion! I always thought you’re building to get better….. It’s called progressing….not regressing! Aaron berry could not find the ball…. Not only that….all the games I saw (and i did see them all) he doesn’t know when to look back…or further more even to look back at all! And when he did get lucky enough to look back,see the ball,played it perfect,RIGHT THRU HIS ARMS! I know the injuries killed us….at the start of the season our db situation was great,but to me being good at one stretch of the season isn’t what a team tries for…..unless It’s at the end like the nyg did…. Just because I see the weak points of the lions differently than you doesn’t mean i need to grow up…. Just means I see things differently than you SEABEERUSS….I liked how for a time our dbs were ball hawking corners,and hard hitting safties,and we lead in pics and pic sixes but that was do to some luck,some skill and some bad decision making by opposing qbs also,but then we got exposed later in the season and to me even with all the great db stats….It’s the weakest part of the team…. We need a shut down cb from somewhere! We get that and I’ll bet we advance a lot further than we did this year.
by hostage42 on Jan 26, 2012 2:03 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Yea, what he said.
How does having an opinion equal immaturity? An extremely valid opinion at that. Hostage hit the nail on the head. I think it’s immature to be a smart ass for absolutely no reason, except the fact that your a little bitch, and little bitches like you never grow up. Piss off douchebag.
To hostage: I couldn’t agree more. I do think that this unit ( assuming they are all healthy) is a solid number 1 away from being a top 15 unit. Jmo though.
"That's my quarterback man"- T.O.
by Lionking4420 on Jan 26, 2012 2:58 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
You don't preach against immaturity while being immature
Because that makes you a hypocrite.. I actually think there’s a strong chance hostage and Lionking are the same person under different names, they even both have a 42 in there.
Anyway, I really do feel that Walton has been improving our secondary. In another year or two, if we continue to develop, we could have a formidable secondary. Let’s hope Gunther is right about him being the best secondary coach he’s ever worked with.
Detroit Lions = Super Bowl Champs in 2013... Only thing that could top it is a possible world appocalypse the year before
by Kabideeyeeha on Jan 26, 2012 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
So that guy/girl was arguing with its self? Lol
by hasselhoff on Jan 26, 2012 2:02 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
lol....
because someone thinks like me we are one in the same? wow….can’t have an honest opinion without being told to grow up? come on…it’s just my opinion….what did i say to warrant that response? i could say trade stafford,doesn’t mean i need to grow up…just means i’m dumb as hell,but no need to be told to grow up cause i think the way i do.,also no the name i post with all the time is hostage42….no other name ever since i started… i think the coach has alot of room for improvement is all i’m saying. if anyone here is satisfied with the db’s as is…..please speak up! unless you don’t wanna be told to grow up,lol…. to each his own i guess….we all have opinions.
eh, don't take it too personally
some monkeys like to sling poo, some don’t, we’re all in this jungle tho
Individuals should protect themselves. Governments can't protect individuals from themselves, it's just impossible, otherwise they become a tyranical state. -Ron Paul
I don't buy it
Lion king seems to know how to put together a coherent sentence, not a rambling run-on like hostage. I’m betting they are different people.
Actually, I agree with seabeeruss. You *do* need to grow up.
Walton’s only been on the job two years. During that time he has to build a secondary completely from scratch, and he’s had big turnovers of personnel during that time.
This year, he has three 2nd year players: Delmas, Spievey, and Berry, and Berry is technically a rookie because he missed almost all of 2010. DBs typically don’t realize their potential until their 3rd year. They need another year before we can say whether they’re hits or misses.
He had three new players: Wright, Chris Harris, and Erik Coleman, and unfortunately Coleman missed most of the season. Harris was just a stopgap, and not a very good one either.
And then there were injuries to Coleman, Houston, and Delmas. Houston and Delmas both missed time during that bad stretch. I don’t see how you can expect consistent play when two starters are out at the same time — especially against teams like the Saints and Packers.
At this point you should be looking for improvement, not excellence. If you can’t see the improvement over the past two years, you’re never going to be happy. It’s telling that you spend most of your time ranting about missed INTs, which means you have a bad view of what pass defense is all about. You should take a look at the Packers secondary — they had more interceptions than anyone else but their secondary still stunk up the joint.
There’s not much more immature than ranting “get rid of them all” when they’ve only been working together for a couple of years at best. Smart people realize it takes both time and effort to build a workable football unit.
No slogans. Just win!!!
Yeah
Somebody needs to go to the film room and re-watch our secondary two years ago and then bitch about how we’re not any better.
Two years ago I was convinced nobody in our secondary had ever even seen a football, let alone knew how to play the game. I no longer feel this way when I watch us play. Is there room for improvement? Oh hell, yes but its certainly getting better. If people think somebody out there has a magic wand to fix everything at once, they are sadly mistaken…
"Common Sense, isn't" Solomon Short
by YpsilantiJeff on Jan 26, 2012 1:38 PM EST up reply actions
yep like Matt Ryans first NFL pass
by hasselhoff on Jan 26, 2012 4:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
you guys can say what you want….it’s what makes this country,this forum great. i just think our back 4 is the weak link and it won’t get any better until a shutdown corner is acquired. coaching them up is good,until you realize it’s not working. i’ll even give credibility to the fact they didn’t have a full training camp….so i guess we’ll see if mm thinks the db’s are in need of an upgrade. the coach is staying and i’ll ride with him cause i don’t have much choice….i love the lions eventhough i’m in so. california,so i’ll ride with their decisions either way….. i’m just voicing what i think. i enjoy all the debate among us,i can’t wait til the season starts again…..i’m surrounded by raider fans where i’m at so this makes good practice,lol.
S'alright.
It’s OK to point out problems. We all see things that need improvement. But to take the performance of a very young secondary after two years and lay it all on the coach is not realistic. We’re still rebuilding.
And good luck with those Raider fans!
No slogans. Just win!!!
Sorry about the grow up line
I can see how it could be deemed offensive. IMHO, the secondary had a huge drop off when the injuries started to pile up. Although improved, there is no depth. Other than the O line that needs an influx of youth, I feel the secondary is the biggest weakness the Lions have. I promise not to drunk post anymore. It hasn’t happened since the last time and won’t happen until the next time.
"I like to win all the time, so all the time I play with myself."
there ya are
I totally agree, the OL worries me the most too followed (somewhat distantly) by the secondary.
Individuals should protect themselves. Governments can't protect individuals from themselves, it's just impossible, otherwise they become a tyranical state. -Ron Paul
you can still coach em up
Doesn’t mean they’ll automatically learn to catch…..remember there’s a reason why many dbs get put at db and not wr
by BillySimsMadeMeDo on Jan 26, 2012 2:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
You know whats great....
Is Gunny is always in the mix of things, keeping a positive attitude around the organization.
Its really refreshing to see him take the city of Detroit into heart. After being in KC which seems like forever, he has embraced the lions very well.
I think this can be a good resigning only if Meyhew (former DB) friends of primetime, to be able to get us some ballers.
Its also slightly good because he knows the system and gunny dont have to reteach it to another young up and rising coach, which could be a mystery one way or the other.
Good to hear
Our secondary underperformed at the end of the year because of our lack of depth, not our lack of talent. Because we didn’t have a decent 4th/5th corner, Berry, Wright, and Houston all had to be rushed back from injury, that’s going to affect their playing ability.
"There's something out there, beyond the horizon in the corner of your eye. I'm going to find out what it is."
-Thomas Solomon, Gentleman Adventurer.
Nickel and dime cb was a big problem, as was safety where both Delmas and Spivey were banged up and not playing at the level they had been at early in the year. My guess is that most of our DBs were out there playing at 60% or so. This is where depth and some luck for avoiding injuries would really help us out.
As far as the article is concerned
I believe our secondary has come along way. Injuries really hurt, especially at safety. Coleman goes down, then Fuller is signed (quickly injured), then Harris.
If you have players starting in your secondary named Harris, McDonald, and Smith you will not do good back there. I believe once we develop better depth back, our defense will be much better.
I’m glad Walton has returned. Our coaching staff / front office stays the course and doesn’t panic when things go wrong. That is what winners do.
by hasselhoff on Jan 26, 2012 1:56 PM EST via mobile reply actions
* I forgot Delmas also being injured
by hasselhoff on Jan 26, 2012 1:57 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Isn't Walton the guy who wears the red shirt?
AND DONT
Tell me that he is no important or significant. May I remind you Schwartz was the red shirt guy in Tennessee.
Funny
no one is upset about Shaun Jefferson coming back. Maybe it’s because he had confident, talented players to work with. Walton took 3 guys that were cast off other teams because they were psychologically beaten and a UDFA and made them a semi-serviceable cb group.
He also turned a cb that couldn’t play cb into a serviceable safety in one year, while being handed folk off the street to fill in for a plague of injuries. If that isn’t coaching guys up, I don’t know what is.
He has at least earned the right to see if he can make them even better and maybe even get a talented player or two that aren’t already mentally hosed from a bad, previous situation.
I'm not convinced Spievey is all that great, but...
I’m not going to blame Walton for his deficiencies.
No slogans. Just win!!!
This season I will hold the coaches to a higher standard
After a decade of being horrible the Lions took a huge step forward. Coaches coach and players play. Look at the Skins with Dan the Fan in charge of getting players. Works in FF, but not the NFL. It is not a matter of getting the best players, but getting the best out of the players you have.
"I like to win all the time, so all the time I play with myself."
totally agree drgarnett
Spievey is far from great. But just being serviceable after a position switch, in actually under a year, in the pro’s is a pretty decent accomplishment imo. I think he will make a good backup after we upgrade him this year. Which is WAY better than failed draft picks of past eras.
by Lionsickness on Jan 26, 2012 10:11 PM EST up reply actions
I'm with ya on all of that
in fact I have a glimmer of hope he continues to progress. Maybe he does go to depth and then re-emerges as a good starter later in relief, or something, but I think he might still have his day. At worst, from what we’ve seen, he’s better than A LOT of picks of the past decade
Individuals should protect themselves. Governments can't protect individuals from themselves, it's just impossible, otherwise they become a tyranical state. -Ron Paul
Something to say? Choose one of these options to log in.
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Wisconsin state assembly passes resolution declaring 12/12/12 as ‘Aaron Rodgers Day’
- Training Day: Working with the quarterbacks, and not breathing
- Tom Martinez, Tom Brady’s mentor, dead at 66
- Brady Quinn apologizes for Tebow remarks, claims an ‘inaccurate portrayal’
- Stanford Routt’s road to Kansas City could be paved with professional redemption
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
