Detroit Lions: Coaching and Front Office Power Rankings
Moves that I love …
3. Antwaan Randle-El – Receivers coach
Based on the current roster and speculation about Kenny Golladay’s future, Randle-El might not have much to work with in his first year coaching the Lions receivers. Luckily, Randle-El has a reputation going back decades for finding a way to make an impact no matter what he has to work with.
In his college days at the University of Indiana, Randle-El was basically a proto-Denard Robinson, before Denard lit up the Michigan Wolverines record book a decade later. With a terrible roster behind him, the dual-threat quarterback managed to still be one of the most dynamic players in college football in the years surrounding Y2K, setting several NCAA records in the process.
In the NFL, Randle-El didn’t fit the mold for a quarterback at the time, so he switched to receiver immediately upon entering the NFL. Despite never playing the position in college, Randle-El carved out a productive career for Pittsburgh and Washington, catching passes, as a kick-return ace, and sometimes even throwing the ball.
His 43-yard toss to Hines Ward off a reverse was the defining play in a Steelers’ Super Bowl XL win, which just happened to be played in the friendly confines of Ford Field.
Most recently, Randle-El was on staff as an offensive assistant for the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. While his coaching resume is still pretty bare, Randle-El should garner instant credibility and respect from the Lions’ receiving corps (whoever that ends up being).
If Jamal Agnew returns to the Lions, I can envision him and Randle-El as kindred spirits, maybe without a true position in the NFL, but dynamic athletes and quick learners who are just too talented to not have on the field in some capacity. If the two have the opportunity to work together in Detroit, it wouldn’t be surprising for Agnew to have a career year in 2021.
Whoever ends up in the receiving room for the Lions, it seems like a pretty safe bet that Antwaan Randle-El will find a way to get the maximum out of their capabilities and then some. Working with what he’s got and finding a way to make an impact is the story of his career in football.