There's always going to be turnover in the NFL offseason. Players like cornerback Amik Robertson will depart the Detroit Lions for the Washington Commanders, while the Lions went ahead and signed his replacement, former Los Angeles Rams CB Roger McCreary.
It happens. However, one unit that has seen a notable amount of turnover is the overlooked and often underappreciated special teams unit, and it's something worth paying more attention to.
Of course, when most Lions fans think of special teams, they think of Kalif Raymond and the return game. Raymond has since departed for the division rival Chicago Bears, leaving a void in that area. That void could be filled by Tom Kennedy, who the Lions just re-signed, potentially locking him in as a primary punt or kick returner in 2026.
Speaking of re-signings, the Lions re-signed linebacker Malcom Rodriguez. Rodriguez missed most of this past season recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2024 season. When he did return, he saw most of his playing time in special teams, seeing 81% of the possible snaps.
With LB Alex Anzalone leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rodriguez will have an opportunity to compete for a spot in the LB unit, where he played 47% of the defensive snaps in 2024 before his injury, compared to just 15% in 2025 after his return.
A possible decrease in special teams snaps for Rodriguez comes after another LB and special teams specialist, Grant Stuard, left the Lions to sign with the Rams, creating yet another vacancy. One that was just filled on Wednesday.
A new addition to the special teams unit follows another departure
Amid all the discussions about the latest Lions signings, including EDGE D.J. Wonnum, the Lions made a quiet move on Wednesday, signing former Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans LB Damone Clark.
Clark played 15 games last season, split between the Cowboys and Texans, predominantly on special teams. Clark totaled 28 tackles each of the past two seasons, which was more than the 19 Stuard had in 2025.
Clark did previously see meaningful time on defense, starting all 17 games in 2023, and could compete alongside Rodriguez for defensive snaps. For the time being, he should be viewed as a Stuard replacement.
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That's not the only special teams transaction on Wednesday relating to the Lions. According to Cleveland.com beat reporter May Kay Cabot, the Cleveland Browns are signing safety Daniel Thomas. ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi notes that Thomas played the fourth-most special team snaps for the Lions this past season.
So as the Lions gain a special teams player, they lose another. More turnover is expected in the coming months, and the result is shaping up to be a special teams unit that looks drastically different in 2026.