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Detroit Lions training camp observations: Offensive line shakeups

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Detroit Lions training camp observations: Offensive line shakeups


The Detroit Lions close out training camp this week with a pair of practices before their preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before practice, coach Dan Campbell explained that there are two main goals for Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practices.

“The trick here is to continue to get, really the core of this team prepared for game one (vs. the Rams), but also continue to develop the back end of the roster yet knowing they’re going to take a majority of these reps against Pittsburgh,” Campbell said.

The first, second, and third teams all got a good amount of work on Tuesday, although the intensity was a little down, given that the team was in shells (not fully padded).

Here are the biggest takeaways from Tuesday’s practice.

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Kingsley Eguakun with the first team

Ever since Kevin Zeitler suffered an injury during the joint practices with the Giants, the Lions have filled his spot primarily with second-year lineman Michael Niese. But on Tuesday, undrafted rookie Kingsley Eguakun got the honors, demonstrating his somewhat meteoric rise over the past couple weeks.

It wasn’t long ago that Eguakun took over primary center duties with the second-team offense. He started both preseason games and performed strongly in each contest. This is a huge opportunity for him not only to get in good reps against strong competition but also to prove he’s versatile enough to back up several positions on the roster.

“He’s a guy that’s continued to get better and we anticipate that he’ll keep going,” Campbell said of Eguakun last week. “I mean he is, he’s a smart guy, works his tail off and I do think he’s got flexibility. Starts with center but I think he can mix it up at guard.”

It wasn’t a perfect day for Eguakun. Derrick Barnes blew right by him on a blitz. Still, Eguakun has clearly worked his way onto the roster bubble and will have one more week to make his case.

Here’s a breakdown of the top three offensive lines (left to right):

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OL1: Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Frank Ragnow, Kingsley Eguakun, Penei Sewell,
OL2: Jamarco Jones, Jake Burton, Michael Niese, Kayode Awosika, Colby Sorsdal
OL3: Jamarco Jones, Jake Burton, Duke Clemens, Bryan Hudson, Colby Sorsdal

Bounce-back day for the WR-X candidates

On the day in which Campbell loudly declared Kalif Raymond was the team’s WR3, the big-bodied receivers finally appeared to have something to say about it.

When the team opened up with one-on-one red zone drills, both Donovan Peoples-Jones and Daurice Fountain stood out—each winning both of their reps for scores. Fountain had a nasty release against Brandon Joseph to create plenty of separation for an easy score, then physically bettered Khalil Dorsey for another score on a contested post route. Peoples-Jones, too, had physical wins, besting Kerby Joseph twice in a row.

Even better, both of those players ended up making plays during team drills, albeit with the second and third teams. Fountain elevated to grab a high throw from Hooker during an end-of-game drill, while Peoples-Jones had a big gain after creating significant separation on his release opposite Essang Bassey.

Big plays

Working on situational downs—particularly long distance to-go plays—the Lions’ offense created a pair of explosive plays.

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On the first—and second-and-15ish—the Lions simply ran the ball with Craig Reynolds, who got skinny on the right side of the line, beat the safety to the edge, and turned it upfield for a touchdown around 70 yards long. It was a perfectly-blocked play, and Reynolds showed both good vision and explosion to get where he needed to be on time.

The second was just a perfect play call. The Lions defense blitzed from their right, but Detroit countered with a receiver screen to Isaiah Williams right where all those defenders had vacated. To his credit, Williams made the catch and immediately darted downfield. He only had one defender to beat, and did so easily for a 50+ yard touchdown.

Situational work

The Lions first-teamers ran the first of two situational drills to end practice. The situation:

Down 6 points, 20 seconds left with no timeouts, third-and-12 from the opponents’ 17-yard line

The offense made quick work of the defense, with Jameson Williams picking up 12 yards on a fantastic play from Jared Goff. With Brian Branch crashing down as a blitzer, Goff stood confidently in the pocket and delivered a perfect ball to Williams, who was just breaking on the out route to make the catch, get out of bounds, and give Detroit a new set of downs.

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Goff went right back to Williams on the next play and delivered a dime into his breadbasket, but with Ennis Raketstraw in tight coverage, Williams couldn’t complete the catch going to the ground. I would probably qualify this as a drop. Regardless, Goff targeted Amon-Ra St. Brown, who—at the very last minute—created ample separation from Rakestraw for the game-winning score.

Hendon Hooker took over for his own situational drive:

Down 1 point, 46 seconds left with one timeout, first-and-10 from his own 20-yard line

The offense got off to a rough start, as Jack Campbell exploded through the line on a blitz, and got to Hooker, forcing a 6-yard loss and the use of the offense’s only timeout.

Fountain made up all the yardage with a 20-yard, full-extension grab over the middle, and Kaden Davis added another 14 with a crossing route. But both plays ate up clock and necessitated spikes. Two failed passes later, the Lions lined up for a kick of at least 65 yards, and Jake Bates’ attempt was not close.

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Odds and ends:

  • Bates’ day was, again, up and down. He had makes from 28, 33, 38, 38, 43, and 48—plus an extra point. But he also had a miss from 38 yards and the kick from 65+ yards.
  • I thought both Hooker and Nate Sudfeld struggled with their accuracy on Tuesday.
  • It’s often telling which players are receiving passes from Jared Goff during individual drills. For example, Goff will make sure he’s throwing to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond every single series of reps. The last receivers in that sequence on Tuesday were Peoples-Jones, Brock Wright, and Shane Zylstra.
  • Other standouts in one-on-one WR/DB drills: Kerby Joseph with blanket coverage and a pick against Raymond, Brian Branch with a breakup against Kaden Davis, and Tom Kennedy topping Loren Strickland so badly that he essentially had to give up on the rep.
  • Pairing with Carlton Davis with the first-string defense was Khalil Dorsey at the opposite cornerback position. He’s come a long way this offseason and looks like he’ll provide decent depth at cornerback this year, while also being one of the best special teamers on the roster.
  • Speaking of special teams, the same players continue to stand out during blocking/attacking drills: Sione Vaki, Craig Reynolds, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Today, I saw some improvements from James Mitchell, too.



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Terrion Arnold ‘maintains complete innocence’ in kidnapping, theft case

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Terrion Arnold ‘maintains complete innocence’ in kidnapping, theft case


I represent Mr. Terrion Arnold in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida, which resulted in the arrest of five individuals on serious felony charges.

To be clear, Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests. He did not participate in, nor was he present for, any conduct related to the alleged offenses. There is no evidence in police reports, text messages, or witness statements that implicates Mr. Arnold in any way.

In fact, after direct communication with the lead prosecutor, it has been confirmed that no charges have been filed against Mr. Arnold in connection with this matter.

Recent media coverage has referenced an Order issued by Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy, which improperly suggests Mr. Arnold’s involvement in the incident. That same Order also incorrectly identifies Ms. Devalle as Mr. Arnold’s girlfriend. Both assertions are false, misleading, and entirely unsupported by the record.

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Mr. Arnold categorically denies these unfounded claims and maintains his complete innocence. He was not involved in the crimes allegedly committed on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.

​We strongly urge members of the media to refrain from perpetuating inaccurate or speculative narratives. The facts are clear, and they do not support any claim of wrongdoing by Mr. Arnold.



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Robert ‘Fish’ Jenkins helped Detroit students soar in sports and life

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Robert ‘Fish’ Jenkins helped Detroit students soar in sports and life



There was a time when many Historical Black Colleges had swimming teams. The late Robert ‘Fish’ Jenkins benefited from that era and then he spent much of his adult life lifting up youths in Detroit.

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  • Robert ‘Fish’ Jenkins Sr. was a longtime Detroit educator and coach who created opportunities for young people.
  • Jenkins led teams to 24 championships in less common sports like swimming, golf, and soccer.
  • He mentored countless students who went on to become community leaders, doctors, and educators.

The celebration of Black History Month throughout February provides an opportunity to share stories about Detroiters that have positively impacted the lives of others in a variety of ways.

And included among those stories that have been shared this month is a “Fish” story that is unique, without exaggeration. 

That is because this story is about the late Robert “Fish” Jenkins Sr., a longtime Detroit educator and a groundbreaking coach, whose superpower was his ability to create life-changing opportunities for young people in unconventional spaces.

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In 1969, Jenkins arrived at Detroit’s Northern High School as a physical education teacher and coach. During Northern’s heyday, the high school, formerly located on Woodward Avenue at Owen in the city’s North End, produced a host of high-profile sports stars, including basketball greats Bill Buntin — a two-time All-American center at the University of Michigan during the 1960s — and Derrick Coleman — the first overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft. And record-breaking sprinter Marshall Dill, Track & Field News’ High School Athlete of the Year in 1971, who set world records in the 300-yard dash while running for Michigan State University.

However, Jenkins specialized in coaching sports that were a little less popular among young people in Detroit, particularly Black students. Jenkins coached teams at Northern — and for one year at East English Village Preparatory Academy after he retired from teaching in 2001 — to 24 Detroit Public School League championships in swimming, golf and soccer. 

“No matter what the sport was, he had the formula to make a team a champion,” Robert Jenkins Jr. said about his father, who died on Jan. 14 at the age 86.

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“But more than that, my father had a profound impact on the minds of every student he touched. He brought golf, and all the lessons golf teaches, to the North End. And, in the summer, he had members of the swim team teach the younger kids in the neighborhood how to swim, which taught his swim team members how to give back to the community.”   

During the evening of Feb. 22, Robert Jenkins Jr. took pride in sharing stories about young people who were coached and mentored by his father across multiple decades that went on to become “doctors, educators, business leaders, and parents” that have made positive contributions to the city of Detroit.

Robert Jenkins Jr. also described some of the friendly interactions that his dad had with notable people like U.S. Olympic sprint champion Wilma Rudolph and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dick Barnett at Tennessee State University, where the elder Jenkins received the education and training that he needed to teach and coach student-athletes in Detroit.

But earlier that day, an equally compelling “Fish” story was told by another community member.  

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“Mr. Jenkins was a very important person in my life and he is one of the reasons why I have always tried to do my part when it comes to providing opportunities for young people in our city,” said Gary Peterson, who has coached young swimmers in Detroit for 47 years, including at Detroit’s King High School, where he coaches boys and girls swimmers today. 

Long before Peterson coached high school swimmers — and youth swimmers of virtually all ages when he was a full-time swimming instructor for the city of Detroit’s Recreation Department — Peterson was on the swim team at King High School (Class of 1974), when Robert Jenkins Sr. came into his life. 

“There were coaches at other schools that helped young swimmers that wanted to improve and go to another level, and Mr. Jenkins was one of those coaches,” said Peterson, who was coached at King High School by Clyde James, a lifelong friend and teammate of Jenkins on the Tennessee State University swimming team during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when they brought national attention to the school’s swimming program.

“Mr. Jenkins would make his pool at Northern available to students from other schools that wanted to get in extra practice. Then, as I got closer to going to college, Mr. Jenkins was the person who introduced me to the colleges that were recruiting Black high school swimmers.

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“At that time, there were more than 20 HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) that had competitive swimming programs. Today, there is only one (Howard University in Washington, DC). But back then, Mr. Jenkins wanted to make sure we had the opportunities and exposure, which included sending a small group of us to South Carolina State for a recruiting trip.

“Afterwards, Mr. Jenkins even came over to King from Northern to present me with my scholarship to South Carolina State, while I was sitting in a King classroom. I couldn’t believe it and I was ecstatic, but everything that he did for me and other young swimmers in the city he did so willingly. And that’s what I always thought I was supposed to do as a coach.” 

Peterson said he would do even more with Jenkins when Peterson returned to Detroit from Orangeburg, South Carolina, after graduating from college. 

“In the late 1980s, a team I was coaching at Johnson Recreation Center and Mr. Jenkins’ team at Northern, traveled to Washington DC as one team in February to compete in the Black History Invitational Swim Meet. And that tradition of Detroit competing as one team at that meet continued every year until COVID,” said Peterson, who also recalled that Jenkins coached softball and even junior varsity football for a time, in addition to swimming, golf and soccer.

“Just as Mr. Jenkins thought it was critical for us to come together and take our kids to DC for that swim meet because it was the biggest showcase for Black swimmers, he wanted all the young people he coached to have good training and exposure. And in my case, as the son of sharecroppers, I can say that Mr. Jenkins inspired me as well, as a swimmer and a coach.” 

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Every time Peterson walks into King High to coach the current group of swimmers at the school, he said he is reminded of Jenkins and other important people that paved the way for Black swimmers in Detroit.

For example, in 2023, the natatorium at King was rededicated as the Clyde James Natatorium by the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Peterson says the renaming was not only a salute to James, who was a finalist in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships in the 100-yard butterfly during the 1960-61 season while swimming for Tennessee State, but also a tribute to the fabled swimming program that was once housed at the Brewster Recreation Center, which helped to develop James, Jenkins and many other Detroit swimmers that competed nationally. Brewster’s early swimming program was led by the legendary Clarence Gatliff, an all-city swimmer at Cass Tech during the 1920s.

Another pleasant reminder of the history and evolution of Black swimmers in Detroit that Peterson sees when inside King High is 54-year-old Robert Jenkins Jr., an educator like his father, who is teaching personal finance this school year at King and hopes to honor his father’s legacy this summer by offering a swimming and golf program to students.  

“I want to make sure that Detroiters understand my father’s legacy,” said Jenkins, a 1989 graduate of Northern High School, who explained that his father and mother (Norma Jean Jenkins) taught him and his sister (Dr. Marlo Rencher) that “we don’t half do anything.”

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And that includes community service.

“My father was a servant leader and he would offer encouragement to any young person he was around, not just the students he coached. And paying it (that support) forward was a lesson he always taught in the process.” 

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott’s stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber. 



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Fox 2 Detroit anchor Amy Andrews updates viewers on her medical leave

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Fox 2 Detroit anchor Amy Andrews updates viewers on her medical leave


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  • Amy Andrews posted on Instagram that for now, “my focus is following my doctors’ guidance so that I can return safely and consistently” to work.
  • Andrews told viewers, “I miss our mornings together more than I can say.”

Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK-TV) morning news anchor Amy Andrews took to social media on Thursday, Feb. 26, to share with viewers why she has been off the air again.

Andrews posted on Instagram that she is on a “physician-directed medical leave” as she continues treatment for dysautonomia, which she described as “a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that affects things like heart rate, blood pressure, and circulation.”

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Wrote Andrews, “For me, it can cause significant dizziness, vision changes, brain fog, and sudden drops in blood pressure, making live television unsafe until it’s properly stabilized.”

According to the Dysautonomia Project, a nonprofit collaborative effort to provide education on the condition, an estimated 70 million people across the globe have some form of dysfunction to the autonomic system that regulates “functions that are automatic in nature such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, excretion, perspiration, temperature regulation, pupil dilation, circulation, and respiration” and more. 

“Often dysautonomias are invisible illnesses. Patients may not look sick, and yet they have symptoms that make it difficult to work, go to school, and perform activities of daily living,” the collaborative effort says.

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Andrews explained on her post that she doesn’t take her decision to step back from work lightly “I love what I do, and I love serving this community. Right now, my focus is following my doctors’ guidance so that I can return safely and consistently.”

She added, “I miss our mornings together more than I can say. Please know I am working hard, I am not giving up, and my goal is to return as soon as I am medically able. Thank you for the incredible support so many of you have shown me over the years. It means everything.”

Andrews received several supportive comments to her posting, including from Local 4 News (WDIV-TV) anchors Rhonda Walker, Karen Drew and Jason Colthorp.

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“From your friends and competitors across town: Get well soon. Hope to look up and see your face soon,,” wrote Colthorp.

Andrews, who is an anchor of “Fox 2 News Mornings,” returned to work in September 2025 after an extended absence for what she said at the time on social media were health issues, describing symptoms like “extreme dizziness, balance issues, brain fog and blurred vision.”

Before that, in July 2025, she wrote online to thank staffers at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (which has several locations in metro Detroit) for taking “amazing” care of her and wrote shortly afterward in August 2025: “My neurologist was able to rule out what would’ve been a devastating diagnosis! … However, that means I move on to different specialists and different tests until we figure this out.”

Andrews has been open about her medical challenges in the past and is also an advocate for mental health awareness. Through social media, she revealed in 2022 and 2024 that she had taken medical leaves to deal with depression and anxiety.In 2021, she underwent back surgery to remove herniated disc fragments in her lower back after an injury suffered during a vacation in Florida.Andrews is an alum of Indiana University, Oakland University and the Specs Howard School of Media Arts. She worked at TV stations in Colorado, Nevada, California and the Flint and Saginaw market before joining Fox 2 Detroit in 2011.

She is involved with many community causes including Gleaners Community Food Bank, C.A.T.C.H Children’s Charity, the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation of America, Habitat for Humanity, the American Heart Association and Angels of Hope, according to her Fox 2 Detroit biography.Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.

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