With Lions new head coach Dan Campbell firmly entrenched in the corridors of Allen Park (presumably there are runners there), Detroit is now busy with the task of assembling a team of coordinators and positional coaches. Although there have been initial reports that Lions are targeting Aaron Glenn to become their defensive coordinator, no other positions have been filled.
That could change soon. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network broke the news today that Lions have an interest in current Baltimore Ravens quarterback coach James Urban, and he interviewed the team on Wednesday.
O #Lions interviewee #Ravens QB coach James Urban, for his work as an offensive coordinator today, said the source.
– Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2021
Urban is the first coach to appear in the Lions search for an offensive coordinator.
In addition to training defenders with the Ravens, Urban previously worked as a wide receiver coach with the Cincinnati Bengals under former coach Marvin Lewis from 2011 to 2017, where he worked with athletes like AJ Green and current Lions Marvin Jones Jr. and Mohamed Sanu.
He has also previously worked with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent three seasons as assistant coach Andy Reid, two as an offensive assistant and quality control coach, and then another two seasons as a defender coach.
His time with the Eagles and Ravens should be of interest to Lions fans, as he helped acclimate Michael Vick to Andy Reid’s offensive designs in Philadelphia and now works with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson – both mobile and agitated defenders. With the future of current quarterback Matthew Stafford in question, it stands to reason that Lions may be looking to recruit a young quarterback in one of the next draft, and if James Urban is hired by the team, that would represent a potential philosophy of how this team addresses the position .