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ALLEN PARK — Kelvin Sheppard spent time with six different NFL organizations as a player before becoming the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. He believes the way the Lions approach football is unlike anything else in the NFL, that extends to the business side of the NFL. Detroit has built one of the most formidable rosters in the league and locked down another key piece of their future, signing star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a four-year extension worth $180 million on Wednesday. As a former player turned coach, Sheppard believes the work of Lions general manager Brad Holmes and the front office to retain their key players makes the team operate at a higher level. “It feels good to know if I’m drafted here and I do what I need to do, that I’m going to be taken care of here and I don’t ever need to look, reach or go wonder where do I stand,” Sheppard said Thursday. “I think the level of transparency throughout this entire organization is special in what we do. That’s not normal. “A lot of things are hidden from coaches, a lot of things are hidden from players. But here all you gotta do is take one trip upstairs. I mean, you gotta be careful cause you’re gonna get told the truth. But you take one trip upstairs and the trickle to coaches is, it’s easy to coach in that type of environment where you don’t have to wonder, you don’t have to guess.” Hutchinson joined Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Derrick Barnes, Alim McNeill, Jameson Williams, Levi Onwuzurike and Kerby Joseph as recent draftees to sign second deals with the organization after being drafted by the Lions. Holmes also extended quarterback Jared Goff and tackle Taylor Decker after his arrival in 2021. The Lions haven’t shied away from spending to reward the players that develop in Detroit and become high-level NFL players under Holmes’ watch. They’re keeping their players happy, often making them the highest or among the best-paid in the league at their respective positions. Seeing a team like the Dallas Cowboys dragging along negotiations with their star edge rusher Micah Parsons over offseason before eventually trading him away was a reminder these deals don’t always come to terms and can leave a team with a major gap. “(Holmes) gives clarity to the coaches,” Sheppard said. “He gives clarity to the players, and that’s a very awesome thing.” The Lions are off to a 5-2 start and — with their recent performances — look like a team bound to make another run at the playoffs. Sheppard is one of the first to extol the Lions’ championship ambitions just midway through the season. He’s focused on beating Detroit’s next opponent, the Minnesota Vikings. It helps that Holmes is taking care of the members of his defense so Sheppard can turn his attention to the Vikings offense without any other concerns. “I get the luxury of just being a defense coordinator. I don’t have to try to be the GM, I don’t have to try to be the head coach,” Sheppard said. “I don’t have to try to be the linebacker coach because I’m surrounded by an ecosystem of elite guys in their respective groups. “I’m able to just go up to my office and focus on calling the game on Sunday, Monday, Thursday night, whatever day that may be that week. And I’m very thankful for that opportunity here.”
