The Lions activated wide receiver Kenny Golladay from the reserve/COVID-19 list last week and that leaves him clear to focus on the football matters associated with preparing himself for the 2020 season.
Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has set a big goal for that football work this year. Golladay has established himself as a key part of the offense with 135 catches, 2,253 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns over the last two seasons and Bevell said this weekend that he’d like to see Golladay take another step up the ladder of NFL wideouts this year.
Bevell said he wants to see Golladay mentioned alongside DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas as players who thrive even though the defense is devoted to stopping them.
“There’s specific things that we’re talking to him that he can take his game to the next level,” Bevell said, via the team’s website. “Really, you want him to be thought of with the Hopkins and Thomas and those type of players, where he is really dictating to the defense how they have to cover him. Sometimes that’s where that guy gets double covered, he’s worried about all the time, and you help your teammates. But when you’re in that go-to opportunity, and that’s the guy, and it’s like everyone knows Kenny Golladay’s getting the ball and everyone knows he’s still going to make the play. That’s really where we’re trying to get him to, be that dominant-level player.”
Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola give the Lions two other experienced and capable wideouts to use in the passing game, but it sounds like the hope is for them to be complementary players to Golladay in the future.