The Lions are shifting to a base 3-4 defense under new coach Dan Campbell. That means Trey Flowers and Romeo Okwara are moving to outside linebacker.
Defensive line coach Todd Wash confirmed the moves.
But both players also could remain on the field as traditional hands-down defensive ends in sub packages.
Flowers has nine sacks in two seasons since the Lions made him one of the highest-paid defensive ends with a five-year, $90 million deal in free agency. The Lions, though, are excited about his potential as an outside linebacker.
“He’s got a great skill set for what we’re trying to do,” Wash said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Every one of the players that we have on our defensive roster have a skill set. It’s going to be our job obviously as coaches to put them in that position to be successful, and I think Trey has that skill set as a defensive end in base and also in sub.”
Okwara had a team-high 10 sacks last season as a right end. He spent time as an outside linebacker at Notre Dame.
“Both of them are athletic to do what we ask them to do and I think you’re going to see both of them elevate their game,” Wash said.