Tim Twentyman

PALM BEACH, Fla.When Dan Campbell was searching for a new offensive coordinator and play caller this offseason after losing Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears' head coaching vacancy, he made a phone call to one of his mentors Denver head coach Sean Payton.

Campbell worked with John Morton in New Orleans and Detroit and knew him well, but Campbell wanted Payton's input as Morton was with Payton in Denver last season as his pass game coordinator.

"When Dan calls me on John Mo (Morton) and he's going to be the play caller, I'm like, 'Hey, he'll be excited and I'm excited for him,'" Payton said Monday at the NFL Annual Meetings. "The terminology and the communication, all the things thatJared (Goff)knows, the system, that all stays cleanly intact."

Morton was the wide receivers coach in New Orleans on Payton's staff when Campbell was the assistant head coach/tight ends coach in 2016. Morton was on Campbell's staff in Detroit in 2022 as a senior offensive assistant in Johnson's first year as offensive coordinator and he played a key role in building and implementing the current form of the Lions' offense. He'll now run Detroit's offense as the OC.

"John is a tremendous worker," Payton said. "Like he'll be the last one out and first one in in the morning."

Morton worked closely with Goff when he was on the Lions staff in 2022 and the two have a very good working relationship. Morton is excited to work with Goff and all the weapons Detroit has returning on offense.

"I know it's fun, isn't it. I'm like a kid in a candy store. It's Christmas all over again," Morton said at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. "I love that part. I live for game planning. I love all the way up to the game. That's the chess match. When the game starts, it's a chess match. You have to talk about those different scenarios when the game starts. Game planning, I just love that part. I'll just stay all day and all night."

GLENN ENJOYING HC ROLE

For years, former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn interviewed and prepared to be a head coach in the NFL. He went through many head coach hiring cycles disappointed by the outcome but finally got the news he was hoping for when the New York Jets hired him to be their head coach in January.

Taking part in his first League Meetings as HC, Glenn said Monday the last couple months have been everything he hoped they'd be.

"You know what? It has been (everything I thought it would be)," Glenn said. "You hear that it's a lot of different information that's coming to you, and it has been. But I think I've been prepping myself for this. It's been fun. It's been educational.

"But I will say this. I love every part of it. Just being able to be the head coach of this team. It worked out exactly how I wanted it to work out."

GLENN ON SHEPPARD

Kelvin Sheppard is taking over for Glenn as Detroit's defensive coordinator, a role Glenn had been prepping Sheppard for.

"Kelvin will do a damn good job," Glenn said. "Kelvin is a guy I've been prepping for about three years, so they have a good, fiery coach. It's similar to who I am as a coach. He'll do a good job."

Sheppard had a heavy hand in the first and second down game planning last season as Glenn added that to Sheppard's plate in preparation for him earning a bigger coaching role in the future.

"That's something he didn't have to do," Sheppard said of Glenn. "The trajectory and the outlook they had for me ... to see that stuff for you and try to put you in position to get there. That's why I owe those guys everything."

STUARD IN DETROIT

One of the early additions the Lions made to the roster in the first wave of free agency was linebackerGrant Stuard.

Stuard will be a core special teamer in Detroit and is a player who has made the most of his opportunity when given a chance to play defense, including a 19-tackle performance last year in a Colts' win over the Dolphins last season.

Stuard fits in Detroit and Colts head coach Shane Steichen thinks Stuard will do well with the Lions.

"He's great," Steichen said. "Ultimate competitor. Loves football. He's going to bring great energy to that building. Phenomenal human being, too."