National Football League

Marvin Jones Jr. says Detroit Lions have 'new feel'

Updated Apr. 7, 2023 12:03 a.m. ET

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Marvin Jones Jr. is in his second act with the Detroit Lions, and the veteran wide receiver already sees himself entering an auspicious environment.

Jones told the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday how a different vibe surrounds the Lions, compared to his first go-around with the franchise.

"It's a new feel for sure," Jones said. "And I think when I came here, the first thing everybody said is, 'Hey, Marv, it's different, you're going to love it.' The culture's different, the coaches, everything. It's not the same. So I think that was definitely one of the reasons why it was definitely appealing for me to come back here and, why not?"

Jones signed a one-year deal with the Lions in March. He spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who reached the AFC Divisional Round last season. 

Jones' first stint in Detroit came from 2016-20. Across that span, the wideout averaged 57.8 receptions for 859.2 yards and 7.2 touchdowns. The Lions made the playoffs in Jones' first season with them, but they collectively went 32-47-1 across those five years.

Jones joins a Detroit wide receiving corps that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds. Meanwhile, quarterback Jared Goff is coming off one of his best seasons in the NFL, as he totaled 4,438 passing yards (sixth in NFL), 29 passing touchdowns (tied for fifth) and a 99.3 passer rating (seventh) in 2022.

The 33-year-old Jones is one of several players that the Lions have added this offseason, defensive backs C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cameron Sutton, guard Graham Glasgow and running back David Montgomery among the others.

Detroit went 9-8 last season — its second campaign under head coach Dan Campbell — which was good for second in the NFC North. The year prior, the Lions went 3-13-1 with six one-score losses.

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