The Lions weren’t able to get a win on Thanksgiving Youth Amani Oruwariye Jersey , but they did get running back LeGarrette Blount‘s best performance of the year in the 23-16 loss to the Bears.Blount took on the lead role in the backfield with Kerryon Johnson out of the lineup and ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in his most productive outing of the season. Blount had averaged less than a yard per carry over the previous four games and said that the extended playing time led to the improved results.“As a running back, I think every running back in this league is going to want the rock over the course of a game,” Blount said, via the Detroit News. “You want to get lathered up, you want to see how they’re playing and how they’re fitting the runs and how they’re playing against certain runs. Whenever you get a chance,聽an opportunity to get a few in a row, and see how it’s going, it helps a lot.”Blount will likely be at the forefront of the Lions gameplan again this week. Johnson is still out with a knee injury as Detroit prepares to face a Rams defense that’s allowing over five yards per carry this season.Given how good the Rams offense is White Amani Oruwariye Jersey , Blount said that “you definitely want to stay on the field as long as possible” and the run game will likely be Detroit’s best bet to make that happen on Sunday. With the 2018 NFL season now a week in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look forward into the offseason abyss. It’s not all bad news, however. The NFL, more so than any other professional sports league, knows how to sell their offseason to a point where the eight-month gap between games doesn’t even seem that long. This feels like a particularly important offseason for the Detroit Lions. After a big step back in 2018, head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn are running out of time to win over the Lions fanbase. And with some of their better players (Darius Slay, Matthew Stafford, Damon Harrison Sr.) getting older Frank Ragnow Jersey , the time is now for the Lions to make a move. The next three months are absolutely key for Detroit to become competitive again.So to help you navigate through the next important dates and events in the NFL calendar, here is our offseason guide.February12: CFL signing dayAt noon ET, NFL teams are free to sign any CFL players whose contracts have expired in 2019.19: Franchise Tag opensStarting on Feb. 19, teams can designate players with a franchise or transition tag. 26 - March 4: NFL Scouting CombineThe biggest event remaining before the NFL Draft in April, the NFL Combine has become a huge spectacle. Some of the best talent the 2019 NFL Draft will have to offer (see a list of the 338 invitees here) will travel down to Indianapolis to show off their athletic traits and work on drills in front of representatives for all 32 teams. March5: Franchise Tag deadlineIf a team plans on using the franchise tag, it must be designated by March 5 at 4 p.m. ET. 11-13: Free agency tampering periodTeams will be able to negotiate with agents (not the players themselves) of players that will be unrestricted free agents 13: Restricted free agency tender deadlineBy 4 p.m. ET, teams must offer restricted free agency tenders to their own players, or they will become unrestricted free agents. 13: FREE AGENCYStarting at 4 p.m. ET Jarrad Davis Jersey , teams may official sign any players that have become unrestricted free agents.17: Stafford roster bonusMatthew Stafford is due a fully guaranteed $5.5 million roster bonus. 24-27: League meetingsApril15: Offseason workoutsTeams may begin offseason workouts with strict limitations on what kind of activities are allowed. (Teams with new head coaches can start on April 1.)Mid-month: NFL schedule releasedThere’s no official date yet, but previous schedule releases happened on the 19th, 20th, 14th, 21st, 23rd and 18th.19: Restricted free agent deadlineRFAs with offer sheets must sign the tender by April 19.25-27: NFL DRAFTMayRookie minicampTeams can select from three different dates to hold their three-day rookie minicamp: May 3-5, May 4-6 or May 10-13. May 20: Spring league meetingsJuneLate May/early June: Organized Team Meetings (OTAs)Starting sometime in late May, teams are permitted to have three sets of OTAs—10 days total. Practices are non-contract T.J. Hockenson Detroit Lions Jersey , but resemble more traditional practices (seven-on-sevens, 11-on-11s). July15: Franchise tag deadlineTeams have until July 15 to sign a franchise tagged player to a long-term deal. If a contract is not signed, the player must either sign the franchise tag or sit out the season. Mid/Late July: TRAINING CAMPAugust1: Hall of Fame GameAll month: Preseason31: Roster cut-down dayBy 4 p.m. ET, all 32 teams must be down to a 53-man roster. September8-9: Week 1 of the regular seasonWe made it!