Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

George Godsey has spent his entire 13-year coaching career on the offensive side of the ball, and the Detroit Lions are banking on that experience helping their middling defense.

Godsey, who was fired as Houston Texans offensive coordinator last month, is joining the Lions as a defensive assistant in charge of special projects.

While Godsey won't coach a position group, he will help the team prepare for upcoming opponents, much like Gunther Cunningham has done in recent seasons and Randy Edsall did last year.

Edsall served as the team's director of football research and special projects until he left to take over as UConn coach in December.

Like Edsall, Godsey has a history with Lions general manager Bob Quinn. The two spent three seasons together with the New England Patriots, where Godsey was an offensive assistant in 2011 and the team's tight ends coach in 2012-13.

He left New England to coach quarterbacks for another ex-Patriots assistant, Bill O'Brien, with the Texans in 2014, and spent the last two seasons as Houston's offensive coordinator. The Texans went 9-7 and won the AFC South last year but finished 29th in total offense and got little out of quarterback Brock Osweiler.

Before New England, Godsey coached running backs and quarterbacks at Central Florida. He played quarterback at Georgia Tech and in the Arena Football League.

The Lions, who finished 18th in defense last year, return their entire coaching staff from 2016, aside from Edsall.

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Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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