| July 30, 2022 Opening Statement: “We’re going to – (Lions T Dan) Skipper’s going to start up today. He’ll be out there doing some individual work, see how he’s doing. So, he would kind of be the add for today if you will, out there. We’re in day four, man they practiced hard yesterday. Now, we’re only three days in, but it was good. It was pretty competitive, and I know they’re getting a little sore and fatigue’s going to begin to sit in. So, they know that, we’ll see how they push through here before they get this day off for recovery tomorrow. So, it’s good, we’re looking forward to a good one.” On how he keeps Lions WR Jameson Williams involved in practice: “Yeah, well look, let me say this first. He’s had four really good days here since – of rehab, since we’ve started, early in the morning, getting up here and working with those guys, (Lions Head Athletic Trainer Kevin) Bastin and his staff, and then the strengthening part of it in the weight room. And so, those are the things that’s like, ‘OK, that really excites us,’ because he’s putting in the work and I think he kind of knows it and feels it. The football side of it, man, when he’s – he’s very much engaged. He’s putting himself in that position, ‘OK, I’m the Z here. I’m breaking the huddle, this is where I line up, this is my split, this is my route.’ You know (Lions Wide Receivers Coach Antwaan Randle) El and (Lions Assistant Wide Receivers Coach) Seth (Ryan) are constantly quizzing him on it, but he’s already – he’s on it, he loves that part of it. And obviously, you see he loves having that ball in his hands. So, that side of it is – I mean, he comes up and he’s asking me questions. He’s asking me about the defense and, ‘What if they do this? This personnel with it –‘ so, he – that stuff is, he loves that stuff. So, it’s good.” On why Lions WR Jameson Williams likes always having a football in his hands: “I think he just – I haven’t asked him, but I think he just likes – he just likes it. He likes feeling it. If that keeps his mind right and gets him a little closer to being out there, I’m all for it.” On the difference it makes having Lions WR Josh Reynolds in the offense: “It does, it makes a big difference and you guys know the story on him, you just brought it up. But I would say this man, he came into spring in great shape and I was pleased with what he was able to do and how he was able to help us towards the end of last year. But he came into this spring and caught my eye again, and I felt like he even took a step forward from there. I like this guy. I’m kind of buying stock on him. I think he could have a big year. He’s a smooth athlete and he’s a grinder, he’s smart and (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) trusts him. And so, I can’t say enough about that room in general and he’s a big piece of that, but those guys are pros in there and they work, and they are smart. But he’s – I’ll tell you what he’s just – he’s different now. He’s a different athlete. There’s a slip – he’s slippery, man. I call him the ‘praying mantis,’ he’s a spider of death. He’s just – there’s something about him, so – freaking serpent. So, I love where he’s at right now. I really do, I’m glad we got him.” On the development of the rookies and which have stood out to him: “Yeah, I would say – it’s so hard without pads. But certainly (Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch, I mean I can’t – he just – he pops. To watch him just continue to work and go through it, I’m telling you everyday he just gets a little bit better and that’s all you care about is that you just see a little bit of improvement everyday, so certainly Hutch. I would say (Lions CB Chase) Lucas – Lucas has caught my eye, and I would tell you – particularly in the special teams drills, that’s where I really see it, the compete drills. And there’s an awareness about him, he’s pretty instinctive and he’s aggressive and you’ve got to have all of that to be a good special teams player. I would say those are probably the two that really pop to me right now. The rest of them, I wouldn’t say anybody’s doing – look, (Lions LB Malcolm) Rodriguez, he’s done some really good things. But there again, I would say that’s more special teams than defense right now, and I don’t mean that in a negative.” On what he has seen from Lions DL Demetrius Taylor from spring to training camp: “Yeah ‘Sawed Off,’ that’s (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG’s name for him. He – this kid is – man, he works, and he’s a grinder. Man, he can run the hoop, he plays with leverage. He’s just one of those guys that just – we could be sitting here at the end of camp and he just won’t go away, and I mean that in a great way, man. He just won’t go away because he just keeps getting better and better and better. And so, I know this, he’s been one of those guys that I’d be willing to bet that (Lions Defensive Line Coach Todd) Wash would tell you since spring, he’s had some of the best improvement, most improvement of any of those guys. He really has, he’s come on and he plays the nose or the shade – the nose, the 2i right now, but he can play the 3 a little bit. So yeah, we like him. We talk about him quite a bit.” On where he comes up with players’ nicknames: “Well, that, look – defensively, (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG and them, they’ve got their nicknames for everyone of those guys. So, I kind of piggyback off of that. (Lions WR Josh) Reynolds was mine. But no, I love those guys, man, I do. So, look they’ve got nicknames for me, so it’s all good. I don’t know what they are, but I know they’ve got them.” On if he bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket: “I did not. My wife told me to though. She was like, ‘You know the Mega Millions is – ‘ I didn’t, but somebody won, right? Didn’t somebody win? It’s unclear, got it.” On what he would have done if he won the Mega Millions: “I don’t know. I – because I didn’t win it. So, I don’t even want to get there with it.” On his early impressions of Lions LB Anthony Pittman so far in training camp and how much he has grown in year two: “First off, I would say that Pittman’s always got to be – his special teams has got to be number one for him. It still does, it’s got to be the number one thing that he does, and he’s got to improve even from last year. He did some really good things for us, he was part of our core and that unit that I thought played pretty well. And so, I – we believe that he can take another step in that area, but I think the beauty of Pit is just that, man. If he can continue to get better as an inside backer, the MIKE in particular, then bump him out and play SAM linebacker, which is a little bit new for him in a sense. That’ll take a minute, but yet he’s got the physical attributes to be able to do that, and he’s got some length, and he’s got speed. He’s pretty explosive, so we like the fact for a guy that you’re looking for, that man, let’s see if he can play all the linebacker spots, oh and he can play special teams, that’s kind of exactly what you’re looking for. There again, I mean we’re three days in, but certainly we like where he’s at, and we’ll see where he can take him.” On what he has seen from Lions LB Chris Board so far: “Really good athlete, he – Board doesn’t say much, but he hears everything. He hears it all and he communicates when he needs to. But he just works, and look, best exposure I have for him in this League was obviously (versus) Baltimore. I had a lot of respect for the way that he plays the game. I know those guys were high on him. He was a – he catches your eye on special teams first. He’s another one of those guys who – part of a core unit, he can do all of that for us. But we’re going to let him – we’re letting him compete now, and they’re particularly in sub-defense at the WILL, because he does run well. So, he’s smart, he’s learning. Our defense is different than what they ran last year where he was at. So, it’ll just take a little bit as he works through it, but (Lions Linebackers Coach Kelvin Sheppard) Shep’s doing a great job with those guys.” On if he has an estimated timetable for Lions DL Romeo Okwara to get back on the field: “I don’t. I really can’t – until we really get him out there on the grass moving, that would be hard for me to say if I’m being honest with you. I really don’t know.” On if there is a timetable for Lions WR Jameson Williams to get back on the field: “I would kind of put him in the same boat, until we really get him out there on the grass and doing some serious cuts and moving and then seeing how he reacts to it. It’ll be hard for me to say that right now.” On where Lions WR Jameson Williams is in his rehab process: “Yeah, I’m not going to get into that. But I would say every day, he’s gotten better and better, and we’re putting more on him.” |
