LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL TRAINING CAMP DAY 13 QUOTE SHEET
August 20, 2024
Opening Statement: “Really, we’ve got two practices over the next two days, one today, one tomorrow, and then it’ll really be getting ready for Pittsburgh after that so we’re still Detroit versus Detroit. We’ve got things we need to get better at, so we’ll do that. A lot of guys improved in that game, really over the last week and the game, and so that was good to see. I mean that’s what you’re looking for is growth across the board and that was encouraging, and so now we have to get a little bit better here. The trick here is to continue to get, really the core of this team prepared for game one, but also continue to develop the back end of the roster yet knowing they’re going to take a majority of these reps against Pittsburgh, so there’s a trick to it here. But we’ll have a good two days here.”
On how much he will use Lions WR Isaiah Williams in the other receiver spots this week and how important that is to his chances to make the 53-man roster: “Look, there is certainly something that we’ve talked about but we also – you still want to get a look at (Lions WR Donovan Peoples-Jones) DPJ and (Lions WR Daurice) Fountian and (Lions WR Kaden) Davis and they’re really suited outside so that’s part of the trick here. You do that, then you’re taking away an opportunity for one of those guys to give another look. So, it’s something we’ve talked about. Now there’s things that we can do formationally where, yeah, just because he is a slot receiver, he is the outside receiver. We just get in some of these cut splits and let him work a little bit. So that can easily be part of it as well. But just as far as saying, ‘Hey, you line up, we’re in two by two, three by one, you’re all the way out there by yourself,’ I don’t know how much he’ll do that.”
On how many roster spots are still up for grabs on the 53-man roster: “Yeah, (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and I were talking yesterday, we had another evaluation with the coaches, personnel department. Probably, he and I – probably five, six, somewhere in there. Five or six give or take. Some of it will have – one could have a bearing on another position and vice versa. There’s still – and I told the team this morning, for a number of those guys that there is still open spots here, so if you want it go get it. I just bring up a guy like (Lions DL Isaac) Ukwu, man. When he got in here in the spring, he was last on the depth chart, it was, ‘Well where can this guy play? He’s not the biggest guy, he’s not really a SAM, is he a defensive end?’ And he’s just steadily gotten better, and better, and better, and he plays much bigger than he is. He plays longer than his length says. Every time we give him an opportunity, he just shows up. He’s just an example of some guys that we’ve got our eyes on. So, there’s still some spots available here.”
On if he assesses players’ preseason sampling by their entire body of work: “Yeah, I would say it’s body of work. You have to look at the totality of it, but body of work as long as it’s continued to improve body of work. Some of these guys that have caught our eye, man it needs to show up again this weekend in the game because otherwise it takes a dip. Well can we really trust it? That’ll be the – some of these guys have just consistently gotten better and I say it all the time, we don’t expect this. We just expect this, this slow steady climb. You get a little bit better every day because there is consistency to that. A guy like (Lions DL) Chris Smith does that every day. There will be things on tape that you don’t see. He’s tying up guys. He does dirty work, and he does exactly what he’s coached, and he does it over and over and over again. There’s something to be said for that position doing, for example, what he does. But he falls through the cracks if you’re just watching the game. And look, those guys know it too. It’s not just for us. You want to get these guys exposure so that if they don’t make it with us, they make it with another team. Maybe somebody else sees what they’ve got and if it doesn’t work here, they get a chance to be on somebody else’s roster. I mean you want that for them, especially these guys that have busted their rear to give you everything they’ve got. So that’s what it’s about too, is understand that 31 other teams are watching what these games are about and what’s going on in them.”
On the latest injury update for Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs: “Gibbs, our plan is to get him going next week. He’s trending the right way and we’re hoping the day after the Pittsburgh game – I think we’re going to get a lot of guys back. We’re shooting to get, like (Lions T Dan) Skipper’s going to be down with this ankle this week, but he’s been going all through camp. So, we’re shooting for Skip, we’re shooting for (Lions OL Kevin) Zeitler, (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta, Gibbs, (Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez) Rodrigo, and I think we may start (Lions DL DJ) Reader up too, just start working him into individuals. So, we’re about to get a whole group of guys back, hopefully Sunday, and then they’ll get next week’s practice before we get ready for the Rams and then we do Rams practice. So, Gibbs falls into that boat, he’s trending the right way. Wish we had more practice with him, but as far as the health of it, he is healing and he’s on schedule to be back and get his legs back under him and we’ll see where he’s at.”
On why Lions WR Kalif Raymond is not talked about as wide receiver three: “I hope I haven’t been the one who – he is receiver three right now. The idea has always been we love Leaf as a returner and Leaf brings a different skillset to the receiver position. He’s got a little gadgetry, he’s got some quickness underneath, and he’s a returner. To maximize both, boy you’d love to – he’s 20 plays a game, 25 plays a game. So, we’d rather not play him 65 plays a game, but we will if we have to. So yeah, he’s receiver three right now and that’s fine. But that’s why it would be nice to have somebody step up because that just helps the room and I think it makes everybody a little more potent, that’s all. But yes, we trust Leaf. Very much.”
On if he feels that the personnel of Lions WR Jameson Williams, Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Lions WR Kalif Raymond can work in Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson’s scheme: “Oh absolutely. Especially when you start talking about, (Lions TE Sam) LaPorta’s coming back, we’ve got (Lions RB Jahmyr) Gibbs, we’ve got (Lions RB David Montgomery) D-mo, so no. We’ll be good there. When you said that, we trust all those guys and those three, there’s enough flexibility in those three receivers between Saint, Jamo, and Leaf so you can do what you need to do, it’s just about – there we go, you just don’t want to overload guys, that’s all. But if that’s what it is, that’s what it is, and we’ll be good.”
On if he feels confident that he can find the third receiver type on the roster or if they are looking elsewhere: “Yeah, I think, look, we’re still – these guys are here still competing it and I would say we’re still looking for these guys to duke it out and see if somebody comes out of this. But as with any team, we’re looking all through the waiver wires and (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and his department are looking at everything. So, we’re going to find the best guy that fits us, whether it’s here or somewhere else. And certainly, I’d like it to be here with these guys that have been working and giving what they’ve got, and so we’re going to give them an opportunity to do that.”
On if Lions QB Hendon Hooker did enough in the Kansas City preseason game to get more reps with the twos this week and start on Saturday against Pittsburgh: “Yeah, we’ll talk about that in a couple days, but it was good to see him go out there and make some plays. The unfortunate thing was that he missed last week. He missed a number of days because of the concussion that he had, and so that hurts. I mean it hurts, but then it hurts for development a bit because he doesn’t get all of those reps. Those were critical reps that he missed last week, which is not his fault, that’s just the way it played out and so he only got a handful of reps before we go in and play in the game. I mentioned this the other day, that’s why we didn’t start him. We were going to start him, and I didn’t think that was fair to him and really those other guys, that second group that was going to start the game out. But those – man there were some real good things in that game and there were some real bad things which doesn’t surprise me with where he’s at. So certainly, we want to get him a real good look. We’d love to get him a lot of reps this week. I think the idea would be, you’d love to start him this week. I’d like to start him, and then it’s just a matter of how much does he play? Is it a couple of series and then (Lions QB) Nate (Sudfeld) goes in and then he’s back? Or is it a quarter or is it a half? But he’s going to get a really good look. He’s going to get a lot of reps this week because he needs them.”
On if the number of backup quarterbacks playing through a season impacts how many quarterbacks he keeps on the 53-man roster: “Well I think you’re always concerned with injury at any position. The quarterback position certainly is – that’s always on the back of your mind and ultimately you need to know, you have to have conviction that whoever that guy is going to be able to keep this ship afloat and what we know about (Lions QB Hendon) Hooker is, Hooker is a young developing quarterback and he needs reps and he needs time. I do know that. And Nate right now has the upper hand because he’s played more. He’s been in it more, he’s seen it more, he just – and so with that, that would tell you there’s a good chance you could keep three. Am I going to say that’s 100 percent certain right now? No. But that’s kind of what you look at.”
On if he has an update on if Lions CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Lions CB Carlton Davis III, and Lions CB Terrion Arnold will be back at practice this week: “Ennis will be back, he’ll be out there today. Davis is limited today. (Lions CB) Amik (Robertson) will be limited today, and Arnold will not be back. I think there’s a chance we could get him middle of the week next week. He’ll get a practice before the guys are on their break, but he’s trending the right way, I’m not concerned. As of right now, I think there’s a good chance we’re going to have most of our guys ready for Week 1.”
On if there is an update on Lions OL Christian Mahogany: “Yeah, he’s with us, he’s been down there with (Lions Director of Sports Performance) Mike Clark and (Lions Head Strength & Conditioning) Josh Schuler and those guys just trying to get his legs back under him, his conditioning, strength level and he’s trending the right way. I can’t give you a timetable but he’s doing well. It’s good to have him here.” |
