August 26, 2026
Opening Statement: “We’re going to back down a little bit today, just kind of get a little recovery and then tomorrow we’ll do what we were going to do today. They were humming yesterday in a good way. So, just trying to be smart and then we’ll pick up where we left off, but we’ll get them moving out there today. It’s been good so far. It’s hard to believe it’s almost over, but that’s where we’re at.”
On if these are the toughest roster cut decisions he has had to make and what it says about Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes addressing their goals from the beginning of the offseason: “It’s certainly up there. It would be up there if not some of the hardest decisions that we’ve had to make. Yeah, Brad’s done an unbelievable job. I mean, he’s done that every year, man. He continues to do a great job. He and his staff, I mean, they’re just their grinders, man. They grind. And not everybody does it like he does it. And that’s the fact of the matter. You can say what you want, but he’s on it and the staff gets after it, (Lions Assistant General Manager) Ray (Agnew, Jr.) and all of them. So, they put in a lot of hours, a lot of hard work, and the byproduct is what you see out there. A lot of competition, a lot of good players. And we’re going to have to let go of some guys that are going to be able to go to other rosters and make some waves. That could happen. That’s real and that’s hard to do. But yeah, this is going to be hard, man, on Sunday.”
On what he is looking to see from Lions WR Dominic Lovett over the next few practices and during Saturday’s preseason game: “Yeah, just consistency. I think that’s the biggest thing. He’s a young player, but the consistency of what he’s asked to do, man, all the little things. And when you have got a receiver room like you’ve got right now with a lot of guys that are practicing and playing on a consistent level at multiple spots, that’s the next step for him. And look, he’s working at it and he’s competitive, he’s a good athlete, but that’s the next step.”
On if he weighs youth and upside over veteran experience who could contribute immediately: “Yeah. I mean, you are trying to weigh both, but I look at it, I think a lot in OK the development. It’s one thing to say a year from now you have this. It’s another thing to say, yeah, OK, we can see that. But, more importantly, six weeks in, this guy’s going to be able to help us six weeks from now. So, like this season at some point, this guy’s really going to be able to help us and continue to grow. And by the end of the year, they may be banking some pretty important reps that are going to be valuable for us on offense, defense, and probably special teams. That’s where it really comes into play. I think that’s the hard thing, the projection of, well, maybe nothing this year, but next year. I mean, that’s tough. But, if we think they can continue to grow throughout this season and you take a couple of lumps early, it may be worth it. So, it is a constant, you are weighing the scales there.”
On if a player’s mental component is a factor in the final roster selection: “Yeah. Time on task. Time on task. It is. And it’s the youth, it’s just experience, it’s having to live in those moments. And the more they do, the better they’re going to be. And then if you are, whether you keep them or they come back on the practice squad or vet squad, man they’re only banking valuable reps against our guys because yeah you’re giving looks, but we compete here. We don’t just get out there and it’s the token play outside leverage, keep the card and get beat. No, man. Wednesdays and Thursdays, you’re trying to win. You should be winning against (Lions WR Amon-Ra) St. Brown or (Lions WR Jameson Williams) Jamo or whatever or vice versa against (Lions CB) Rock (Ya-Sin) or (Lions CB D.J.) Reed or we can go down the line. You’re not just out here, you’re not just a token body. We need to see you compete and win because those are important for us. Guys have made the roster, guys that we’ve brought up from practice squad or that were on the roster, they’re 52, 53, and now all of a sudden they get elevated to go to the game because they’ve proven it. So, that’s important to us.”
On if he has seen the defense improve since training camp started: “I feel really good with where our D-line is at right now and really that front seven. I feel that group of guys plus bench, plus the bench. I feel really good, man. I feel like it’s a good group. It’s a versatile group. There’s depth in there. There are pieces. You can ask them to do different jobs. And so yeah, you’re asking me right now, I feel really good about it. But, I’ve been watching these guys now. We’ve been in camp for I don’t know how many days, but hey, until we get in a real game that really counts, real minutes, New Orleans will be our first big barometer. That’s when we’ll really know where we’re at. And one way or another, that’s just one game. And then it’s what do you need to fix? Where do you need to get better? Or you’re humming pretty good, but you still have got growth to go. So, I like where we’re at.”
On if he sees improvement specifically in the pass rushing room since camp started: “I’m speaking all of it. I’m speaking all of it. I’m speaking the run game, I’m speaking pressure, pass game, all of it. To me, that’s what D-line is, man. You play all of it. It’s like O-line, man. You have got to pass, protect and you have got to run block. We can’t ask one of these guys to come in. OK, you’re good at run blocking as a left guard. Now get out for pass pro, get in there. And yeah, you can do a little bit if you know you got them in pass downs. I’m talking about our D-line. Hey, we have got them in third-and-12 then yeah, you can bring in a little faster group, but at the end of the day, these guys have got to be able to do everything.”
On what he remembers about Lions LB Joe Bachie from his time at the Saints and what he sees from him this camp: “Exactly what he was when he was coming out. Smart, just a smart, crafty, all-out linebacker, can play all the spots as needed, special teams. And he just has picked up where he left off from when I remember him. I mean, that’s what he’s been in this League and he’s walked in the door and he’s got a great grasp of this defense right now. And you need him, he can go here, you need him, he can go here and he gets the job done. And he can play on special teams and do anything that (Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Fipp’s asked him to do. So, he’s pretty dependable. He’s reliable and he’s made plays in camp.”
On what he thought about Lions OL Juice Scruggs’s performance against the Commanders last Saturday and how he has progressed this past week as he has gotten more snaps: “Yeah, I liked the exposure that we have got. That was really our first exposure. I mean, honestly, he has got a couple of reps in practice with pads I’m talking about, more than a couple, but we’d just gotten him back. So, I thought that was good. That was good exposure. I thought yesterday was good. I thought he looked good yesterday. And there again, he’s coming back off of this injury. He’s getting familiar with (Lions QB Jared) Goff and what we’re running, he’s in control now. He’s the guy who’s got to make the points, the cadences, all this stuff. So, I thought yesterday was good. I can’t wait to see him today and tomorrow. I think he’s only going to get better and more comfortable with what we’re doing.”
On how Sunday’s roster cut selection process changes with the quick the turnaround from Saturday’s preseason game: “Especially a Saturday game with – I mean, this is difficult. This is difficult. So, you have got to have a pretty good idea where you’re at before you go into that game, knowing there’s a few spots left. But you better have a pretty good idea because it’s a quick turnaround. We land next morning, get up and we have got things we have to do and it’s difficult. It’s on you.”
On what the next steps look like for Lions OL Tate Ratledge: “I think he’s another – consistency. And that comes with young players. I could say that with (Lions DL) Tyleik (Williams), I could say that with (Lions WR Isaac) TeSlaa. Any of these young players that have banked some reps, but now they’re going into year two, they are improved. And Tate’s had a really good camp. He really has. I like where he’s at, but now it is the consistency, man. Can you do those little things over and over and over a heck of a lot more than you don’t? And that’s always going to be for a young player, man. That’s the next step in growth, but I think he’s had a really good camp, man. I like where he’s at.”
On injury updates for Lions DB Christian Izien and Lions LB Trevor Nowaske: “Yeah, Izzy, it’ll probably be a little bit here. I don’t know if we’ll have him for the opener or not, but we’ll have him. I mean, we’re going to get him here. If it’s not then, we’ll get him here early in the season at some point. And then Now we think is just a little strain or sprain. So, I think we’ll be OK here, let it calm down, so I’m not as worried about that.”
On what Lions DB Christian Izien is out with: “He’s got an injury.”
