August 22, 2023
Opening Statement: “OK, not much to speak of other than we’ll get some good-on-good work today. Again, we’re still in camp, so we’re just trying to make each other better.”
On if he can name which specific position groups he wants to see step up this week: “I can’t. I mean to me, they all need to show up. I think a lot of guys need to show up for us and there’s a lot of guys that we’ll be looking for that we consider depth players, spot starters, guys fighting for jobs, practice squad spots, so I think you’re looking for it all. We need everybody to step up.”
On where his comfort level is with the offensive line depth: “Yeah, listen, I’m good because here’s the thing, at the end of the day, no matter what happens, everybody’s got holes. I mean even we had a pretty damn good roster at New Orleans for a number of years and we still had holes. And so, it’s never going to be perfect, but we’re so much farther along than we were two years ago. And so look, we’ll take it as it comes. Some of the things the other day, you look at something and in the moment you’re like, ‘God,’ collectively, but you realize it’s one person here and it makes it all look awful. And then the next play it’s somebody else, so yeah, it’s bad, but it wasn’t as bad as it felt the other night when I watched the tape, so that’s the positive side of it.”
On how much more important it is now to have positional depth compared to two years ago: “It’s huge. It’s huge, and depth is what gets you the rough spots when you get those injuries. We know it’s a long season and so to have quality depth in certain areas, really you’d love it in all of them, but to have it in certain areas gives you flexibility, gives you guys that you know you feel like you’re not really going to lose anything if something happens to – and there again, I mean I think the obvious here is man, D-end, OLB-ish, we’ve got some good depth. Inside linebacker, we’ve got some good depth. I mean, those two spots. The safety/nickel, man we’ve got some depth and versatility and because of that, that’s where you draw from if something goes down in other areas. We can kind of – we can maneuver and push some guys in certain positions or spots that help us, and so then that makes your depth look better.”
On his plan for starters in the final preseason game at Carolina on Friday: “Yeah, I don’t know. I think it’ll be a lot like – I’m still trying to think about that one a little bit, and really, I want to see how today and tomorrow goes, but I think it’s going to look very much like the first two games.”
On if there is anything lost for the starters by not playing in a preseason game: “Well, I think that’s what we’re trying to – whatever we feel like you could potentially lose, which is the ultimate intensity that you get from full tackle, go to the ground, whistle blows, the blocks through the whistle, all of that. And that’s what we’re trying to duplicate here, we’ll do some of it today, so. And then certainly a load, right? We’re trying to put a certain amount of reps on these guys that they wouldn’t have gotten in the game anyway. I mean nobody’s going to play your starters for a full game in preseason, but you are trying to build them to that point. Today will be a little bit about that, we’re going to try to put a load on our guys. It’s going to be intense. It’ll be pretty physical, so I think yeah, potentially that’s what you could lose, is some of that, but I feel like we can mimic that in practice, and we can do it in a controlled environment.”
On how much of today’s practice is in preparation for Week 1 at Kansas City Chiefs: “None of it today. None of that’s today.”
On when the preparation shifts to focus on the Week 1 Kansas City Chiefs game: “I would say we may do a little bit tomorrow, is where the beginning of that will be, but we’re still going to focus on good-on-good and rounding out the roster. We’ve got some work done on those guys and we’re still thinking about – just like they do on us. I mean they’ve been looking. It’s been a long offseason so, but I still think our focus is on us right now.”
On how the new emergency third quarterback rule factors into making roster decisions: “Yeah, I don’t think it – I don’t think that’s a factor into what we’re going to do with the roster. I think, for us, is it worth keeping three quarterbacks, number one? Number two, where are we at with the rest of the roster? You want to do that, but yet who are we losing to do that, or vice versa. Is quarterback three better than corner four? And then some of it, can we get these guys on practice squad? How does that affect how you build a roster out? But no, I don’t feel like that has a barring light just because we presented the rule like we have to keep three quarterbacks, that’ not a must.”
On the puzzle of putting together a final roster: “It’s a huge puzzle, and (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and I sat down last night and just tentatively started discussing it in depth. We’ve – obviously we talk all the time, but really we try to – we kind of try to stay out of each other’s way and gather our own opinions before we – we give it a lot of good time, we listen to the coaches, we listen to the personnel department, he does, I do, we try not to sway each other. And then – so yesterday was our first time to really, ‘Hey, how do you feel? How do you feel,’ and I’d say we’re pretty aligned. I mean, we really are. And the last pieces are the ones that, it’s that, there’s moving parts to it all, because there are, there’s still a lot of spots that are in flux right now and guys are fighting for those spots, but it’s good, it’s a competitive roster and I like the guys we’ve got.”
On how many conversations he and Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes will have before deciding on a roster: “Oh, we’ll have another. We’ll probably have two, three more, before the final. Something like that.”
On whom has the final say if he and Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes disagree on a roster decision: “Well just – we’ll just flip a coin. We don’t, we don’t. That doesn’t come up. We’ve never had a, ‘Well, whose going’ – man, we figure it out. We figure it out. We always do. And we either – both of us are happy or both of us are not happy, so.”
On Lions CB Chase Lucas’s development: “Look, he’s another guy that’s – he’s continued to compete every day. He’s done some nice things. I feel like he’s gotten better, but he is, he’s fighting for a spot. And, what I love about Lukey is I told him this, he’s the same guy every day. I mean the way he comes into work, he’s not up and down, he has the same attitude, he puts in the same amount of work, he – I mean nothing changes, he’s consistent. So, he’s giving it everything he’s got right now. That’s all you can ask.”
On if the intensity will be turned up from the guys fighting for a spot this week: “Yeah, I mean I think I do, but I also think they’ve been doing that, right? The first two games, man, these guys – they’re out there, and when you’re a competitor, when you’ve got something to fight for, I mean you’re going to give everything you’ve got and I feel like those guys are doing it. Like I say, the effort’s never been the problem, it’s about the details of it, but I would anticipate these guys to go out there and put it – lay it on the line and do what they can.”
On if this week still presents an opportunity for guys to earn a spot or if he looks at the holistic body of work up until this point: “I think – look, body of work goes a long way, but I’ll say this, man, you string a couple of, two or three really good showings back-to-back, man – couple of practices here, like today’s a big day. We’re going to be able to evaluate the heck out of today’s practice and then tomorrow, and then, man, the game, that can certainly catch our eye, especially if we feel like it’s been just trending in the right way. So yeah, I mean we’re not – this doesn’t shut off for a number of guys. I mean we have an idea. We feel pretty good about this is where we’re thinking, but that doesn’t mean our minds are made up either. So, yes, absolutely there’s some guys that still have an opportunity here that can catch our eye.”
On the status of Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s injury: “Yeah, he’s doing good. He’s doing good. I mean we weren’t going to play him in Carolina, but he’s doing great.”
On if he has an estimate of how many roster spots are still up for grabs: “I don’t want to say that just yet, I don’t. I don’t want to put that out there, but there’s enough.”
On if he thinks Lions RB David Montgomery can work out the offensive kinks in practice: “Yeah, I do, I think so. Is it going to be perfect? No. But there again, it’s – it goes back to what I brought up earlier, you’re trying to duplicate the games as much as possible in your own setting and get him what he needs. Like this – I think this will be a really good day for David, but he’s – I mean every day he gets more and more comfortable with what we’re doing and look, it’s a long year too. You can try to do everything you can possibly do to be like you’re going to be ready for Week 1 – and you are and we are, but God dang, man, it’s a long season. And so, as long as you just get better every week and all those guys get into a flow every week, that’s the most important thing.” | |
