July 30, 2023
Opening Statement: “I know you saw (Lions T Penei) Sewell yesterday, he’s in the (concussion) protocol, so that’s what that is. So the earliest we can get him back is Wednesday, but he’s doing good. He was good yesterday, so moving right along, just trying to be safe and smart.”
On what he has liked about the team’s performance in training camp so far: “I love the fact that our guys are – which I’m not surprised, we’ve had two real competitive padded-up practices and our guys didn’t bat an eye. They are practicing hard, they are in it, there’s no moping, there’s no, ‘I don’t want to do –’ I mean they’re just going and that’s coming out of the acclimation, so I feel like we’re building a base, we’re getting our intensity, our volume up and I feel like we’re getting in shape, we’re competing and what we need to work on now is, OK, we’ve got that, now all the little details. You know those fundamentals we did the first four days without pads on, now they need to begin to show up consistently with pads on and when you’ve got somebody across from you, now there’s no more of this we’re playing hand games. Just those things and that’ll come, that’s a normal progression of camp.”
On what he has seen in Lions LB Jack Campbell, Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and the rest of the rookies so far: “I think you just, really more than anything, you want to feel like at this point, that they at least belong. That they belong and that this is not – they’re not in over their head, or my gosh this is too – it’s going to be too violent, it’s too fast, it’s too – because you know they’re going to struggle, early, you expect them to struggle early with some things. And I would say, really all those guys, you don’t feel that way, so that’s good. You feel like, OK here we go, these guys will step up, they’re going to be able to handle this, they’ll adjust, they’re going to just get better and better and better. I always think that’s the starting point with rookies. So, there was – I’m not even going to get into it. It was a long time ago. I’m not even going to say it, so. But it’s good to know because it’s happened before where you get in and you may have picked a guy or thought you brought in a guy, he’s going to be OK and you know within the first three or four days like, ‘Woah, we may have made a mistake here.’ Something’s – and I do not feel that way with our guys. I feel like they’re going to be able to grow, develop, keep going.”
On when he experienced picking up a player to realize they did not perform as he thought they would: “Long time ago, yeah.”
On how Lions TE James Mitchell has started this training camp: “Yeah, listen, Mitch, we’ve been pleased with Mitch. Mitch is one of those guys, just like kind of what you asked, where do we need to be better at, improve at. Mitchell’s one of those guys where the first four days of practice, acclimation without pads, fundamentally you see improvement, you see – and now that the pads are on, it‘s translating like it’s – you’re seeing it show up. He’s not abandoning all the things he learned, all the little technique things, so we just see steady growth out of him. We see steady growth. He’s doing a good job right now, which is probably kiss of death, now that I just said that, at least for a day. But no, he is. And I’ll tell you what, he just he goes about his business, he’s quiet, but he’s attentive and he just continues to grow and (Lions Tight Ends Coach) Steve Heiden’s doing a great job with those guys too. He’s been an outstanding addition for us.”
On how the reserves on the offensive line have stood out to him in training camp: “We were just talking about this last night, and I think right now that honestly, no, not negatively, not positively. You want somebody to separate themselves, that’s what we’re looking for is that next wave. There’s a group of guys that, let’s go. Somebody go take a job here. Somebody separate themselves from the other group and so there’s a lot of jockeying. I think they’re competing back there. And we’ve seen some good things out of all of them. You’re just constantly looking for – like (Lions G Kayode Awosika) Yode did some good things yesterday. (Lions OL) Colby (Sorsdal)’s getting a little bit better. (Lions G) Logan (Stenberg)’s done a couple of things, but you’re wanting to see somebody separate themselves, so no, not yet.”
On how Lions QB Hendon Hooker’s recovery is going and how he stays engaged: “Yeah, so he’s in all the meetings the rest of the guys are and then we’ve got him doing a – certainly can’t be with the coaches. But we’ve got him doing a workout. It’s around every other day to see how that knee responds post-practice. And we’ve got our training staff, our strength coaches that take him through a workout and it’s really scripted. And so it’s our plays, it’s our reads and so he goes through the drops, makes the play-call, goes through the drops, throws and then has his sprint and he takes it down the field and he goes through the next play and we’ll go through – you’ll go through a 30-play script somewhere in there and we just continue to build as he gets his conditioning up and the knee gets stronger, so that’s about as good as we can do right now and then he’s – there again, he’s in the meetings. He’s being quizzed and so I think we’re doing about all we can do with him and he’s doing good, to answer your question, he’s doing good. There’s no setbacks. He’s working at it. That’s about it, really.”
On what he has seen in Lions DB Brian Branch so far: “What have you seen out of Brian Branch, out there? Yeah, there again, it’s early. But he’s one of those guys – you kind of see the lightbulb. It’s – what showed up on the tape in college is beginning to show up already, up here, quickly. He’s an instinctive guy. He’s got some ballhawk ability. He’s – and look he’s – we did one-on-ones the other day and he’s out there on (Lions WR Kalif Raymond) Leaf as outside corner, first three plays and I think we all know Leaf, Leaf’s got some stripes on the wall here and can run and did a pretty good job and then the next day you come back, Leaf got him back, which you would expect, but he’s not out of place. So, there’s things to him. You can see him grow and he’s another guy that is wired correctly. He is wired right. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. He goes to work, and he just wants more. He wants more, he wants more, he wants more. We’re happy with where he’s at, at this point.”
On how he views Lions DL Brodric Martin’s performance so far in training camp: “There was a couple of things that showed up yesterday with him, to your point, that was encouraging. Man it was encouraging because that’s kind of one of the next steps for him is to where you’re not – you’re thinking, you’re going through all this, that’s a good offensive line, I mean (Lions C) Frank (Ragnow) and (Lions G) Jonah (Jackson) and those guys, (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow), (Lions G Halapoulivaati Vaitai) Big V coming off. And so just to see like, OK there’s a little more level of, alright I’m adapting to the speed of this game, the strength of it and reacting, that’s encouraging. So – but there again, that was a couple of plays. Let’s see if he can stack another day together and put a few more of those on tape and that’s the good news is, he’s being tested by some really good players. But I also, I don’t want anybody to forget about (Lions DL Isaiah) Buggs either now. Buggs is going to do some stuff and (Lions DL) Benito (Jones)’s doing some really good things out there. We’ve got a group of that interior D-line that’s showing up. I said this the other day, but our fundamentals are showing up, up front defensively and it’s making a difference with all those guys. (Lions Defensive Line Coach) John Scott (Jr.)’s done a great job.”
On when Lions WR Jameson Williams will practice and Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s mentality after not practicing the last few days: “Jamo will be out there today. Now, by the way, today’s a jog-through. That was kind of the – we go hard for two days, we’re full pads, we’re physical and then we’re going to ramp back down today. It’s a shorter practice, just over an hour, jog-through. We’ll have two fields going, mental work, so Jamo will be out there for that. And then C.J., he’s staying in it mentally and I don’t feel like – of course you want all your players out there for all the reps because, to be able to get it mentally, but physically as well, that’s the best way to go through it, the actual – but he’s engaged, he’s in it, I don’t feel like it’s something where, ‘Oh man, we’re in deep trouble. We’re two weeks behind now because C.J. hadn’t been out there, I don’t feel that way. He’s played in this system before with (Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn) AG. It’s very similar to what we were doing in New Orleans, a lot of it. And he’s played ball. He’s played some football and he’s in it, he’s engaged, he’s out there and he sees what’s going on, so I’m not concerned.”
On the importance of keeping Lions WR Jameson Williams mentally prepared: “Yeah, it’s important. We need him out there. He needs the reps, he needs the mental reps – but, there again, he’s out there in the afternoon walkthroughs going through those things. But during the morning practice, that’s his – part of that time is to get him out there in rehab, get him running, get him moving, but yeah, he’s a young player, hadn’t played – and so, yeah, we do need him out there. And the clock’s ticking every day. But that’s why I say, he’ll be out there today. I think we’re pretty close to getting him back out there at practice.”
On Lions Defensive Line Coach John Scott Jr. and how he identifies how well a coach will coach players in the hiring process: “Yeah, actually he was somebody that was on my radar when I took this job and I actually knew about him from (Tampa Bay Head Coach Todd) Bowles and (Tampa Bay Defensive Line Coach) Kacy Rodgers who, out there at Tampa, with Todd, he was with them at the Jets. He was a young coach, he was an assistant D-line coach and I’ve got a ton of respect for Todd Bowles and Kacy, both. I coached with them in Miami years ago, and I know they know what they’re talking about, so it’s always kind of been on the radar and that piqued my interest and then when the opportunity came up and it’s time to hire someone for that room, I never really lost track of him. You see what he’s done out there at Penn State, so he’s – and those guys they’re fundamentally at Penn State, those edge guys are – and up front, they’re on it now. They do it right and so it just felt like it was going to be a fit for us.”
On Lions Defensive Line Coach John Scott Jr.’s ability to coach young defensive linemen: “Absolutely, developmentally – and it just, you felt like, that’s where we really need to go with this. We talk about wanting to be a great defense and it all starts with that D-line up front. You’ve got to be able to build a wall, strike blocks, violent shed and then when it’s time to turn it into rush, you can hit an edge and put him back into the quarterback and those are all things that I feel like he can teach, and our guys are really responding to it and working.” |
