Pride Of Detroit: All Posts by Sean Yuille

Lions quotes: Jim Schwartz talks about Wednesday's OTA

2013-05-23T13:00:15Z

Below is a look at what Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz had to say following the team's OTA on Wednesday. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)

On QB Matthew Stafford having more of a process this year with the new players: "There are some new pieces to fit in. We got a couple guys returning from injury, one guys done practicing, one guy is and he's out there doing some things, Nate Burleson. But getting a guy like Reggie Bush back in and just learning the offense and getting comfortable with everything. There's nothing that we'll do with him that he hasn't done before. But all the terminology is new and just the timing that goes along with the quarterback, but all the other players that's important, that's the reason that we're out here this time of year."

On S Louis Delmas and RB Mikel Leshoure rehabbing: "Mikel's just battling some stuff, he can do some individual and stuff like that, but he's not ready to do any team work right now. And Lou, we're in communication with Lou. He's not here right now going through this stuff, but there's nothing that he could get out of this because he can't physically do the stuff that we're doing right now. But, Lou's in a little bit different position than a guy like Reggie Bush, who we just talked about, because Reggie's in a position where he's learning everything for the first time even though he's done it all. We're using the same terminology on defense, running the same defensive system. The biggest thing with Lou is going to be his health. That's what he's working on right now."

On handling position battles this time of year, specifically linebackers: "We're alternating days with a lot of guys, but quite honestly we're really not in the player evaluation business right now. Any jobs that guys earn is going to be because of training camp and preseason games, not because of what they've done in OTAs. We're really not competing for jobs here. We're working on timing, we're working on technique, we're working on things like that. We're not judging these players based on the outcome of a play. It's just that's what it is this time of year and with the new CBA a few years ago, that changed. We're trying to get as much of our installation done, we're trying to work our timing, we're trying to do a lot of things, but when it comes time to compete for jobs and make evaluations on players, we'll make those evaluations in training camp. The thing we can evaluate now is the technique the guy played with, how well they're communicating, if they're in the right spot. But the physical nature of playing linebacker and some of the other positions that guys will compete for, that will come in training camp."

On WR Nate Burleson being healthy: "He's had a great rehab and we expected that from Nate. Over the course of his career he's been a fast healer. It's one of the reasons I don't like to put time tables on guys. Because whether he's ahead of schedule or if he was behind, it's up to the individual player and his body and how he's doing. That's the way we've judged Nate. We judged him individually on how he's doing not based on what other people have done with that same injury. But he's healed quickly, he's a very very tough guy and he's rehabbed very hard. He means a lot to our football team. It's important to have him out there for our offense for a lot of reasons. Number one he's a good player, he brings something to the equation that goes beyond what his playing ability is. He still probably isn't 100-percent, but a lot of guys aren't 100-percent right now, but he's able to do able to do what he can out there and it's a good time of year. Maybe if it was a full contact training camp practice, he might not be out there doing that stuff. But we don't have any contact and our practices are short. He's able to get some work done."

On if T Riley Reiff is a left tackle now: "Yeah, he has the ability that he can play all those. He could probably play center if we gave him a little time there. Last year because he was a rookie he played both right and left. We're probably going to let him settle in at one position this time. When we drafted him, the reason we drafted him is we thought he was a long term left tackle. Whether he can hold that position, whether he can be productive for us there, that will be determined, again, training camp and preseason games and things like that. That's where he's going to settle in."

On the importance of the veterans stepping up to fill leadership roles: "Yeah, I mean I think particularly a guy like Ndamukong Suh, that's something he's embraced. He's been working very hard and he's sort have been, I don't want to say waiting for that opportunity, but when he came in as a rookie, he came in to a group that had a lot of veteran players like you mentioned, guys like Corey Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch and even Cliff Avril was a young veteran, guys that had a lot of experience in the league and he did a good job learning behind those guys. But now that he's a young veteran, it's time for him and a lot of other guys to start showing that leadership and that comes from this time of year, comes from training camp, it comes from the regular season. Yeah, it's time for guys like that to step up into some of those roles."

On DT Ndamukong Suh not being around in the offseason: "Well, I think the important thing is when we're on the field doing this stuff, he's been here now. He came in in great shape. A lot of guys choose to train other places, a lot of guys have other things that they're going to do and that's the nature of this business. I mean, this isn't a mandatory offseason. I think the important thing is when he came here, he was in great shape, which he always is. That said a lot also. He was able to work on his own, but he was able to come here in great shape and we're out doing the first couple OTAs and he's right here with everybody else. I mean, Reggie Bush missed a decent part of it. He was having a baby. There are a lot of things that come up that people go through. They all have a commitment to the team and they all answered that commitment."

On what DE Willie Young has to do to earn a starting spot: "We're a long way away from that stuff right now. Now, it's about technique, consistency and communication. Those are all things that Willie can improve on."

On what Young has to do to make the jump to the next level: "Technique, communication, consistency, you know, that kind of stuff. He's not going to be able to show all the things that he needs to show in an OTA. We don't do one-on-one pass rush. Nobody does. We don't have full contact. Those kinds of things, you need to wait and evaluate later on. The things he can work on in this stuff, like I said, technique, consistency, communications, things like that. Those are all things that can help him to be able to show what he can do once we get to training camp."

On DE Ezekiel Ansah's technique right now: "It's all new to him. We did talk about how Ziggy was an inexperienced player, but he was very instinctive, you know, playing things like screens, reverses, some trap blocks and draws and things like that that you would think an inexperienced player would struggle on. He did well on all those things. But our scheme is a lot different. It helped that we had him a week at the Senior Bowl. He got introduced to some of the techniques that we play, but all our rookies, their heads are spinning right now. A lot is being asked of them. They're in the weight room, they're in the classroom, they're going out on the field and trying to put it all together. They all thought they had it figured out last weekend for rookie camp, but then all of a sudden they realized they got that wakeup call to realize how far they are behind all the veteran players, the guys that have been doing this or had a full season or two or five or 10 years under their belt. They've got a lot of catching up to do and Ziggy's the same way."

On how far away Ansah is from being up to speed on technique: "You know, I do think that's a constant process. I think if you asked veteran players along our defensive line, they'd always say they're working on their technique. But, I mean, he doesn't have a lot of time. None of our rookies have a lot of time. They're not going to move our opener back because there's a rookie that's trying to get up to speed. When you're there, you're not graded on the curve. You're not graded on the rookie curve or the inexperienced player. The final score is the final score. So, there is urgency to get everything, but he's done a good job so far. We haven't done any team work. You guys were out there for the whole thing. We just did seven-on-seven, O-line, D-line. They're really, seriously, just working on technique right now and that will be a process that will continue. The next OTA we actually have some team work, but it's not that much. It sets the stage. Be ready for when training camp comes."

On Bears LB Brian Urlacher's retirement: "A great player in the NFL. You know, he was a really good competitor. He was a guy that you respected from a coaching standpoint because of what he could do on the field. I know he was respected by players and among his peers. Different kind of linebacker, you know? There are not many guys who are 6-4 playing middle linebacker. It's generally a position that shorter guys have had a lot more success, guys like Mike Singletary, who probably wasn't six-feet tall, Ray Lewis about the same way. But Urlacher, in a lot of ways, changed the position. His range at the middle linebacker position, the speed that he played with, he was super fast. The guy played free safety in college, had a long career, was a turnover machine. You were always worried about him and where he was on the field, the turnovers he could create, the way he could change a game. He was good for the NFL. He was good for the game of football and it's been a great career for him."

Detroit Lions OTAs: 30 photos from Wednesday's practice

2013-05-23T00:41:51Z

View this gallery here.

2013 Lions OTAs: Tracking the latest news from Allen Park

2013-05-23T00:33:32Z

The Detroit Lions' 2013 organized team activities are underway.

The Detroit Lions continued their OTAs on Wednesday with another practice. Several players were unable to participate in the practice, but only safety Louis Delmas and running back Jahvid Best were completely absent, according to the Free Press.

Why exactly is Delmas not attending the Lions' OTAs? It turns out he is still rehabbing his knees from injuries that forced him to miss half of the 2012 season. It's worth noting that OTAs are voluntary, and Jim Schwartz doesn't seem to have an issue with Delmas not being at the Lions' facility since he would simply be watching from the sideline. From the Free Press:

"We’re in communication with Lou," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He’s not here right now going through this stuff, but there’s nothing that he can get out of this because he can’t physically do the stuff that we’re doing right now."

Schwartz also said that since Delmas isn't new to the system or anything, there's not a whole lot he can gain from being at the OTAs. Since getting him healthy is the No. 1 priority, he is off rehabbing his knees. The main thing for the Lions is to make sure he is ready to go for the regular season, and considering his new contract is filled with incentives, he obviously wants to make sure he's healthy as well.

As for Best, I guess there's no point in him attending the OTAs given that his situation hasn't changed. He still hasn't been cleared to return by doctors, and it's highly unlikely he will ever be able to return. As a result, there's really nothing to be gained by having him at the OTAs.

Who ran with first team at Wednesday's Lions OTA?

2013-05-22T21:50:37Z

The media got a chance to watch Wednesday's Detroit Lions organized team activity, giving them a look at which players were getting reps with the first team. Jim Schwartz stressed that the rotations should be taken with a grain of salt since this is merely an OTA and because the Lions are alternating first-team reps. What's more, Schwartz made it clear that jobs are going to be won based on what happens in training camp and the preseason, not in OTAs.

While all of this is true, it's still interesting to examine who got first-team reps at positions where starting spots are up for grabs. The current rotations may not mean much by the time training camp rolls around in a couple months, but at the very least, we're getting an early glimpse at who could be in the mix for starting spots at positions like offensive tackle, offensive guard, defensive end, linebacker and cornerback.

On Wednesday, according to Tim Twentyman and Dave Birkett, the following players took first-team reps at the aforementioned positions:

LT: Riley Reiff
RG: Dylan Gandy
RT: Jason Fox
RDE: Willie Young
OLB: Travis Lewis
RCB: Ron Bartell

Clearly rookies like Larry Warford and Ziggy Ansah haven't had enough time to unseat guys like Gandy and Young at their respective positions, at least not for Wednesday's OTA. It's probably only a matter of time until that changes, though.

Perhaps the most interesting thing from the list above is that Lewis got No. 1 reps over Ashlee Palmer and Tahir Whitehead. Palmer very well may have been running with the first team on Tuesday, but at the very least this shows that the vacant starting job at outside linebacker is without a doubt up for grabs.

Since this was simply one practice, it's impossible to make any drastic conclusions about who might be the favorite to start at a certain position. In all likelihood, we should get a much better idea about what a possible depth chart might look like when the Lions hold their mandatory minicamp in June. And even if we don't, it should become clear who has the edge to start at these positions pretty early on in training camp.

Lions OTAs: Several players out with injuries

2013-05-22T19:11:43Z

Safety Louis Delmas and running back Jahvid Best were the only two Detroit Lions players completely absent from Wednesday's OTA. However, they weren't the only players unable to take part in it. Several others were actually in attendance but stuck watching from the sideline because of injuries. Quarterback Shaun Hill, running back Mikel Leshoure, wide receiver Ryan Broyles, defensive end Devin Taylor, linebacker Alex Elkins and cornerback Darius Slay were all out on Wednesday, according to Tim Twentyman.

Knee injuries are to blame for why Delmas, Broyles and Slay were unable to participate in the OTA. Delmas is off rehabbing his knees, and Broyles and Slay are both working to come back from knee injuries as well. Broyles tore his ACL last season, and he has been busy rehabbing ever since. Slay, on the other hand, is coming off of minor knee surgery and simply isn't ready to hit the field just yet.

Hill is also coming off of minor surgery. He had surgery on his left foot to repair a nagging problem, and he is expecting to be able to participate in the Lions' OTAs at some point. For now, with his left foot in a boot, he is out.

As for the other players who were out, we know that Best still isn't cleared to return because of the issues surrounding a concussion, while Elkins is presumably still out with a hamstring injury that sidelined him during the Lions' rookie minicamp. It's unclear what injuries Leshoure and Taylor are dealing with, but at this time of the year, it's wise to hold players out even if they are dealing with something minor.

Louis Delmas, Jahvid Best not at Lions' OTAs

2013-05-22T18:35:11Z

"We’re in communication with Lou," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He’s not here right now going through this stuff, but there’s nothing that he can get out of this because he can’t physically do the stuff that we’re doing right now."

Lions claim DE Braylon Broughton off waivers

2013-05-22T18:05:29Z

The Detroit Lions have filled out their roster by claiming defensive end Braylon Broughton off waivers. Broughton was let go by the New Orleans Saints on Monday, and he was awarded to the Lions via the waiver wire on Tuesday.

The Lions actually brought Broughton in for a pre-draft visit last year. He went undrafted, but he landed with the Saints as one of their UDFA signings. He ended up spending the 2012 season on the Saints' practice squad, and he signed a futures deal with the team after the regular season. As mentioned, he was released this week.

Broughton, who is 6-6, is the latest tall defensive end to join the Lions. They made it a point to get bigger at the position this offseason, and they have certainly accomplished that by adding Ziggy Ansah (6-6), Devin Taylor (6-8) and Jason Jones (6-5). Broughton is likely nothing more than a camp body, but he fits the mold of the kind of defensive end the Lions like size-wise.

With the Lions adding Broughton, they now once again have 90 players on their roster.

Lions notes: Nick Fairley, Reggie Bush, more

2013-05-22T13:00:10Z

Nick Fairley thinks that the Detroit Lions have the NFL's best defensive tackle tandem with him and Ndamukong Suh.
Mean Joe Greene, for what it's worth, thinks that Suh and Fairley could very well be the league's best DT combo.
Speaking of great tandems, Mike O'Hara recently took a look at the best ones in Lions history.
Reggie Bush was a guest on NFL AM last week.
Bush thinks that Matthew Stafford "has all the qualities and intangibles to be a Hall of Famer one day."
Stephen Tulloch is thankful that he was named to the "Top 100 Players of 2013," and he's planning to use some of the criticism he's received since then as extra motivation going forward.
Tulloch had quite the outfit on at the Lions' golf outing earlier this week.

Tully was stylin’ at today’s Detroit Lions Invitational. @stephentulloch @lions_community twitter.com/DetroitLionsNF…
— Detroit Lions (@DetroitLionsNFL) May 21, 2013
The Lions' official site has video from the golf outing.
Calvin Johnson is planning to keep a close eye on Corey Fuller's development.
Johnson is praying that Titus Young "can get his off the field stuff straight so he can move on with his life."
Johnson admitted that he was a bit uneasy about Shawn Jefferson leaving the Lions, but he said that new wide receivers coach Tim Lappano is "doing a great job."
Travis Lewis attended Game 3 of the Red Wings-Blackhawks series at Joe Louis Arena on Monday, and he once again came away impressed with the atmosphere.

One of the loudest arenas I have been in hands down! Two back to back goals in this place is going insane!!!!!!!!!!!
— Travis Lewis (@TravisLewis28) May 21, 2013
Offensive linemen Winston Justice and Antoine Caldwell, who both worked out for the Lions earlier this month, visited the Tennessee Titans earlier this week.
The new partnership between Microsoft and the NFL sounds pretty awesome.
It certainly seems like the Pro Bowl will feature captains picking the teams in the future. (Basically a format similar to what the NHL All-Star Game has done in recent years.)