Jim Caldwell's quotes from Day 3 of Lions training camp

Below is a look at what Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell had to say on Day 3 of training camp. (Quotes provided by the Lions.)

Opening Statement: "As you can see there's a bit of fanfare out here for the guys. We're excited about getting the opportunity to come over and practice. It's going to be a change of venue for us, but it'll be a great opportunity for our guys to get a chance to come over and perform. Not only that, but have an opportunity to mingle with the fans as well. Hopefully, there are a lot of fans that come that usually don't have an opportunity to see our team. That's a part of it, coming out to the community and giving our guys an opportunity to certainly shake hands with a few folks."

On RB Joique Bell and his level of inspiration to his teammates and those trying to make the team: "I think it's a tremendous amount. One of the things you know is his personality is such where he's just a quality guy. He's certainly fun-loving, but he's also a guy that is serious about his craft. He's got a lot to share and teach young people that have come up the way in which he did. To come from a school like Wayne State, he's done a tremendous job in our league. I think he's a great inspiration."

On the importance of teams and players connecting with fans and the community: "I think it's very important. Our fans do a tremendous job. They're an extremely loyal group that has a tremendous amount of passion for our team, so I do think without question that it's extremely important."

On how different Bell is compared to when he coached him in Indianapolis: "Like all players, they mature and develop and gain a lot of knowledge just in terms of what it takes to play in this league. They understand what it takes to take care of their bodies, which is extremely important, particularly for the position he plays. Those guys certainly take a beating over the course of a ball game. Joique can dish it out a little bit too. He's big and strong, he's a bit bigger than he was when we had him in terms of weight and power and size. He's really matured."

On if there will be any differences in tonight's practice: "Nothing unusual. You're going to see basically the same type of practice that we've had. For the most part, it's going to look similar to what you've seen. We still are in a process of working our way into full pads, which we want to have on probably on Friday. But we're making some strides. Tonight you'll see a little bit more hitting than you've seen before, but hopefully we'll keep everybody up off the ground."

On C Travis Swanson and how he's adjusting to playing offensive guard: "Well, he's smart and he works at it. He's able to absorb information rather quickly. He's been doing a pretty good job in there and we're certainly excited about having the opportunity to see him in the next couple of weeks in terms of the transition he'll go through with no pads to pads against some guys that have played a long time in this league."

On what he likes about WR Quintin Payton: "He's a big, physical guy. He's certainly one of those guys that we look for who has the opportunity to come in and add something a little bit different than the guys we have. He's one of those guys that have good, solid hands and young. He's a youthful guy with some size. We're excited to get him."

On tonight's weather conditions: "As long as it doesn't thunder and lightning, it can never get too wet for us."