DETROIT LIONS DAILY UPDATE AND TRANSCRIPT OF ROD MARINELLI

NEWS The Lions completed their 21st day of training camp today. The team practiced in the afternoon on the outdoor fields in helmets and shorts at their

NEWS

• The Lions completed their 21st day of training camp today. The team practiced in the afternoon on the outdoor fields in helmets and shorts at their headquarters and training facility in Allen Park.
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a visit to Lions Training Camp today. Goodell arrived at the team's headquarters and training facility in Allen Park this morning and met individually with Head Coach Rod Marinelli as well as other members of the front office and addressed the players at their team meeting. He also attended the morning walkthrough practice before leaving for Cleveland to visit Browns Training Camp later today.
• WR Devale Ellis, RB Kevin Jones and DT Shaun Rogers remain on the PUP list and did not practice today.
• The Detroit Lions continue the 2007 preseason this weekend at Cleveland Browns Stadium when they face the Browns at 7 p.m. Saturday, August 18. This week's game will be the 39th preseason meeting in what has been dubbed the Great Lakes Classic between the two teams. The Lions are looking to build off their preseason opening 27-26 victory against the Bengals. Cleveland hosts Detroit for the second consecutive preseason after defeating the Chiefs 16-12 at home last week in their first exhibition game. Saturday's game will be televised live in Metro Detroit on WKBD-TV CW Channel 50 with Frank Beckmann handling play-by-play, former Lions QB Erik Kramer adding color commentary and local sportscaster Steve Courtney reporting from the sidelines.

LIONS HEAD COACH ROD MARINELLI
Opening statement: "Just so we know, like every week, tomorrow I'll be able to let you know whose up and how much time they're playing by quarters. I'll have a better update for you tomorrow; we'll talk about that as a staff tonight. There will be some game day decisions, we'll have to wait and see, but I'll be able to update you a little bit more tomorrow."

On if anybody will definitely miss the game against Cleveland: "Yeah, I would say Kalimba (Edwards) is out for sure. That would be a yes. We still want to wait on (everybody else). Other than that, I think we're going to be ok. Some guys are still borderline right now and it could be that day of the game, that morning, we'll make a decision. I'll know a lot more tomorrow; I'll be able to give you a rotation tomorrow."

On the injuries to WR Roy Williams and WR Mike Furrey: "Roy just has a slight hamstring, you know he had it earlier, but it's fine. Mike's knee has been sore, nothing structural, he's fine. (We) just got a chance to rest these guys a little bit."

On what it was like to talk football with Commissioner Roger Goodell: "Oh, it was good. (I had) strong impressions of him and he likes football."

On how he got the commissioner 'fired up' in his office: "I'm just who I am, nothing special. We talked about football and the value of the game and doing things right. Just trying to do things right. He asked me and I just told him what I believe. "

On the importance of having players with good character: "I've talked about this for a year and a half. I've been same day, same place and same time. It's well stated, well documented what I'm looking for."

On whether he and Commissioner Goodell are on the same page with the personal conduct policy: "I think so. I stated what my beliefs are. I believe we are (on the same page)."

On whether or not he is on schedule through camp: "You know, with a day like today there is a sense of urgency all day - especially a day like this. We worked against ourselves early in the week, fundamentals and all those things. Now there is a sense of urgency to find out who to block. I like doing that at the end of the week. After tonight we'll make sure we're on the same details, (have) late meetings tonight and grind them in the morning. You need to play against an opponent; then you find out where you're at."

On whether he is pleased with how far along DE Ikaika Alama-Francis is so far in camp: "Do I like where he's at? No, I want more. I want everything he's got; every second, every down. When he gives me that, I'm still not going to be satisfied."

On whether Commissioner Goodell saw the 'do-right' list: "Yeah, he was in our meeting. I put it up. It's been clean all the way through (camp). (We've had) zero fines. It's a major flip flop from a year ago, believe me. I'm very serious about it. Those are the things that start for a two-minute drill. Those are the things that start to play the gap the right way. Those are the things that play a 'bronco' the right way. Everything counts; everything matters. It has to be that way. Every detail matters and hopefully if you keep teaching those things, it will matter in their own personal life. The small things mean something and that's what you're trying to teach all the time."

On whether Commissioner Goodell's presence felt like a high school principal looking in on class: "No, I don't accept it like that, I was looking forward to it. (He's) coming in and (we're) just showing who we are. It's what I'm about and it's what we're trying to do. I can verbalize it very clearly. It's very easy for me to verbalize what I want to get done. It's a day-by-day statement."

On what he's seen from Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen in the past year: "Well first of all it's kind of impressive I think when the commissioner comes in and knows Joe (Cullen) and doesn't know me (laughter). Joe's done everything they've asked him and it's a lot more than you know (that) he's had to do. You take your hat off to the guy, he's trying to turn his life around and do things right. He works hard everyday and the commissioner knows that too, he's on it all. Boy, when you can help somebody help themselves, it's a great feeling."

On why he stuck by Coach Cullen: "I guess it was just a feel thing. You have a feeling. I just knew it was the right thing to do, I knew it. You have to try to do right. To everybody else it may look wrong - I don't care. In my heart I felt that was the right thing to do. I make my decision and I move on; got cotton in my ears and go forward. He's doing great, he really is doing good, he really is and boy that's a great feeling when you can see a man change his life. The game of football is important to him and he's changed his life."

On having zero players on the 'do right' list throughout camp: "Not one. I had one fun one and I'll just leave it at that."

"Yeah, it was a coach. I put my name on there. I could have put a meeting in red; I should have on my schedule. I took the bullet myself, but that's ok. It was good though. No players the whole camp; very impressive. Again, that's the start of trying to do little things that I want. It's just all a process. It's hard for everybody else to see what you're trying to build from the inside out. Everybody just looks at the final product, which you should, but to make the final product right, a lot of little things have to come together that's underground everyday that nobody sees. We won't go up and wave a banner about it, you just need to do the little things everyday and eventually it's going to pay big dividends for it, but you just got to go do it."