LIONS HEAD COACH ROD MARINELLI AFTER TUESDAY'S PRACTICE
LIONS HEAD COACH ROD MARINELLI
On wanting to get CB Fernando Bryant back on the field: "The big thing is that I want to get him healthy. Like I was saying yesterday - we need to make sure those (hamstrings) are right; that's everything for a corner, the ability to accelerate and burst. So we're just taking our time with him and making sure he's healthy and ready to go. Other than that - Woody got his (hand) done, he should be flying back today. In terms of everything else - we had a couple tight groins today, nothing too serious."
On DT Cory Redding: "Just a groin - (he's) day-to-day."
On CB Stanley Wilson: "He just got a little banged up today. We've just got to see how they do this afternoon."
On today's practice: "We wanted to make it really a very physical practice today. The issue is us; (we need to) make sure we're not worrying about our opponent yet. Then after this morning, we'll be in shorts (and helmets) this afternoon and then shorts and helmets again tomorrow and then just start to fine-tune it a little bit against Denver."
On why he addresses the team before every 9-on-7 drill: "I always talk about repetition and player etiquette - the safety of the drill. I talk to them about that every day. Before we have competition, it could be blitz or whatever, but the first time we have competition, we remind them of how we have to take care of each other; we stay up off the ground; take care of big men. It's a big man's drill, it's a physical drill and it's what I want. It's something that's going to represent the Detroit Lions - how we run the ball and how we defend the run, that physical force. I want to do it with authority. It's just a mindset. I create a mindset everyday and player safety everyday. You've got to keep repeating it because they're going fast and you've just got to get them re-wired in. They get tired. You've got to re-wire them in everyday."
On the current depth chart: "It's how we're going to go into this first game."
On how much should be read into WR Charles Rogers and WR Mike Williams being listed with the third unit: "That's how we're going to start game - go in like that and perform. We'll get some good reps and see how we're doing."
"I think the staff's doing a tremendous job right now. We're just making guys earn it, and earn it and earn it. Guys are moving up, moving down, moving up - good practice, a guy moves up. Bodiford had a great scrimmage the other night, (so) give him a shot and let (the coaches) look. You give a few snaps with the first group and let guys run and see how they react under that type of pressure."
On it being 'astonishing' to see two first-round draft picks listed with the third unit: "That's just how we're lining them up - here we go."
On WR Shaun Bodiford: "He's been working. You just give guys opportunities. You just mix guys in and go compete and see what we've got. We've said that from Day 1. We want to compete."
On whether guys can re-claim their spots: "Guys move up and down. It's been highly competitive all of the way through - the whole camp has been."
On whether they're focused in on their preseason opponent or themselves: "This morning, I really wanted to make the issue was us - no doubt what we're doing. Now this afternoon and the next day or so, the big thing we want is to get into a gameweek organization. That's the next phase: how we handle a short gameweek. It will be the first time we'll have scout teams and things like that for preparation. The preparation, not so much on Denver, but how we do things in terms of a gameweek, that's the biggest thing we're looking at."
On whether he had ever met former Michigan Head Coach Bo Schembechler: "No I haven't. I've just admired him from afar - obviously. I've admired what he's done. To have a veteran coach like that come onto the Lions field and with what he's done for the game of football - how he's coached it, taught it, what he is - it's an honor to have him on the field."
On whether S Daniel Bullocks is backing up S Kenoy Kennedy: "He's kind of learning both. I've got to get some position flexibility - especially in the preseason. If some guy goes down here and there and then you have a guy that's going to have to swing around and play another spot. It's hectic right now."
On when WR Shaun Bodiford first caught his eye: "He was really good in that rookie mini-camp. Then he had school and it was a situation that he couldn't come to the OTAs and all of that until after his graduation day - so we didn't see him for a long time. Then he's come back in at camp and we remembered how fast he was. All around, he's doing a good job."
COURTESY OF THE DETROIT LIONS