What They're Saying: Detroit Lions' Position Coaches
As the Detroit Lions draw close to their summer break, the coaching staff is preparing its evaluations ahead of training camp.
Through OTAs and minicamp, the team has gotten a look at its players, both the veterans and the rookies. This has allowed the positional coaches to assess what they currently have on the roster.
Many of Detroit's position coaches spoke to the media Monday. Here are the notable quotes from each:
Kelvin Sheppard (Linebackers coach)
On Dan Campbell's comments about him being a head coach in the future:
"One, it didn't shock me, because that's who Dan (Campbell) is as a person. But, two, and more importantly, it's very humbling. A guy that I look up to, a guy that's a mentor to me, not just the head coach of the organization that I work for. It's always good, it's just like me with my room, it starts with people believing in you. That's the thing that pushes guys past their original potential, a simple belief of someone that you might look up to, someone that you lean on, and them telling you that you can do it. Sometimes that's all it takes for people in this profession, or anything, to take that step forward. ..."
Dre Bly (Cornerbacks coach)
On Emmanuel Moseley remaining involved in practices despite recovering from injury:
"He's anxious, man. He was a pretty daggone player out there in San Fran, he's from North Carolina, went to Tennessee and played with Cam (Sutton). So, those guys are kind of wired the same. Just to see his fire to get back on the field, his commitment to working and rehabbing, it tells you about the man. When most guys are traveling and vacationing, he's here working to make sure he's ready when we come back for camp. I'm excited to work with him. I think he brings a tremendous amount of leadership and experience to our room, and I can't wait to see what comes from that."
Antwaan Randle El (Wide receivers coach)
On the impact of adding veteran WR Marvin Jones Jr.:
"A lot of things. I would say the two major things, just, he understands the game from that standpoint. I could be talking about a certain route, as it relates to the way we need to run it, what it needs to look like. I'll explain it and the other guys, they'll be like, 'Why can't we do it like this?' Before I even get it out, Marvin's in the meeting like, 'This is what coach is trying to get you to understand.' He helps a ton in the room, just because he's played in it, he's been in it."
Hank Fraley (Offensive line coach)
On Penei Sewell's development as a leader:
"I think each year, you're part of it, a lot of times your confidence level continues to grow and your confidence in your self. Not just yourself, the leadership around you and what you bring to the table is, guys look up to you and you realize that. Last year, he played at a very high level, and we hope he can continue doing that this year. What I saw in the spring, he is, he's in great shape mentally and physically, and we're excited for what it's gonna be."
John Scott Jr. (Defensive line coach)
On Alim McNeill's offseason transformation:
"You talk about a guy who has put an investment into his body this offseason. It has been very impressive. He's done a great job just working on his body, working on his body mechanics. He looks very, very quick right now. I think the O-line will tell you about that. He looks different. That's only gonna help our football team and help Alim be what he wants to be, too. The guy can do a lot of different things, so he has definitely made a change this year and worked on his body this offseason. And, everybody's taken notice of it."
Steve Heiden (Tight ends coach)
On first impressions of James Mitchell and his confidence post-injury:
"In the spring, we talked about that. We talked about two years outside of the ACL, and wanting him to kind of grow in the position. I think we've seen that. Here's what I love about James: We come out here every day, and I have things for him to focus on and work on and they show up when we get into practice. He works his tail off to try to give me what I want to see out of him on a day-to-day basis, and he's getting better. Kid's got a bunch of talent, man, and I'm excited to see him get the pads on and let's get physical with some guys."
Scottie Montgomery (Running backs coach)
On Jahmyr Gibbs' skillset:
"He has tremendous short-area quickness that will allow him to create space, but a lot of guys have short-area quickness to create space. He has short-area quickness and long speed. So, when you have that short-area quickness and long speed, those 6, 7, 8, 9-yard plays can quickly turn into explosives. So, that's one of the things that we've seen. Another thing that we've seen from him is that in the run game, his vision is pretty spectacular right now. When the bullets start flying, he's gonna have to take it to another level. But, we're really, really intrigued about where he is vision wise, and in the pass game, just trying to create some explosives for us."
Mark Brunell (Quarterbacks coach)
On Nate Sudfeld backing up Jared Goff last season:
"He was perfect. I talked about the preparation and being ready to go if called upon. The time that he put in, he was great leading up to our games, as far as working with Jared and watching tape together. And then on gameday, he was excellent. It's very important for a starter to have a resource on the sidelines, in the meeting room, a backup guy that really just wants to help Jared be the best that he can be. That's not always the case in quarterback rooms. But, in our room, it makes all the difference in the world. I think if you asked Jared, he'd tell you the same thing, how much he leaned on Nate over the course of the season. I think it really helped our quarterback."
Brian Duker (Defensive backs coach)
On the biggest differences between last season and this season in the secondary:
"I think the biggest difference between this year and last year, we have a lot of veterans but with that and with their experience, we've added a lot of competition in the room. Compared to last year, there is competition across the board at every position."
