Lions TE Tyler Conklin: You Can 'Feel The Disappointment' From Last Year

New Detroit Lions tight end Tyler Conklin has already noticed how a disappointing season last year has impacted the mood in the team's Allen Park Performance Center.

Appearing on "The Insiders" last week, the veteran tight end discussed what he has observed about the rosters' mindset.

“You can feel the disappointment in how things played out. The whole building feels like they underachieved and missing the playoffs really hurt," Conklin revealed. "I think that shows in how everybody comes to work every day hard, ready to attack our lifts, our running, our on-the-field stuff. It’s definitely something that, I’ve been in a mix of different situations throughout my career, whether it was Minnesota, New York, and you can definitely just feel the sense of urgency of getting to where this team knows it can be.”

General manager Brad Holmes has also commented on how bitter the feeling was for the team to be sitting at home when the postseason began.

Advice for late-round draft picks

Conklin started his career with the Minnesota Vikings, after being selected in the fifth-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Heading into his ninth NFL season, the 30-year-old reflected on what has allowed him to have some longevity in his playing career.

He indicated it was always a personal goal of his to play in the league for at least a decade.

“Going into year nine, right? When I first got to the NFL, I was thinking, ‘oh, can I play a decade?’ I don’t know why, it always sounds good, it was always a goal for me," said Conklin. "I think that’s kind of a big thing, throughout my career, has been setting goals and creating systems that reach those goals. That would be my advice, right? Creating systems overall, the way you go about your recovery, the way you practice, study the playbook, all those different things, are what really helped me get to year nine."

Being a walk-on in college also gave him a unique perspective to be able to earn any opportunities afforded to him.

"I think being a walk-on at college played into that too," said Conklin. "Just knowing how to take advantage of opportunities, when they’re a little more slim than some other people. It’s all about systems and keeping your mouth shut, doing things the right way, earning your stripes. That’s kind of what got me here.”

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