Fred Warner Believes Lions Will Change Practices Due to Injuries

Is Dan Campbell to blame for the significant amount of injuries suffered by Lions?

Detroit Lions safety Thomas Harper (12) walks off the field due to an injury during the first half against Dallas Cowboys | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions are a team that is known to conduct tough, competitive practices on a regular basis.

Appearing on the latest St. Brown Bros. podcast this week, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner believes head coach Dan Campbell will eventually realize these type of practices are eventually going to end up hurting the team more than actually helping.

“See, at some point, old Dan is going to come to his senses, man, and be like, ‘Listen, this ain’t making nobody better, brother,'" said Warner. "We can still get our work in without bringing guys to the ground."

The veteran understands the mindset that is trying to be instilled, but feels live tackling is not necessary to teach players how to properly and consistently tackle players during games.

“I get the mindset that he’s trying to instill in y’all, because he’s obviously saying you can’t become better at tackling unless you practice tackling, right? I’m sure that’s the mindset, but tackling is about getting all the way there, wrapping the guy, thudding the guy, wrapping him," said Warner. "And then you just don’t got to do the extra bring him to the ground, right?"

Warner added, "Half the time, guys are just in desperation trying to get somebody on the ground where you’re putting yourself and the person who you’re tackling at risk, right? That’s improper tackling technique, but if you’re doing it correctly, you can be in a position where you can tackle and be like, ‘Okay, I ain’t bringing you all the way to the ground.’”

Detroit's top wideout explained that all he knows is tough practices. He often has talks with new players who join the team and ask if all the practices are that intense and tough.

St. Brown explained, “Every time a new player comes to our team, they look at us during practice, they be in the locker room like, ‘Y’all practice like that all that time?‘ I just be like, ‘Yeah, this is all I know.’”

Detroit's head man recently addressed the significant amount of injuries the team has suffered over the past couple of seasons.

"As far as practice, I’ve done everything,” Campbell expressed to local reporters. “I’ve done from walk-throughs, to we go hard, to doing a little bit of both. So, at the end of the day I know this -- you got to get your team prepared to play, and so that’s what I’m always going to hang my hat on.”