New Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell got his first extended look at his team this week. The Lions held three days of voluntary OTAs for players, and over 80 Detroit players attended the workouts in Allen Park, along with the full complement of coaches.
Campbell reflected on his first impressions of the full team and coaching staff all working together.
“Just to myself, get around these coaches, around Anthony Lynn and (special teams coordinator Dave) Fipp and A.G. (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) and to be able to – man, let’s start to build a relationship,” said before Thursday’s practice. “Let’s start to mesh. Let’s start to figure out how to work together. All I can say is this is the first step. These guys were willing to take the first step, and to me, that speaks volumes. It does. So, this leadership and these players, they wanted to do this. They wanted to be here and they’re here.”
He also emphasized that the players need to have fun while they’re learning. It’s a point of emphasis with his coaches and part of why he specifically chose the assistants he hired in Detroit. Campbell likes what he sees so far in the low-intensity practices.
“I think we’re just being ourselves,” the rookie head coach said via Zoom. “I think everybody that I’ve hired here, they’re just being who they are, man. They know how to demand a lot out of the players, but they also know how to tell them when they’re doing a good job. I think that’s what they do well. The trick is always how do you get them to work where they don’t even realize they’re working? Well, you make it as competitive as you can, but yet still be smart about it. Just about every player that’s up here – if you’re at this level, you’re probably pretty competitive. And so, you put them in a competitive environment, even as small as it can be, man, they can’t help themselves.”
