Today was the third day of the NFL owner’s meetings and it’s been an eventful day in Phoenix. Much of that is due to plenty of coaches talking with the media. For the Detroit Lions, yesterday was the day that Brad Holmes had a handful of interviews but today was a day for Dan Campbell to sit at the roundtable and talk with the media.
During the interview, Campbell mentioned that this was his first year at the ownership meetings. He mentioned that he was “fired up to be here but there’s a lot to take in and a lot of the time, you’re just reading the room when you walk in.”
I’m sure Campbell makes an impactful impression no matter what room he walks in or with whoever he talks to. His passion for the game of football and coaching shines through every single time he talks. It was no different when talking to the media today.
He opened the media session by talking about how things have been going and how the energy has been in the facility since the season ended: “Was talking with Decker the other and called to see how he was doing. We got talking about our ability to win games last year and the belief in our building was at an all-time high. The foundation is here.”
In addition, here are some other key excerpts from today’s media session for Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell:
On the Lions signing of DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson:
“…CJ we have a history with. He was going to be an early target and we never thought it was going to happen because we knew the money we had. It worked into our favor the longer it went. AG and I have a history with him…”
On the signing of Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley:
“…Cam was someone we identified early as well. He popped off the tape right away. He’s not the flashiest but man, it’s productive. He’s versatile — can play nickel, he can play outside obviously.
Moseley was another guy, man, before he got hurt. He just fit us.”
Campbell added detail about the cornerback position:
“…the additions of these cornerbacks are a beautiful thing because it brings in depth but it also brings in competition. These guys are going to compete and they might not even start. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Was asked about the signing of Graham Glasgow:
“…my new term: Raising the floor. Graham is one of those players that raises the floor. Let’s see where Big V is at coming off the back. He can play right guard, left guard, center. Graham gives you the ability to step in and hold the fort down.”
Guys that fit (Detroit) and that you're about:
“Everyone is different. You have to take it case by case. Football character is very important and the human being will always make a difference. You never want to bring in someone that you’re going to regret. It’s case by case. You have to weigh how much is in that player. What can you get out of them and how much better will it make your team?”
Top takeaways from Brad Holmes’ press conference at the owners’ meetings
The question about character concerns was asked:
“…yeah, honesty helps but ultimately, you know, does a player give all that he has on the tape? Or is he a lazy player? But it’s not always laziness. Sometimes the player just doesn’t know. Sometimes it’s on coaching so when you get to the character, you talk to the position coach, head coach, you start talking to the resources at the school and you figure out what they’re like.”
Jalen Carter was brought up shortly after:
“…talk about Carter, man; we talked to a teammate of his the other day and, man, he told us some things we didn’t know. That nobody probably would’ve known. It was like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.”
On Lamar Jackson:
“Look, Lamar is a hell of a talent. He’s hard to defend but look man, we’ve got a quarterback.”
On Calais Campbell:
“Look, we turn the tape on, man, and I’ll tell you what, you talk about a lot of respect for a big man. Oh my gosh, I just keep watching it and I’m like, ‘There’s no way he can feel good, that body can not feel good.’ But it looks like it feels good because he’s just a force to be reckoned with. You put him in a closed end, you’re not running over there. He can rush as a 3-technique still, on third down. Man, he’s got length, he’s got size, he’s still quick. We’ll see. We’re not the only one who is on him.”
Is there a void at WR after Chark's departure:
“Yeah I would say so. I think you say man it would be nice to find another guy that can help us out there. I would say our eyes are there somehow, someway. You know, we’ll miss Chark, man.”
You can watch the entire press conference below:
