Sometimes a coach will say more than just what the words immediately mean. That was the case with new Lions tight ends coach Ben Johnson in his press conference on Wednesday.
Johnson, who was a quality control coach under Matt Patricia, was asked if the Lions were looking to add another tight end and what type of skills they desired in that player. His answer was a revealing look at the philosophy of the staff.
“Until we get the guys here … I don’t know exactly skill-set wise what direction we’ll go,” Johnson said, explaining that he hasn’t seen newcomer Darren Fells on the field yet or seen T.J. Hockenson since January.
“We haven’t really finalized exactly what we’re going to do on offense,” Johnson later elaborated. “We’re going to see these players before we make good decisions on the direction we’re going to go in terms of scheme.”
Johnson was speaking about the tight ends, but there is a broader connotation here. This staff is open to adaptation. They’re not painting themselves into a corner with demands and strict guidelines on what a person at a given position must offer. Johnson’s words, and the tone in which he spoke them, show a more flexible system that hopes to cater to the strengths of the players they’ve got.
It’s a philosophical divergence from the way things have been done in the past in Detroit. It goes back well beyond the Patricia regime. Remember Jim Schwartz and his strict adherence to running the Wide-9 on defense no matter his personnel?
Johnson made it clear that nothing schematic is set yet.
“Right now, I don’t know exactly what this (offense) is going to look like,” he stated.
Good. Figuring out what the players do well and building the offense around that instead of asking the players to fit a rigid scheme is a smart step for the new-look Lions.