Dan Campbell’s caffeine-filled coffee order sounds horrible

This is A LOT of caffeine.

Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions head coach, can’t stop giving us amazing quotes.

I think his daily coffee order qualifies.

The man who promised Lions players will “bite a kneecap” off opponents and who said he wasn’t carrying their toilet paper around (seriously, he said that) revealed what he gets every morning: he gets two Venti-sized Pike Place Roasts from Starbucks AND two shots of espresso in each of them.

That seems like A LOT of caffeine.

I decided to head over to Starbucks’ site to see what he was ingesting. One Venti of Pike Place with the two shots is 410 mg of caffeine. Multiply that by two and you get 820 mg.

Per the Mayo Clinic, “Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That’s roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two “energy shot” drinks.”

So, uh. Coach: you might want to stick to one cup with two shots and call it a day.

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Dan Campbell offers great insight on practice fights and why he liked Tuesday’s scrap between Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ifeatu Melifonwu

Dan Campbell offers great insight on practice fights and why he liked Tuesday’s scrap between Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ifeatu Melifonwu, a nuanced explanation that the national media doesn’t want you to see

Before Tuesday’s practice session, Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared an anecdote about his time as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Then-Dallas coach Bill Parcells commanded Campbell, a no-nonsense tight end, to pick a fight in a training camp practice with Greg Ellis, one of the toughest guys on the team.

Campbell shared the story with the message that while he didn’t want his players to go out of their way to mix it up, he wouldn’t necessarily mind a little edginess. And he got just that in Tuesday’s practice.

Rookies Ifeatu Melifonwu and Amon-Ra St. Brown exchanged blows after a feisty special teams rep. The fight was quickly contained and neither player was worse for the wear. Campbell was happy to see it, both the fight and the quick outcome.

“Yeah, I mean, I was fired up,” Campbell said in Wednesday’s pre-practice media session. “Because they were competing, man. It was good to see both of them, two young bucks, go after it. They were, uh — look, we had a pretty good idea of Amon-Ra, you know? The Sun God? What he’s capable of? His aggressiveness shows up — it would show up on tape — in college. Look, this guy will mix it up. And there’s things you see with Iffy in school, but I didn’t quite know (about his aggression level). And to know he’s got, ‘Hey man, I’m not your punching bag,’ that encouraged me, it really did.”

It was nothing like the bench-clearing brawl that dominated the New York Giants practice session on Tuesday, one that ended with starting QB Daniel Jones at the bottom of a massive pileup of players swinging freely at anyone else in a uniform. St. Brown and Melifonwu continued practice, even going against each other, with no hard feelings. Here’s where Campbell’s nuanced tone, one that’s often ignored by the national media, really showed.

“Look, they know what we don’t want,” Campbell said. “It doesn’t mean we’re not going to have a couple of heated battles in there, but to me, where you end up having a problem is when you start having all-out brawls all practice long, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, here we go. We got a 10-minute period, and 8 minutes of it is fighting amongst the team?’ It’s counterproductive, and you got to do something about it because you’re not getting work done. But those little things, I think, man, I just think they make you practice better, I think they make you practice harder. You don’t want to lose to that guy. You’re pissed off.”

Campbell continued, showing some real deep thought and maturity as a coach,

“I love it because it puts you to that point where you see red so much that you want to beat this guy, and yet you got to be under control enough to know that you can’t just go out there and throw a haymaker, if you will, as it relates to football, because that’s not what this is about. It’s no different than a game — you get so mad that, man, you go out there out of control? That’s not the game. You can’t win that way. But I do think that to be able to get pushed to that point, that limit, to where you’re going to do whatever it takes to beat that guy, and know that he’s going to try to do the same to you, I really believe that’s how you get better. I just do. So it was good. I thought they responded well, both of them.”

Lions training camp notebook: The pads come on for Day 6

On a strong debut in pads from Alim McNeill, a fracas between rookies heading in different directions, the safety rotation and much more

The sixth practice of Lions training camp marked the first time the team appeared in full pads. Head coach Dan Campbell and his staff were excited to ramp up the action.

The focus was on the lines. It’s difficult to evaluate the offensive and defensive lines without full pads. After a prolonged period of individual positional drills, the offense vs. defense fired up and did not disappoint.

Here’s some of what we saw on a sunny Tuesday morning in Allen Park…

Lions activate DE Austin Bryant from PUP list

Coach Dan Campbell talked about activating Austin Bryant and explained why Quinton Dunbar hasn’t been at practice

Lions head coach Dan Campbell kicked off his pre-practice press conference on Tuesday with some good news and some bad news.

The good news: Defensive end Austin Bryant is being activated from the physically unable to perform, or PUP, list and will be a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice. Bryant has been visible working with trainers on the side throughout training camp with his right leg in a compression sleeve.

The oft-injured Bryant will get a chance to prove himself in the first padded practice. Campbell indicated that Bryant will be brought along slowly to make sure he doesn’t aggravate the injury.

“We know he’s ready, but we’re going to take it slowly,” Campbell said while also noting that Bryant will only work in individual drills on Tuesday and the team will reevaluate after that.

The bad news: Cornerback Quinton Dunbar is not with the team. Campbell stated that Dunbar is away from Allen Park “with a personal issue” and quickly followed up by stating, “it’s all good there”. Dunbar has not been seen at training camp since Friday’s practice session, when he was primarily running with the third-team defense.

Dan Campbell liking what he sees from Lions CB Amani Oruwariye

Coach Campbell talked up Oruwariye before Monday’s practice session

Amani Oruwariye has been taking nearly all the first-team reps at outside cornerback through the first five days of training camp. Now in his third season in Detroit, Oruwariye is hoping to hold onto that starting role.

So far, so good, according to Oruwariye’s new head coach, Dan Campbell. The Lions head man likes what he sees so far from No. 24.

 “I’ve been pleased,” Campbell stated. “I know (Jeff) Okudah gets a lot of attention for where he was drafted and the talent level and all those things and he is improving. But Amani is just quietly getting better over there and doing his job. I’ve been encouraged with him.

He’s a great kid, too, man. I should say, young man. He eats it up, too. He’s a football junkie. He’s learning, he’s growing. You can see his confidence. He understands his own ability and what he can do, what he’s got to be careful doing, what he can get away with, but he’s growing too. Trust me. I’m excited to see what he looks like now that we’re going into pads, too.”

Oruwariye was expected to be in a competition with free agent Quinton Dunbar and perhaps rookie Ifeatu Melifonwu for the starting job opposite Okudah. Through the first week of camp, it hasn’t really been a competition; Dunbar has missed two practices and Melifonwu, the Lions’ third-round pick, hasn’t stood out positively as of yet. Oruwariye can solidify the position with consistent coverage and awareness now that the pads are coming on beginning in Tuesday’s practice.

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Dan Campbell ‘fines’ Tracy Walker, impressed with Lions safeties

With Day 4 of training camp underway, Dan Campbell provided a fun Tracy Walker story and sings the praises of the safety group

Heading into day four of Detroit Lions training camp, you can already tell a different vibe this year versus previous years. There is electric energy surrounding the organization bringing the best out of everyone around it, from the players to the fans.

The previous regime players have beat around the bush a little when discussing their experiences from the previous regime. Still, it is not hard to read between the lines that the last regime had left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, especially from the defensive backs.

Tracy Walker spoke about his displeasure last year yesterday at his post-practice press conference and how he has felt more comfortable from top to bottom with coaches and schemes than last year.

In Dan Campbell’s press conference on Saturday morning, Tracy Walker was brought up as being a potential leader for the Lions, and Campbell instantly agreed. He described the safety group as players who need to be master communicators for the defense as they run the show and set the table in coverage and felt Walker fits that bill perfectly as someone who is very vocal and smart as a whip.

Campbell provided the media with a Tracy Walker story from yesterday’s training camp. Walker told Campbell he would get a pick and bring the ball back to him and promised up and down he would deliver the bill. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to, and Campbell jokingly fined him $50, but Campbell ended up paying the fine for him but told Walker he still owes him.

Now, this is where you can tell the players are way looser and having fun this year because I can guarantee Walker wouldn’t have pulled this one off with last year’s regime.

Campbell continuing singing the praises of the secondary with Will Harris, who so far has struggled in his stint in the NFL, but it sounds like he has impressed the coaches so far. Campbell said he knows it is early in the process, but Harris is coming along and picking up the defense nicely.

Considering Harris hasn’t progressed as much as some were hoping for, it is good to hear he has improved, considering the safety group was not heavily featured this offseason as most thought it would be. So now was it an oversight on the front office, or did they see Harris as more an asset than a liability than most of us thought? We will have to wait and see when training camp ramps up in the coming weeks.

To finish off his press conference, Campbell went on to talk about how secondary grow right in front of his eyes and can see they are starting to mesh and figure everything out. The coaching staff has made it a mission to simplify assignments and make everything more instinctual than overthinking it. As a result, you can probably bet that we see a more improved secondary group this early in training camp.

We will have to wait and see if all of this is smoke and mirrors or there is actual heat behind it all, but so far out of training camp, the secondary might not be as hosed as thought they would be and see a rise in play from players most of us have probably written off.

Dan Campbell encourages Lions players to interact with the Detroit fans

Campbell is excited to have the fans back at training camp in Allen Park

Looking for yet another example of “out with the old, in with the new” in Detroit? Lions head coach Dan Campbell provided another one in his press conference before Saturday’s practice.

It’s the first day of fans being in attendance at training camp in Allen Park, and Campbell is excited to have the season-ticketholders in the house. He talked up the fan enthusiasm and how the team can feed off the energy of having cheering during practices.

Later, Campbell proved just how different he is handling the job from his predecessor, Matt Patricia.

“I’m all about acknowledging our fans. I want our players to have fun with this. I want (the players) to interact (with the fans), I do,” Campbell said. “I think the roster that (GM) Brad (Holmes) and I have built here is cut from this cloth. It’s cut from people that are just like, ‘what’s in this community’, got a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, had to overcome adversity. I thin there’s a correlation there (with the team), I really do.”

Patricia was never a fan of players interacting with fans, not even outside of the team functions and facilities. He wanted a more insular culture that he could control.

Campbell takes the opposite approach. We won’t know if that works for a few months, but it’s certainly going to be a more friendly and exciting experience for the fans.

Dan Campbell: Lions will roll with the hot hand in a 1-2 punch at running back

Campbell referenced the usage of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray in New Orleans as his goal in Detroit

It might not be the news that fantasy football pundits want to hear, but the Detroit Lions plan at running back is a timeshare between D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. But the share of the time and reps is a fluid situation from week to week and even quarter to quarter, according to head coach Dan Campbell.

The coach was asked about Williams, who signed as a free agent from Green Bay this offseason, and if the RB was comfortable with his role in Detroit.

 “Absolutely,” Campbell said. “He knew exactly what he (was going to get) – and he embraces it, he wants to be here.”

Campbell then expanded upon his initial answer,

“By the way, it’s a one-two punch. We’re going to use both of those guys, they know that. A guy gets a hot hand, he’s rolling. If Jamaal is in there, we’re rolling. Jamaal is going to be rolling and we’ll use (D’Andre) Swift for other things, which is fine. That’s a good problem to have. I’m glad we got him; I know that.”

Coach Campbell referenced his old team, the New Orleans Saints, and how that team successfully used multiple backs within the offense.

“The place I just came from, obviously with (New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara) AK, and to have (former Saints RB) Mark Ingram when I first got there. Mark was a stud, still is a stud, by the way. That’s my vision of this one-two punch. To have what we had after we left with (New Orleans Saints RB Latavius) Murray as well. Murray was that guy for us and that’s how I see Jamaal Williams for us, for Detroit. He’s high energy. He’s a bit of a hammer and I think he’s a guy your team can feed off of a little bit. I said that when we signed him. That was always what Mark was for us and Latavius Murray when Mark left us. That’s what Jamaal is.”

For reference, in 2020 Kamara and Murray split the carries up with Kamara getting 187 and Murray 146. One year earlier it was Kamara outpacing Murray, 171 to 146. Kamara did get 107 and 97 passing targets in those two seasons, respectively, to Murray’s 34 and 26.

Figure on a similar split in Detroit between Swift, who does draw some Kamara comparisons, and Williams. However, Williams is a more accomplished receiving threat than Murray ever was in his career.

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Dan Campbell on Jeff Okudah: ‘He’s in a good place right now’

Dan Campbell and Jeff Okudah both met with the media on Thursday

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Detroit Lions fans are rightfully a little anxious about last year’s first-round pick, cornerback Jeff Okudah. The rookie season didn’t go as well as hoped for Okudah. He played through an abdominal injury that required surgery, a scheme that asked him to do the impossible and a coaching staff that he didn’t click with.

Year 2 for Okudah needs to be better. His new coach, Dan Campbell, likes what he sees so far from No. 23.

Campbell was asked about why he’s bullish on Okudah and the renewed confidence the second-year corner is displaying in training camp.

“Body language,” coach Campbell said thoughtfully. “You talk to him, what he asks, the time spent with Aubrey (Pleasant), time that he doesn’t have to be here or the calls or the Zooms and he goes in there with (Aaron Glenn) AG. It’s one thing when a guy says it, but when he goes and wants to spend extra time with the defensive coaches on his own, then you watch him and listen to him and how he attacks everything, you can feel it. Then again, it’s early, it’s a long season, we’re going to have ups and downs, but he’s in a good place right now.”

As for Okudah, he’s more than ready to put 2020 behind him. He spoke with reporters after Thursday’s practice and made it clear he’s a different player — and man — than he was a year ago.

“I have high standards for myself so I’m looking to uphold those standards but to be honest, I’m more so determined to prove my worth to my teammates, prove my worth to the coaches, really prove my worth to the city of Detroit — put out a product that they can be proud of,” Okudah said.

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D’Andre Swift: ‘You can’t forget to have fun’ playing football

Lions coach Dan Campbell emphasizes that football should be fun and RB D’Andre Swift appreciates the change in culture and coaching approach

Running back D’Andre Swift is only entering his second season with the Detroit Lions, but the contrast between his rookie campaign and his sophomore year is obvious from Day 1 of training camp.

Swift noticed the change in attitude and culture from the Matt Patricia coaching staff in 2020 to the new regime led by Dan Campbell. And the running back wasn’t shy about pointing out a basic but very important difference.

Fun.

Swift brought up the change in energy and enjoyment in his post-practice media session.

“Energy is a lot different,” Swift explained. “Guys smiling, having fun. … People kind of forget to have fun, playing a kids’ game. You can’t forget to have fun.”

It’s a not-so-subtle shot at Patricia, who frowned upon players expressing themselves and enjoying the process of football. Several Lions players both past and present leveled the criticism against Patricia, and it was tangible from the designated media watching area in Allen Park, too.

Coach Dan Campbell preached the concept of making football and training camp fun again in his press conference before practice. Based on Swift’s comments, it seems the rookie coach accomplished his goal.