Tag: Lions training camp

C.J. Gardner-Johnson offers quite the incendiary press conference

Lions DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson gave a very different sort of press conference after Saturday’s training camp session

Lions defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson met with the media after Saturday’s morning practice. It was the first time we got a chance to ask Gardner-Johnson about his injury scare, as well as how the young defense is coming together.

Gardner-Johnson quickly dismissed any notion of him missing key time in practices. He initially refused comment about the injury, and then fired right back at reporters’ questions about not being on the field.

“I didn’t miss practice,” Gardner-Johnson said. “I was part of practice every day.”

I was standing directly behind Kory Woods of MLive as he rolled film on the press conference. It was something to behold.

He’s a player known for bringing an edge to a team, going back to his college days at Florida. This was the first real taste for Detroit of the truculence that Gardner-Johnson embraces. It has driven him to be the very good player that he is across stints with the Saints and Eagles. And it made for a very interesting press conference, including a great quote and sound bite.

“It’s very important, because I’m contagious. I’m like the flu. It’s gonna go through your body, and you either get it or you don’t get it,” Gardner-Johnson stated. “That’s not because I’m cocky. No. I’m confident in my job. I’m confident in my coaches, my teammates, my coaches, the training room, my strength guys. That’s why.”

The infectious energy and edge Gardner-Johnsson brings is a welcome addition to what has been a relatively vanilla defensive locker room. While it’s an unusual tone for a press conference, Gardner-Johnson’s intensity shouldn’t be viewed as a negative.

Undrafted rookie CB Steven Gilmore making plays at Lions camp

Steven Gilmore, an undrafted rookie CB from Marshall, is making a name for himself at Detroit Lions training camp

More than once on a damp Saturday morning in Allen Park, I was able to overhear a Detroit Lions fan wondering aloud, “Who is that No. 36 guy?”

That would be Steven Gilmore. The undrafted rookie cornerback from Marshall commanded a lot of attention from the fans in the stands at the first Lions practice of the summer open to the public. The younger brother of All-Pro CB Stephon Gilmore has the coaching staff taking notice too.

Head coach Dan Campbell is a fan of Gilmore’s early work in a Lions uniform.

“Yeah, we like Gilly,” Campbell said before Saturday’s practice,  once again adorning every player with a nickname. “We liked his tape too when he was coming out and he has some awareness about him, he has some instincts, he has ball skills, pretty good movement skills.”

Campbell then got to the physical limitations. Gilmore is listed at 6 feet tall and a scant 170 pounds. In person, he doesn’t even seem that heavy; his frame is very slight and the arms and legs are quite skinny even with some muscular defintion. While he doesn’t lack strength or fight for his mass, Gimore’s lack of bulk could be a real hindrance.

“I think for him, it’s going to be – some of it, along with development, is the physical development. He’s not a real big guy. He has to get a little bit of mass on him, get a little bit stronger. I think that will be – that’s kind of going to be part of what, with him, how fast can those things come to really help him, but we see growth out of him.”

That growth and potential was on full display in Saturday’s practice session. Gilmore had a nice strip tackle to create one takeaway, as well as an opportunistic interception off backup QB Nate Sudfeld where Gilmore’s alertness allowed him to capitalize on a forced, off-target throw deep down the seam.

Gilmore has had some other plays throughout the first week of practices, too. He’s sticky in man coverage and adjusts to the ball in the air better than many of his Lions DB peers. While he lacks mass, Gilmore does not lack fight — an endearing quality to both Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

“We see development. We’re excited about him,” Campbell concluded about Gilmore.

Lions fans should be, too.

Lions camp notebook: The fans arrive and see a defensive display

Lions camp notebook for Saturday, July 29th: The fans arrive and see a defensive display

Saturday morning’s practice session at the Detroit Lions training camp featured fans in the stands for the first time. An enthusiastic capacity crowd watched a lot of team drills on a damp, occasionally sunny morning.

Here’s what stood out to me from the second padded practice session of the summer.

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Lions camp notebook for Friday: The pads are now on

Notes and observations from Lions training camp practice on Friday, July 28th

Friday’s Detroit Lions training camp session was the first practice of the summer with full pads on all the players. On a steamy morning with no breeze, the Lions ripped through a two-hour practice that saw actual hitting and full contact for the first time.

Here’s some of what I observed and noted from Allen Park in the team’s fifth training camp session.

Lions camp injury update: Vaitai is back, Gardner-Johnson among those sidelined

Lions camp injury update: Halapoulivaati Vaitai returns but C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jameson Williams are among those still out

Friday’s practice at the Detroit Lions training facility will be the first one where the players are fully padded. And while a few players will remain sidelined, the Lions are getting back one of the biggest members of the team.

Right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai will return to practice on Friday after missing most of the last two sessions. Head coach Dan Campbell opened up his pre-practice press conference with an optimistic update on Big V.

Campbell was asked about the nature of Vaitai’s most recent back injury. The head coach explained that Vaitai “took a shot” during practice action and that it wasn’t a torque-related injury.

Of the remaining Lions who have been dealing with injuries, rookie DB Brian Branch is also going to return to practice action. Campbell indicated Branch was dealing with a foot injury he deemed “not serious.”

Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley remains away from the facility as he rehabs from knee surgery. Campbell expects the free agent signee to report on Monday (July 31st).

Wide receivers Jameson Williams (leg) and Marvin Jones (back) will be held out of Friday’s practice, as will defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson (leg). None of those are seen as long-term injuries.

5 new developments to know from the first days of Lions camp

Here are a few developments from the first few days of training camp that represent some change from the initial pre-camp thought process.

The Detroit Lions get their first day off from on-field activities in training camp on Thursday. It’s a good time to reset for the players and coaching staff to reevaluate where they are in the ramp-up to the padded practice sessions that begin over the weekend.

Here are a few developments from the first few days of training camp that represent some change from the initial pre-camp thought process.

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Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast training camp kickoff episode

Breaking down all the developments from the first couple of days of Detroit Lions training camp

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast is now live for your viewing or listening pleasure.

The episode, recorded Wednesday night, covers all the pertinent action from the first few days of Lions training camp. From an injury scare to C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the ongoing courtship of Teddy Bridgewater, there’s a lot going on in Lions land even before the pads come on in practices.

Among the topics:

  • Denzel Mims trade and how he might fit in Detroit
  • Levi Onwuzurike practicing and realistic expectations for the oft-injured DL
  • Hendon Hooker looking more ready
  • Credit to owner Sheila Hamp for perseverance
  • Our August 5th training camp party live in Commerce Township

The audio-only version can be found via your favorite podcast provider.

Dan Campbell ‘all for’ adding QB Teddy Bridgewater

Lions head coach Dan Campbell says he’s “all for” adding QB Teddy Bridgewater to help build competition behind Jared Goff

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The Detroit Lions hosted free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater for a visit on Monday. It was a continuation of a courtship that began early in the offseason, one that purportedly included a “strong offer” from the Lions to the veteran backup.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked about the visit during his pre-practice press conference on Tuesday morning. Campbell is clearly a fan of Bridgewater and what the 30-year-old journeyman might offer to Detroit.

“Yeah, we kind of kept – we’ve kept in touch with Teddy, and we’ve kept Nate (Sudfeld) abreast about that too. We hadn’t hidden anything and so it went well. Gave us a chance to sit down with him face-to-face, particularly Ben (Johnson) and (Mark Brunell) Bru and Brad (Holmes). Gets me face-to-face with him again and then just the medical. It was good. It was a good visit. We’ll see where it goes.”

The Lions brought back 2022 backup Nate Sudfeld and he’s looked solid in the offseason practice sessions. But he lacks the starting experience and pedigree of Bridgewater, who has started 65 games in his NFL career, which dates back to 2014.

Campbell didn’t want his words to be interpreted as any dissatisfaction with Sudfeld but rather as a chance to try and make his team better,

“It’s the competition. It doesn’t mean that Nate’s out of anything if we go this route, if it works out. You’ll feel good about whoever comes out of the fire is going to be the right guy to help you along the way, but yeah, you don’t want the wheels to fall off.”

Campbell didn’t hide his admiration for Bridgewater, however. The two were together in New Orleans in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

“Certainly – I don’t think I’ve hidden anything about my feelings for Teddy Bridgewater, so if we can add a guy like Teddy and bring competition to the room, I’m all for it,” Campbell stated.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Bridgewater remains a free agent.

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New Lions WR Denzel Mims believes he’s ‘got the playbook down already’

New Lions WR Denzel Mims believes he’s ‘got the playbook down already’ after being traded from the Jets

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Denzel Mims has been looking for a fresh start for over a year. The physically gifted wideout believes he’s found a place where he can thrive in Detroit.

The Lions traded with the New York Jets for Mims last week. Mims never really worked out with the Jets since being a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Baylor. He had asked for a trade out of New York a year ago but the Jets never found any takers.

Now that he’s in Detroit, Mims is ready to prove that the Jets were the problem, not him.

“It was a fresh start for me, a new start for me,” Mims said during Lions training camp of the trade. “I was excited to get here, I wanted to get here right away, they got me here right away so I could get started and get acclimated to the team. I’m just blessed to be here, honestly.”

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Mims has already shown the speed and ability to make impressive catches down the field while getting to know QB Jared Goff and his new Lions teammates. He’s also been working hard to master offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s intricate playbook.

“I already got the system kind of down,” Mims stated. “Been in early, staying late. Pretty much got the playbook down already.”

That remains to be proven, of course. Even so, it’s encouraging to hear Mims putting in the extra time and focusing on making the most of his second chance. In New York, Mims wasn’t exactly notable for his work ethic or dedication. The chance to prove himself in Detroit is off to a flying start.

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Top photos from the start of Lions training camp

Check out these great photos from the first couple of days of Lions training camp

Detroit Lions training camp is off and running at the team’s training facility in Allen Park, Michigan. The Lions kicked off the practice sessions that are open to the media on Sunday morning, activities that will continue until the final week of August.

Here are some of the top photos of the training camp action from the professional photographers inside the Lions facility in the first two days of practices.