DETROIT – With the team just days away from welcoming the New York Giants to town for joint practices, the Detroit Lions wore no pads Saturday at Day 11 of training camp.
The tempo remained at a decent level, while the majority of the workload took place in the form of team drills. Center Frank Ragnow and safety Ifeatu Melifonwu returned to the field in the morning, while wide receiver Jameson Williams was absent.
Detroit Red Wings stars Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond were taking in the action, as well as WWE superstar Sheamus, who was in town for WWE SummerSlam at Ford Field.
Head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media an hour later than his normal time and seemed to be a little livelier, as a result.
“A guy like (Amon-Ra St. Brown), he sets the bar. He sets the bar,” Campbell said “That guy, the way he comes out every day, he has not changed one bit since he was a rookie. ... It’s every little thing, every little detail, he finishes. You see him pre-practice, post-practice. He doesn’t change one thing. When you do that, there is no way he isn’t going to have a big year. There’s no way.”
For only being in his third career training camp, St. Brown is being talked like a 12-year veteran. He not only stands out amongst his fellow receivers in individual drills, but flashes more times than not during team drills. St. Brown’s No. 14 jersey is worn by many who attend practices at Allen Park, and even more cheer and call his name when completing a solid rep.
The Lions offense will feature a heavy dose of the USC alumni this season, which should only mean more stats and accolades will pile up on his resume. The fans know it, his teammates know it, and based on this quote, his head coach knows it, too.
On Saturday, St. Brown had an average practice. He was the first to go through each wide receiver drill as always. Team drills featured the first-team offense matched up against the second-team defense, where the offense had to score twice near the end of the fourth quarter to win the game. Quarterback Jared Goff guided the offense to the end zone on each of the two drives they were allowed, and St. Brown was targeted heavily near the sidelines to stop the clock. Goff was spreading the ball around well during this session of practice, but St. Brown is without question his go-to guy when he is under duress.
Campbell was asked whether the expectations from fans going into this season add any extra pressure.
“I don’t feel weight,” Campbell said. “I feel wind underneath my freakin’ wings. That’s what I feel. Truthfully. ... I love this, man. This is outstanding. I love our fans. They feel it like we feel it. This is not a burden. This is not pressure. This is not weight. This gives me inspiration, is what it does for me, and our guys.”
The Lions’ hype train for this season has been widely discussed and on Saturday, it gained a little more steam when the team announced that season tickets had been sold out for the first time since moving downtown in 2002. Saturday was Campbell’s first opportunity to address the news, providing another epic quote to add to his history of great moments behind the microphone.
His answer was genuine, and you can feel the inspiration that he alludes to in the response. Even in the first week of August, Lions fans are packing the bleachers at the team’s practice facility -- that’s how excited they are. Direct your attention to the field, and you see what is warranting that optimism. There is noticeably more talent wearing Honolulu Blue and white than there was a year ago.
Sam LaPorta turning heads
General manager Brad Holmes had a large crop of tight ends to choose from in last April’s NFL draft, and he seems to have struck gold once again. Sam Laporta, the 34th overall selection by the Lions, has all the intangibles. He is quick across the middle while running crossing routes, he is not afraid to get physical in the blocking game, and his hands are extremely soft. The latter showed up quite a few times in Saturday’s practice.
During the aforementioned two-minute drills, LaPorta made an excellent two-handed grab while falling to his left to pick up a first down. Goff also linked up with the University of Iowa product for an 18-yard touchdown, which hypothetically won the game for the offense.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also seems to like getting the ball to LaPorta in play-action pass plays so he can rack up yards after the catch.
Wide receiver competition
Fourteen wideouts are participating in Lions training camp this summer. and there is no easy way of guessing which of them might make the final 53-man roster. More proven players like St. Brown, Marvin Jones Jr., Josh Reynolds, and Jameson Williams are safe bets to start, but there are a lot of wide receivers with differing and intriguing skill sets who have potential to be back-ups or members of the practice squad.
Eastern Michigan’s Dylan Drummond has been turning more and more heads as camp goes on. Drummond drew a few reps with the first-team offense, and even hauled in a nice over-the-shoulder catch from Nate Sudfeld for a touchdown while playing with the second-team offense.
Newly acquired Denzel Mims is another viable option for the Lions, and he brings good size and speed to the table. Mims, however, made the position battle a little more interesting on Saturday as he limped off the field after hanging onto a strong catch while being hit by Tracy Walker.
Trainers appeared to be looking at his right ankle afterward -- an unfortunate sight for a player who is hoping the Lions are the change of scenery he needs to excel in the NFL.
Lastly, Maurice Alexander is a wideout who could surprisingly make the team at the end of the month. Alexander has elite speed, which allows him to run crisp routes. Special teams will be make-or-break for the second year pro, as is for the rest of the players fighting for roster spots.