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On Wednesday afternoon, the Detroit Lions introduced four coaches to the media for the first time since hiring: Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn, Assistant Head Coach / Running Backs Coach Duce Staley, Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn and Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp.
The four questions were answered for around 10 to 15 minutes each, while explaining their goals, team analysis, and plans for 2021 and beyond. There was a lot to take in, so here are my six biggest takeaways from pressers.
Prepare for Jared Goff to be the 2021 starter no matter what the Lions do in the draft
Lynn, like all Lions coaches at the moment, is not allowed to speak about Jared Goff as it would be considered a forgery, even though Goff will be a Detroit Lion when the trade becomes official on March 17. Yet the media have been creative. by asking Lynn about Goff and a possible upcoming camp battle with a rookie quarterback, should Detroit go that way in the draft.
While Anthony Lynn admitted that if a rookie quarterback wins the training camp battle he should start Week 1, he spent a lot more time talking about the benefits of sitting still for about a year.
“I would love to see this rookie sit down and watch for a little while,” Lynn said. “If he could watch half a season, or watch the first year like Patrick Mahomes did, I think you can learn a lot from a good veteran quarterback.
“Because a lot of rookies come to this league and they’re not ready. The speed of the game is twice as fast as it was in college. They are unsuccessful and in today’s environment – with social media – things go wrong and some of these guys lose their confidence and never get it back. So if I can seat a rookie, I will.
Aaron Glenn loves Lions defensive backs
When it comes to Detroit’s underachieving high school, Glenn only sees potential. A roster filled with athletes, Glenn sees a lot of parallels with when he took charge of a young high school student in New Orleans. By the way, this high school finished in the top five in both allowed passer and interception charts in 2020, and was the top 10 in yards per allowed attempt.
“I had a young high school with Marshon Lattimore, Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams. All of these young guys, you can make these guys grow up like puppies, ”Glenn said. “I’m excited about this. Jeff Okudah, first year player. Amani (Oruwariye), young player. Even the two securities that we have, the young players. I have the chance to mold these guys exactly the way I want these guys to play. I know the AP (defensive back coach Aubrey Pleasant) will do a hell of a job in this situation.
Dan Campbell, indeed, has been a huge influencer for coach hires.
To give you an idea of how excited some of these coaches are to be coaches under Dan Campbell, here is the response from Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp to a question about his level of enthusiasm to inherit one of the best. 2020 special teams units.
“No doubt about it. These guys played at a very high level a year ago. They have a very good group of players, but I personally would say that for me, what I’m most excited about, honestly, it’s to come here and get the chance to work for Dan Campbell, he’s an amazing guy, he’s put together a great staff.
For Aaron Glenn, it was their common past. They are both from Texas A&M. They played together on the Cowboys and they coached with the Saints. With all these years overlapping, Glenn learned how good Campbell was of a person and how strong of a leader.
“To be with him all these years, you are lucky to know the man more than the football coach,” Glenn said. “I’m more drawn to the man than the football coach, to be honest with you. You just know the type of person he is, he’s going to bring in the right guys.
Last year’s defense was poorly trained
Glenn didn’t say it frankly, but he did refer to Campbell’s comments a few weeks ago that suggested the players didn’t seem to know their assignments or play with confidence.
“Dan said so. The players looked confused, without confidence, ”said Glenn. “And the only thing we have to do is we have to change the players’ narrative about how they think so they can go out and play with confidence and get them to play fast. What we’re going to do as staff is make sure that happens. This is our number one job. ”
Anthony Lynn more than ready to call games
Lynn has only one year of offensive coordinator experience under his belt, but the 52-year-old coach quickly allayed any fears his lack of play-call experience could impact his effectiveness in 2021. Although he has been the Chargers head coach since 2017, he is heavily involved in the call for plays.
“In the last four years I had offensive coordinators, and I let these guys call games, but I probably called a third of those games,” Lynn said. “I have always been involved. I don’t think it’s something that I forgot how to do.
This coaching staff is really fun
The Lions coaches weren’t afraid to show a bit of their personality during their first pressers in Detroit, following Dan Campbell’s lead. There was Glenn, who was asked about his perspective as a player, when he made the tackle on the game in which Barry Sanders eclipsed 2,000 yards in 1997. His reaction:
“Oh, are you really going to bring this back up?” he said with a smile. He played along, however, and told the story and how embarrassed he felt at the time. Barry had just eclipsed 2,000 yards, but he was right on point. In the next play, Sanders took 51 yards for a tie-break first. Who was there to attack him just before a touchdown? Aaron Glenn.
“When I chased him, I looked up and it’s 2,000 meters. So I am on tape to attack Barry Sanders for his 2000 meters.
Oh, and there was this notable moment between running backs coach Duce Staley and handsome Pride of Detroit editor Jeremy Reisman:
Of course, it’s easy to be nice and affable at the first press conference of the year. No adversity to speak of. Still, that already sounds like a lot more personality than what we’ve had in the past three years combined.
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