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ALLEN PARK – The Detroit Lions have just finished last three in a row. Teams like this usually have roster issues, and the Lions certainly do too.
But again, head coach Dan Campbell raved about the character of the roster assembled by his predecessors, even though he also produced one of Lions football’s worst eras.
“I think we’re lucky because I think we have talented players on this team who have courage, and that’s a good thing, you know?” Campbell said. “I said that when I walked in – there are a number of guys that were here, and I think (Matt) Patricia and (Bob) Quinn did a great job, there is no poop. here. There are no bad guys. These guys are working now. We don’t have any lazy people (guys). We don’t have these (lazy) guys, and that’s a good thing.
“This is not always the case when the program has not been successful. This is usually not the case. (But) these guys work, and they are. They are pretty hard-minded. It’s just a question of, ‘Hey, this is how you gotta win. That’s what it takes to win. This is what it takes to be a winner. Here is what it looks like. That’s all. Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know. That’s all.”
Campbell has been touting the importance of grain since the early stages of his hiring in Detroit. When asked on Tuesday what was the most important thing he looked for when assembling the 53-man roster, Campbell boasted about, you guessed it, courage. And now that training camp has moved to week 3, he has a much better idea of where he can find it.
The players have been in the pads for over a week and in the camp for two. They are tired. They are in pain. Now they have to work on it ahead of Friday’s first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills, where plenty of jobs – starting and otherwise – will be up for grabs. And which players are able to continue to play hard and consistently despite the pains of the camp will be a big factor in the downsizing later this month.
The Lions are due to reduce the roster to 85 players by August 17, and then to 80 players by August 24. The final cut at 53 will take place on August 31.
“You’re resilient,” Campbell said, when asked about the most important trait he looks for on his list. “You are tough, you are uncompromising, you are a guy whose attitude to your body never changes (no matter) what happens to you, you are reliable, you are responsible. That’s all you would want from someone if you said, ‘I need a guy to do a job for me, he’s the guy, because I trust you, I know who you are going to be every day. You are not above and below. You are the same guy every day. We know who you are.
“Even though it might not be quite at the top (of importance), I would rather have it because I know what I’m going to have every day, rather than the guy who is,” Wow, what a flashy player! ‘ And then the next day he’s in the dumps and we don’t know what he’s doing, or something is hurting. It’s not worth the shot. So that would be my number 1. Now you must certainly have talent in this team. Not everyone will be perfect. But man, you have to have some mental resilience, some mental toughness, to play for us and the Detroit Lions. You just did.
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