By: Michael NiziolekOn the first day with full pads Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan took time out after practice to talk to the media about how the offense was progressing four days into camp.
This early in the process there is no depth chart, so players are rotating a lot – changing personal groupings almost every single series.
Linehan said all the rotating isn’t unlike a NFL game; it’s unpredictable. Injuries and situations can change the depth chart during the course of a single quarter and players need to be ready to play with everybody.
He said Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford both were progressing nicely.
“A lot of a quarterback staying in rhythm is working with the same guys - once you get going working with the same guys over and over again. Right now they don't have that luxury,” Linehan explained. “We told them going in to it - you're going to have to perform and do things to play winning football on a daily basis, whoever is in the game. I'm really pleased with that part.”
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The evaluation process will continue for a while. The coaches haven’t set any kind of timetable for a decision and the quarterbacks are being evaluated every day, situation and play.
When asked about Stafford progress specifically Linehan said the rookie doesn’t feel like someone participating in their first NFL training camp.
“I don't feel like I'm coaching or talking to a rookie when we work with him,” Linehan admired.
While some might ignore the praise because of Stafford’s status as the draft’s No. 1 pick, Linehan said that Stafford’s experience at Georgia with a pro style offense really helped groom him for the NFL.
“He has a very natural feel for the game and understands concepts, he can translate things he's done before to what he is doing now without a lot of repetition,” Linehan explained. “He can go right to it and make that decision and make that transformation, pretty impressive that way.”
Linehan also had big praise for No. 81, he described Calvin Johnson as a fantastic athlete and hard worker.
“He does have that wow factor because he has the size dimensions and all that but he also backs it up by making plays,” Linehan said.
Having worked with Randy Moss for years in Minnesota, Linehan knows that it will be a challenge getting Johnson the ball without forcing it to him. Johnson will face a lot of double and even triple coverage this season, but Linehan said it’s a problem he’s okay with having.
Training camp is only four days in and the competition is gearing up for what should make an exciting camp on both sides of the football.
