Detroit Lions: Thoughts, observations from first practice of training camp

The Detroit Lions got their 2018 training camp underway with their first practice on Friday. Here are some thoughts and observations from the session.

A new Detroit Lions season came another step closer on Friday with the first practice of training camp. There is a certain freshness to any new season but that is especially the case for the Lions this season with a new head coach in place.

All eyes are on Matt Patricia as he tries to transform the Lions into a consistent winner. General manager Bob Quinn made clear that he’s looking for more than the nine-win seasons Jim Caldwell guided the team to in Quinn’s two seasons with the team. Exit Caldwell and enter Patricia, Quinn’s old colleague from their days in New England.

The two are tasked with trying replicate the success the Patriots have enjoyed. That will be a process, but one that is now underway. Here are some thoughts and observations from Friday’s practice.

Ragnow won’t be the starting center…or the backup center

Any thought that Frank Ragnow would have a chance to beat out Graham Glasgow to be the starting center is over with Glasgow firmly holding that spot through the offseason program. But what happens if Glasgow gets hurt? Ragnow sliding over to take over might be a good answer but it doesn’t look like one that Lions are considering, at least right now.

In addition to Glasgow, I saw reps at center by Joe Dahl, Wesley Johnson, Kenny Wiggins and Leo Koloamatangi. Ragnow is notably absent from that list. At one point the offense was split with what appeared to be first and some second teamers one one field and second and third teamers on the other field. Dahl rotated at center with Glasgow in the group with Matthew Stafford while Johnson and Wiggins rotated in the group with Matt Cassel. Koloamatangi stayed at guard during that part of practice but had some center reps later.

Running is fine

Despite one member of the Detroit sport media trying to suggest Matt Patricia could lose his team by making them run at OTAs, there is not evidence to suggest that. Today’s practice did end with the team doing a few reps of a 70-yard run but Matthew Stafford sluffed off the notion that the players have any problem with that.

Truth be told, it looked like some Lions could use the extra running. Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson in particular was falling behind the other linemen and was visibly gassed after a couple reps. It looks like running will be a regular thing, hopefully leading to a team better conditioned than their competition.

Who stood out at practice?

A first practice of training camp isn’t the best setting for picking out players who stood out but there were a couple who caught my eye on occasion. Tight end Luke Willson looked bigger on the field than I expected and made a nice catch in the back of the end zone in traffic. He reportedly turned down a multi-year offer from the Carolina Panthers to join the Lions on a one-year deal for a better chance at a breakout season and he has a good shot if Friday’s practice was any indication.

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The other player who made an impression was also a pass catcher — wide receiver Teo Redding. The undrafted rookie out of Bowling Green had some buzz coming into camp and he didn’t disappoint, hauling in one of the better touchdown grabs of the day. Redding was also in the mix in return drills. The Lions might have to decide to carry five wide receivers on the regular season roster for Redding to stick but he looks well ahead of the other players behind the top four of Marvin Jones, Golden Tate and T.J. Jones.

New coach, new practice vibe

Perhaps not surprisingly, football practices can give off a vibe that matches the personality of the head coach. Obvservers of previous training camps under Jim Schwartz and Jim Caldwell can attest to the difference in style practices took under those to coaches. Under Schwartz, practices were high energy with both players and coaches often being very vocal during the session. The tone changed when Caldwell was hired. Practices had more of a calm about them but the players moved from drill to drill in a more detailed, orderly fashion.

Interestingly, the first practice of training camp under Matt Patricia often felt like a mix of the two previous styles. There wasn’t quite as much barking by coaches at players as there was under Schwartz, but there were times when a coach’s voice could clearly be heard and there was even a megaphone on the field at one point. Like under Caldwell, players moved with a purpose from area to area throughout the session but at an even greater pace which seemed to keep energy up.

Who knows if any of this leads to different results for Patricia than the fate Schwartz and Caldwell met but it was amazing how much his practice felt like it struck a balance between the styles of the previous two head coaches.

More of an in-game feel

Another wrinkle in Patricia’s practice that I don’t recall seeing before is a rotation strategy that looks more like a substitution that you would see in a game rather than a straight swapping of first team and second team. That wasn’t always the case through Friday’s practice but the team session at the end saw the offense and defense making personnel changes on the fly as the ball moved down the field rather than keeping it straight first team offense vs. first team defense, etc.

Surely the philosophy is to mimic a game scenario to better prepare for a real game situation. That makes perfect sense but I don’t recall things run that way in a Lions practice before. Another sign of Patricia’s detail and fundamentals-oriented approach.

Watching a practice is a great way to get a unique view of the team and I encourage any fan who has the opportunity to attend to do so. In addition to watching practice there are food trucks, activities for kids, autograph opportunities and more. The second practice of camp will be Saturday and is open only to season ticket members who registered but there will be several practices after that that will be open to the general public. The Lions have details set up on a special training camp page on the team website.