Detroit Lions: Jim Caldwell’s Quotes on Opening Day of Mini-camp

The Detroit Lions opened their three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Here is what head coach Jim Caldwell had to say on day one.

On what makes this mini-camp so important: “Everything’s really important, particularly in the spirit of trying to get better each and every day, so every opportunity that you have is priceless. I think our guys are taking advantage of it.”

On if he is hitting his stride with the Lions having been in the organization for three years: “I think you sense that people know where to go, what to do, what’s expected of them. You know, we don’t always measure up to it, but they’re striving for it. So, I think that in itself, most of the coaches have some familiarity with what we’re doing, how we go about it, so that makes things operate a little bit more smoothly.”

On if DT Caraun Reid is nearing a return to practice: “I’m not certain exactly when he’ll be back, but I know he’s getting better. Obviously, you can see that he’s doing a little bit more. His activity level is increasing and I think he’ll be ready in due time.”

On what injury Reid is dealing with: “You know we don’t talk about injuries and all those things, but he’s making progress.”

On the players’ retention of the playbook from OTAs through today: “In four days’ time, the fact of the matter is that’s a good question because it’s not as smooth as it would have been if we’d have practiced on Friday. Obviously, there’s always just a little bit of uncertainty with some of the younger guys, so hopefully we’ve got those kinks out and we can get better and better the next couple days. But I think, even with those guys, we’re trending in the right direction.”

On why LB Stephen Tulloch was excused from mini-camp: “You know, I know that’s kind of a different way of asking a question that’s been asked about a 1,000 times. I’ll answer it the same way that I answered it previously. I think Bob (Quinn) covered that extremely well earlier and that’s all I’m going to talk about now.”

On S Isaiah Johnson’s development: “Obviously, he’s a guy that’s got some speed and ability. Does just a tremendous job of adapting to what we’ve asked him to do. Over the last year I think he’s learned quite a bit about the position and he continues to get better. He’s hungry, he’s enthusiastic about what he’s doing, obviously. You would think most guys would be, but he’s very, very studious. Isaiah’s looking for an opportunity to try to make a mark. He’s certainly making that happen.”

On S Miles Killebrew’s development: “Young guy who can move. Obviously, we all kind of know what he does from a physical standpoint, but he’s an eager guy that has ability. So, we’re happy to see the things that he’s doing out there. Each and every day he’s getting a little bit better.”

On what he looks for in small-school players such as TE Cole Wick: “A lot of it’s understanding and  just kind of the little things and details he’s got to certainly get a grasp of. But really, in his case it’s kind of working on the things that maybe he doesn’t do well. Obviously, he’s a guy that you can see can run and catch passes, does a pretty good job of running routes at this point, but he has a good sense of body control and he has pretty good hands. I think he’s working to improve those, but he’s one of those guys that, you know, until you get the pads on and really get a feel for the matchups that he’s going to have with those big defensive ends and see how he handles that phase of it. But up until then, he’s been doing a pretty nice job.”

On DE Devin Taylor trending toward a starting role: “He kept getting better. He just kept getting better week in and week out. He’s one of those guys that gives you everything he’s got. He’s certainly been very, very diligent in making certain he understands his assignments. Like I said, things that he’s been doing better is defending the run, and then also, obviously, last year you could see he made a number of plays for us, not only in the box like you would anticipate a defensive lineman would do, but also out on the flanks because he can run and he’s got length. He’s rushing the passer better, Devin’s doing a nice job.”

On S Glover Quin’s impact: “Well, I think the big thing with Quin is the fact that he’s like the quarterback back there in that perimeter. So, even if you have a couple young guys that are there he can get them in the right place. He can get them headed in the right direction. He also sets a great example just in terms of technique and fundamentals. There’s no one that has better fundamentals than he has, and he takes pride in it. Whether we’re walking through or whether we’re going full-speed, exactly the same for him. He’s giving you the absolute best he can give you and he’s always in the right spot. So, he’s a great model for those young guys.”

On what WRs Andre Caldwell and Andre Roberts can bring to the table: “You know Bubba (Caldwell) has some experience within the system, some of the system, and so obviously when you have a guy that has an understanding of it from formations to plays, etc., some of the names may have changed somewhat, but he adds a lot just in terms of understanding of concepts. Then not only that, he’s been in all big games obviously, and the biggest one was just this past winter, and he’s been doing a great job just in terms of mentoring some of the young guys. Roberts, obviously it’s the first day he’s out here with us today. We know what he’s done. He does have a background of playing a lot of football for a number of teams. He’s been productive and we anticipate that he’ll get out here and certainly improve every, single day, so now he’s got to learn the system.”

On how special teams’ players stand out: “Those core guys are pretty special just in the sense that they do a tremendous job of using their aggression to get them to the ball. Their speed and tenacity works in their favor, and not only that, they have a love and passion for special teams. Some of those guys like Don Carey, for example, may play a little bit more special teams than he does actually from scrimmage, and he plays a big role for us. His gunner play has been exceptional over the years, and he has a knack for the hustle, the drive, the dedication, determination to get to the ball and get the ball carrier down. You have to have quite a few of those guys to have success on special teams.”

On how CB Johnson Bademosi fits in: “Same background. He has been a guy that has been a factor every, single time that we’ve played against him. That’s one of the guys that you highlight and say, ‘You better block this guy’. If you don’t block him he’s going to make the tackle, and big, physical, smart and he’s quite a talent.”

On what he needs to see from a practice to be encouraged: “The big thing we look for is precision. Don’t want the ball on the ground a number of times, the height it’s being thrown, the fumble where it falls on the ground. What we tell him is, ‘It’s pro football, it shouldn’t be on the ground very often.’ Not having very many plays where we have missed assignments. That probably falls in line more with the younger guys because they’re just learning. Some of the older guys have a little bit better sense of things. So, when the practice runs smooth, it runs quickly, it’s uninterrupted by a bunch of poor play, that makes me feel a little bit better.”

On his thoughts on the Lions acquiring cheerleaders: “I think you guys talked to Rod (Wood) at length about it, I believe. I think that probably suffices. Most of us that have been in sports a long time, it’s not a new entity. So, I think all of the guys that have been in Pop Warner, junior high, high school, college have been accustomed to it.”

On if he will be in attendance at the Beyoncé concert tonight: “No. That’s a little bit out of my element. I do have some family members that will be there, but I won’t be one of them.”

*All quotes provided by the Detroit Lions.