Detroit Lions: Teryl Austin’s Quotes from Day 6 of OTAs

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin met with the media following the team’s sixth OTA practice of the offseason. Here is what he had to say.

On the identity he wants the defense to adopt this year: “I’m going describe it like I think it always should be. We’ve got to be a very tough, physical bunch. We’ve got to be very smart mentally and we’ve got to play very fast. That’s what I want our defense to be. We’ve got to do a better job stopping the run. I think when we made improvements last year it was when we played better against the run, and that’s where it’s going to start for us.”

On his expectations for DT Haloti Ngata this season: “Yes, I’m expecting him to play like he did the last half of the season. He played extremely well for us. He played like the Haloti I had seen for three years in Baltimore and he’s a difference maker for us up front.”

On his initial impressions of DT A’Shawn Robinson: “He is a big, powerful man. He’s still learning our techniques because he played a completely different style of football at Alabama than we teach here, but he picks up things fast. He has the athletic ability to do it, he has the strength and size to do it, so we’re looking – It will be nice once we get into pads and he’s really taking on blocks, you know, full-on taking on blocks, learning how to do that stuff. Then we’ll see how good he is, but I think right now the early reviews are good.”

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On the development from LB Kyle Van Noy: “Much better. Kyle’s doing much better. He’s in phenomenal shape, running around. I think he’s put himself – He’s in much better position now than he was last year, in terms of once the ball’s snapped, so I think that’s good. Again, we’ll see how he does in the preseason, but right now I’m pleased with where his development is.”

On CB Alex Carter’s progression: “It’s not almost like a rookie year, it is a rookie year for him. So, he’s really going through the rookie growing pains right now. You see some good things and some bad things. What we have to do is that has to be more consistent, consistently good, and then I think we’ll have something. But he’s working hard, he’s competing hard.”

On where he sees S Miles Killebrew fitting into the defense: “Well, I think the reason we drafted Miles, I think he brings a nice, physical presence for us on defense. Where he’s going to fit in, not quite sure at this point because he’s got probably a steeper learning curve than some of the others in terms of playing against a caliber of football player that he sees play in and play out here. But I think he’s very smart, very conscientious. He’s got the ability that we saw on tape, so now it just becomes a matter of how fast he can translate that to us.”

January 29, 2016; Kahuku, HI, USA; Hawaiian hostesses Chelsea Hardin (far left) and Mahina Garcia (far right) pose with Team Irvin defensive end Ezekiel Ansah of the Detroit Lions (94) during 2016 Pro Bowl photo day at Turtle Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

On DE Ezekiel Ansah’s talent complementing his humble approach: “I think it’s great. When your better players are your humblest, your hardest-working, I think that sets the tone through your organization so you don’t have a lot of ‘Me’ guys. You have a lot of guys that are concerned about the team and how well the team does. I think that’s great for us.”

On how Ansah can get better this year: “If you ask Kris (Kocurek), it’s 20 sacks. I think he just has to continue to improve, just like we said the last couple years. Just continue to improve on his pass rush techniques, get better in the run game and he’ll continue to grow. He’s got a lot of room for growth still.”

On if he would be surprised if Ansah reached 20 sacks: “No, I wouldn’t.”

On Van Noy’s confidence now that he is healthy: “You would have to ask him on the confidence because I always thought Kyle was a pretty confident individual. I think what he’s doing is, now he’s a little bit more familiar with playing off the ball, where his eyes should be, what he should be seeing all the time. That’s why I think he’s made some strides.”

On if Van Noy is trusting his eyes on the field: “Absolutely. He’s trusting his eyes and he’s in really good shape right now.”

On the development of the team’s young cornerbacks: “Well, I think when you look at what we had last year, Nevin Lawson played well, Quandre Diggs played well, those guys are improving. We’ve got to remember they were both basically rookies last year, and now as they go there’s a lot of room for growth and they’ve shown it. They’re starting to recognize things like veterans and call out formations. They really understand what’s going on, so I think that those two guys are doing a good job in terms of their individual growth. That’s going to help us because I think they’re very competitive individuals. They have very good football sense and I think they’re going to help us win.”

On the team’s depth at cornerback with inevitable injuries that happen: “Yeah, we can’t do anything about that right now, so we’re trying to develop the young guys, we’re trying to get Alex Carter, you know, the young guys that we have behind him. Trying to give them plenty of work this offseason so if they’re called upon this year and they need to be called upon, they’re going to be ready.”

On his expectations for DE Devin Taylor: “Well, I would hope this is a year that he takes a step to be ready to be a full-time starter and to be a difference maker. He really played well the second half of the year, but we had a lot of guys that did that. We’ve got to get off to a better start as a defensive unit because that will help our team. If all the guys that we talked about that played well in the second half of the year play well in the start, we’ll be OK.”

On comparing Ansah to another player: “I wouldn’t. I’m not going to make a comparison to anybody. I think he’s a fine football player in his own right. I don’t want to compare him to anybody. I’m going to let him set that bar.”

On Ansah’s special traits: “I think he’s got an unbelievable motor for a 270-pound man. He plays as hard as I’ve seen a guy play. He runs, he’s tough, those are special traits for a guy like that. A lot of times you see big guys, they take plays off. I’ve never seen the guy take a play off.”

On the bond between Diggs, CB Nevin Lawson and CB Darius Slay: “I like them. They like each other, so they work well together. I think that, like anything, when you play together for a while, you start to learn each other, you play better together. I think that’s only going to happen with those guys. They’ll start playing. The more they play, the better they’ll get.”

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On the energy at practice so far: “Finishing the way we did, I know we started like crap, but finishing the way we did brings you confidence as you move forward because you’re upbeat going into the offseason in terms of your workouts and your preparations. That’s carried over, so the guys have been out here, they’ve been wonderful with their attitude, with their preparation, with their effort and we couldn’t ask for more.”

On Robinson’s acclimation to the defense’s different attacking style: “Early on it’s good. What’s got to happen is we’ve got to see him take that when we get in pads and in the preseason, but the early reviews are good. Athletically, strength-wise, he’s all the things we thought and he can do what we’re going to need him to do. It’s just a matter of getting him repetitions at it.”

On how to assess a player on whether or not he can make the transition to an NFL defensive system: “I think when you watch him (Robinson) in college, you know what they do and what they’re taught. They’re well-taught at Alabama. Those guys do a phenomenal job. What you look at is when you go work them out, can they move? Can they bend? Can they redirect? How powerful are they? He had all those traits and so we thought it would be a no-brainer that he would be able to transition to play for us.”

Next: Jim Caldwell's Quotes from Day 6 of OTAs

On Taylor being a different personality: “He is. He’s a different individual, but in a good way. He goes to the beat of his own drummer and he’s awesome. I like him.”

*Quotes provided by the Detroit Lions.

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