Lions Off-Season Thread

[H1Man]

Lions, Marinelli Hit the Field
Team Holds First Practice During Three-Day Voluntary Mini-Camp

The Rod Marinelli era has begun.

The Detroit Lions took the practice field today in their first mini-camp of the 2006 offseason and their first under Marinelli and his coaching staff.

The practice – the first of four over a three-day span – gave the first-time head coach the opportunity to get acquainted with his veteran players on a playing level and establish his way of doing things as the 2006 season approaches.

“It was fun,” said Marinelli. “It was really important. The most important thing was to get things established that I wanted to get established."

Marinelli was brought in to help this Detroit team get out of a slump that has plagued the club in recent years. His main solution is to take his players back to the roots of football and focus attention toward what happens on the field.

“Fundamentals are everything,” Marinelli said. “The tempo you want, the way you want things done and fundamentals.

“We had a long individual period today – [to] teach men how to play football. That’s very important. Coaches just love that period where they can get all of their drill work in, the fundamentals, the progressions of fundamentals that relate to our game.”

The individual players have been participating in offseason workouts for the last few weeks, with the coaching staff involved heavily in their development. In addition to workouts, the players have gone through position-group meetings and began learning their playbooks.

Today, however, Marinelli had the opportunity to see his players operate as a unit on the practice field instead of broken up into individual workouts.

"What I'm looking for now is when fatigue starts to set in,” Marinelli said. “Can you focus? Can you play one snap at a time? Can you communicate when you are tired? Those are really important ingredients that have to show up in fourth quarter games and road games when things aren't right and aren't comfortable.

“Can we do those little things, can we stress our tempo? Can we communicate under duress?"

Since Marinelli arrived in Detroit he has done nothing but stress the importance of fundamentals and teaching while searching for a high-quality football mentality in all of his players. He put those goals into action in his first practice as a head coach and his focus is unwavering.

“I just worry about what we’ve got to teach and we just make sure that we explain that,” said Marinelli in regards to whether old habits within his players need to be broken. “We had long meetings this morning, it’s been a day of meetings. That’s all part of it: how to meet; how to retain information; how to communicate information and to get on the field and see if we can do it. That was today.”

In moving forward over the next two days of the camp, Marinelli is looking to continue his attitude of working hard and developing as a football team.

“Again, each day now is just a little bit better,” said Marinelli. “I want the progress. We talked in detail about how hard we want to play and knowing what to do, (knowing) fundamentals and how to finish because those are all of the untalented issues and that’s the thing that I’m stressing.”

Old Habits Die Hard

In his first practice as Detroit Lions head coach, Rod Marinelli still couldn’t tear himself away from the work he has done for the past decade. Amidst the head coaching he did with his entire team on Tuesday at the Lions’ first mini-camp practice, Marinelli worked with the Detroit D-Line.

“Each day I’ll probably stay with the ‘down guys’ during the individual period,” he said. “I just want to get that thing started in the right direction and the tempo. We explain it well together as a staff: what I want, how I want it, the tempo that I want and the precision.

“I want a glittering display of execution everyday. That’s what I’m looking for everyday. If its not, I’m not happy.”

While it may appear that Marinelli can’t tear himself away from the position group he has worked so closely with throughout his career, he has total confidence in the defensive line coach Joe Cullen.

“I have a very good young guy who coached college football for a long time and I got him going and he's on it,” said Marinelli. “I just want to make sure that some of the details are on it early. So, I'm working with him a little bit and then I'll eventually start pulling myself away.

“I just know how much talent is in the front. If that front starts really playing like I believe it can, it can be a force."

http://www.detroitlions.com/document...ment_id=444316

[H1Man]

Marinelli looking for a few good Lions

The Lions begin a three-day minicamp today. It's voluntary, but only technically.

New coach Rod Marinelli wants players who want to be there -- guys who love football -- and this is the players' first chance to make an impression on Marinelli in a full-team setting.

The players better be there not only in body, but in spirit. When Marinelli makes his final cuts in August, the 53 players he keeps might not be the 53 most talented players available.

"It's going to be the 53 that help us win," Marinelli said. "I just believe the bottom of the roster is the key. Those guys are the big key to our team, the guys that are willing to play more than one position, learn more than one position, be a great special-teams guy, all those things it takes to help this team win. It's about just winning and buying into the whole thing."

Marinelli and his staff have already given the players a taste of their more demanding style in the off-season conditioning program. But the minicamp is the first time they will give them a taste of their higher-tempo practices.

To illustrate what he's trying to instill this time of year, Marinelli brought up wind sprints. He expects the players to be behind the line before the whistle blows. They can't be a little bit over it. They can't be on it. They must be behind it.

Every time.

"You may be running wind sprints, and you get tired," Marinelli said. "You start coming apart when you get fatigued. It may be a little thing, lining up behind the line, but it's trying to do things right under duress, which our game is built on.

"You try to create that for them. It's not what you're doing. It's not running the wind sprints. It's how you run the wind sprints. That relates to the game. That relates to what you're going to do. That's big to me. Then you get the habits you're trying to create."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...52/1049/SPORTS

[H1Man]

Marinelli sends clear messages at first Lions minicamp

Rod Marinelli addressed all of the Detroit Lions when they gathered for their first minicamp Tuesday. But receiver Mike Williams said the new coach only looked at him as he delivered part of his stern message.

"'I don't want you to be late, and I don't want you to be overweight,' and he looked right at me," Williams recalled.

When Marinelli was hired in January to replace Steve Mariucci, who was fired during last season in part because of his softer touch with players, the Vietnam veteran said his voice would be the only one for discipline and leadership.

Williams said he welcomes Marinelli's approach.

"There was a lot of leeway, not only with me and the things I didn't do, but with a lot of guys," he said. "There's a different group here, and it's not going to be tolerated. It's kind of an accelerated change for a lot of people.

"I think everyone gets the message and those that don't will get weeded out."

The Lions drafted Williams last year with the 10th pick overall, becoming the first team since the NFL and AFL merged drafts in 1967 to draft a wide receiver in the first round three straight years.

Roy Williams, taken two years ago, had another solid season, but Mike Williams and Charles Rogers struggled.

Rogers was suspended for four games and was inactive for three games, including the finale at Pittsburgh. The second pick of the 2003 draft was ninth on the team in receptions and had one touchdown this season.

Mike Williams scored only once in his rookie year, two years after a sensational season at USC.

Marinelli "just wants me to be the player I was before I came here," Williams said.

Williams played at 239 pounds last year. He said he's 230 now and hopes to look more like the 212-pound Roy Williams.

"I'm trying to catch Roy. I've got best going because everybody thinks I'll be 225," Mike Williams said.

Williams said he was late to one meeting last season but said reports indicated he missed 15 or 20.

Rogers has played at about 220 pounds in the NFL but said he wants to enter next season about 20 pounds lighter, with the sleeker body type he had at Michigan State.

He said he also wants to shed the image that doubters have of him as a lackluster player in practice.

"I just have to keep working hard to prove them wrong," Rogers said.

Joey Harrington will not be throwing to Detroit's first-round receivers passes next season, but it's still unclear where he'll be next season.

Since Marinelli said earlier in the offseason that the Lions were moving in a different direction without Harrington as quarterback, they allowed him and his agent to seek a trade before June 15, when he's due a $4 million roster bonus.

The Lions are hoping to get a draft pick, or picks, in return for the third pick overall from 2002. Team president Matt Millen has said he's not in a rush to move Harrington.

"I wish him the best of luck," Rogers said. "Joey is going to be in the NFL a while."

Detroit signed free agents with starting experience, Jon Kitna and Josh McCown, to replace Harrington.

At the NFL meetings last month, Marinelli said if the season had started that day, Kitna would have taken the first snap.

A few players said Kitna ran the No. 1 offense during minicamp on Tuesday, but Marinelli insisted there wasn't a pecking order at quarterback.

"We don't have a starter right now," the coach said. "Somebody's got to take the first rep is what I said. I'm going to let them take the reps, and I'm going to get look at it and try to work it out."

Linebacker Boss Bailey, defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson and offensive tackle Jeff Backus, who was designated the franchise player, did not attend the first day of minicamp.

"I'm informed of where everybody is at," Marinelli said. "Everything is fine."

http://www.mlive.com/sportsflash/foo...st=michigannfl

[H1Man]

Minicamp Tidbits per KFFL:

Lions | B. Bailey not present at minicamp
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 15:58:34 -0700

Tom Kowalski, of mlive.com, reports Detroit Lions LB Boss Bailey was an unexpected no-show at the team's minicamp Tuesday, April 11, and head coach Rod Marinelli was very evasive concerning his whereabouts. "He's not here and I know where he's at,'' Marinelli said. When asked if it was injury related, Marinelli replied: "He's getting some things checked out.''

Lions | No starting quarterback anointed
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 16:00:19 -0700

Tom Kowalski, of mlive.com, reports Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli wanted to make it clear Tuesday, April 11, that QB Jon Kitna is not the No. 1 quarterback. "We don't have a starter right now. Somebody has to take the first snap,'' said Marinelli, who refused to even say that Kitna would have an edge because of his experience.

Lions | Marinelli comments on Wilkinson
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:20:53 -0700

Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli said DT Dan Wilkinson did not attend the start of the team's minicamp. Marinelli said Wilkinson was "at home." When asked if Wilkinson retired, Marinelli replied, "I can't answer that."

Lions | Lehman unable to do any work
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:21:28 -0700

Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli said LB Teddy Lehman (foot) is unable to do any work during the team's minicamp because of his foot injury. Marinelli said Lehman is still recovering from the injury. Marinelli said he had no time projection for Lehman's return.

Lions | M. Bell unable to do any work
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:25:10 -0700

Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli said DT Marcus Bell was unable to do any work at the team's minicamp Tuesday, April 11, because he is still rehabbing his injury.

Lions | Marinelli comments about C. Rogers and M. Williams
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:27:13 -0700

Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli was asked about WRs Charles Rogers and Mike Williams and he replied: "They came in on time and ready to work all day. You watched them work today at a great pace and great tempo. That's where you start right there, those points. You just keep working to get these guys better."

Lions | Marinelli talks about closing practice
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:29:14 -0700

Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli was asked why he unexpectedly closed minicamp practice Tuesday, April 11, to the media and he replied: "Because we could."

Lions | Williams says Marinelli directed some comments at him
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:25:11 -0700

Larry Lage, of the Associated Press, reports Detroit Lions WR Mike Williams said new Lions' head coach Rod Marinelli only looked at him as he delivered part of his stern message at the start of minicamp Tuesday, April 11. "'I don't want you to be late, and I don't want you to be overweight,' and he looked right at me," Williams recalled. Marinelli "just wants me to be the player I was before I came here," Williams said. Williams played at 239 pounds last year. He said he's 230 now and hopes to look more like the 212-pound WR Roy E. Williams. "I'm trying to catch Roy. I've got best going because everybody thinks I'll be 225," Mike Williams said. Williams said he was late to one meeting last season but said reports indicated he missed 15 or 20.

Lions | Rogers wants to be in better shape
Tue, 11 Apr 2006 18:30:26 -0700

Larry Lage, of the Associated Press, reports Detroit Lions WR Charles Rogers has played at about 220 pounds in the NFL but said he wants to enter next season about 20 pounds lighter, with the sleeker body type he had at Michigan State. He said he also wants to shed the image that doubters have of him as a lackluster player in practice. "I just have to keep working hard to prove them wrong," Rogers said.

[H1Man]

Marinelli is loud and clear
Mike Williams among those who got message

Lions coach Rod Marinelli stood in front of a team meeting Tuesday and delivered a message: "I don't want you to be late, and I don't want you to be overweight."

"And he looked right at me," Mike Williams said.

Marinelli opened a voluntary three-day minicamp -- his first interaction with essentially a full squad -- stressing good fundamentals and habits. He stressed them to everyone, but to some more than others.

Williams and Charles Rogers are under the microscope. Both are recent top-10 picks (Rogers went second overall in 2003; Williams went 10th last year). Both are wide receivers. Both have lacked good fundamentals and habits.

And both say they are getting the message and looking forward to the future.

Williams had problems with punctuality in training camp and conditioning during the season last year. He said he weighed as much as 239 pounds.

He knows Marinelli won't put up with tardiness, and he knows offensive coordinator Mike Martz's system is too demanding for him to be too heavy.

"Obviously, with the guys he's had in the past, 230 doesn't really fit the bill," Williams said. "I'm right around that now, but I'm still going to go down."

Williams said he wanted to be between 220 and 225.

"I've got some bets going on," he said. "Everyone thinks it'll be 225, but who knows? I just know that you've got to be in shape and you've got to be able to run just as fast on Play 1 as you can on Play 60. ...

"Anywhere in 220 to 225 is where I'm going to be and where I'm going to stay, because if I'm going to get to where I want to be, I've got to be in great shape."

Rogers, who missed almost all of his first two seasons because of broken collarbones, served a four-game suspension for substance abuse last season. He didn't dress for three games afterward because the coaches weren't happy with him.

Asked if a clean slate came with the new staff, he said: "It should be that way, but we'll just see what happens."

He said he hadn't heard anything negative about his work ethic from the coaches. He said he had gone from 212 pounds to 204 himself.

"We've got a good staff on board," he said. "Everybody feels like they're buying into the system, buying into what they're trying to do. All we've got to do is get on the same page. It'll probably take a little time, but I think it'll come through."

Williams said the coaches had made it clear it was their way or the highway. He said there was "no. B.S." with Marinelli.

"If he doesn't see what he likes, he's going to let me know, and that's how it should be," he said. "I think there was a lot of leeway last year, not only with me and the things I didn't do, but with a lot of guys. There's a different group here, and it's not going to be tolerated. ... It's a brotherhood, and we're going to go by the fastest and the strongest, and whoever is not up to that pace, they're going to get rid of in one way or another. I think everybody gets the message, and the ones that don't get the message will weed themselves out."

NOTEBOOK: Williams said the quarterbacks were playing pick-up basketball with the receivers and the players were hanging out in the coaches' offices. "Last year it wasn't like that," he said. "They've got to kick us out of here now, compared to last year. Some guys weren't even taking showers. They were just throwing on clothes and running up out of here." (Yes, the Lions literally stunk.) "It's a whole different atmosphere, and it's exciting, and we'll just see where we can take it."... Running back Kevin Jones said Tuesday's practice was "intense" and had "good tempo." Then he added this: "I think we're already ahead of where we were last year." Last year in April? "No," he said. "Last year in general. I just think the whole building is different. I'm happy with the staff, happy with the new additions we got. Everything's looking good right now. We've just got to stay focused through this whole off-season."...

Marinelli said he was pleased with the players' desire but still wanted a faster pace and more precision. "I want a glittering display of execution every day," he said. "That's what I'm looking for. Every day. And if it's not, I'm not happy."...

Three players were notably absent: defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson, who is pondering retirement; offensive tackle Jeff Backus, who hasn't signed his franchise tender; and linebacker Boss Bailey, who had an ankle injury at the end of last season. Marinelli said Wilkinson was at home. Asked if Wilkinson had made a decision on his future, he said: "I can't answer that." Marinelli said Backus, who had ankle surgery in January, was still rehabbing, anyway. As for Bailey, he said: "I know where he's at, and that's where I'll leave it. He's just getting some things checked out, so we're fine." ...

The Lions have re-signed center Brock Gutierrez, safety Vernon Fox, linebacker Nate Wayne and guard Tyrone Hopson, all free agents. Safety Terrence Holt said he had agreed to a one-year deal.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...604120396/1049

Camp Marinelli all business

After the first day of the Detroit Lions voluntary minicamp, one thing is becoming clear: Head coach Rod Marinelli and his coaching staff aren't interested in making friends. Not with the players. Not with the media.

Compared to recent Lions minicamps, there was a remarkable difference in tempo, intensity and volume during the first 45 minutes of Tuesday's workout. The rest of the sessions, when the Lions were in "team" drills, were off limits to the media.

"It was the first day and I wanted to give the coaches a chance to be themselves," Marinelli said.

Also, offensive coordinator Mike Martz has let it be known that he's not interested in talking to the media. Not today, probably not tomorrow and the next day doesn't look so good either.

It's possible Martz won't agree to interviews until the start of training camp in July.

While the Lions no longer appear to be a media-friendly organization, the players aren't getting much of a break either. It's all business. Football business. Everything else is secondary or unimportant.

It was evident from the very beginning with the team's stretching period at the start of practice. In previous years, the strength and conditioning coaches were largely ignored as they went through the progression of stretches. Some players followed along, but most had their own regimen while others didn't bother to stretch at all.

On Tuesday, every player was lined up and following all of the instructions.

During individual drills, the players were always on the move, with every detail being monitored. The coaching staff shouted encouragement to the players, but there were also some jabs. "You're cheating me," defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson yelled to a cornerback who wasn't putting his plant foot deep enough during a drill. "You're still cheating me," he said when it happened again.

Henderson then threw down his cap. "There, that's the mark. Hit it."

Everybody did.

"I want them to understand the tempo," Marinelli said. "The most important thing was to get things established.

Three notable no-shows were left tackle Jeff Backus, defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson and outside linebacker Boss Bailey. Backus is unhappy with the progress of his contract negotiations while Wilkinson is mulling over the possibility of retirement.

Marinelli was evasive when asked about Bailey and whether his absence was injury-related. Bailey, who has a history of knee problems, missed five of the final seven games last season with an ankle injury.

"He's not here but I know where he's at," Marinelli said. "He's having some things checked out."

The Lions re-signed four players Tuesday who had become unrestricted free agents: safety Vernon Fox, center Brock Gutierrez, linebacker Nate Wayne and guard Tyrone Hopson.

Detroit's minicamp continues today with two sessions and wraps up Thursday with a morning workout.

The off-season workout program will continue next week with the next minicamp scheduled for shortly after the NFL draft on April 29-30. That minicamp will be mandatory and all players under contract must attend or be subject to fines.

http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/i...340.xml&coll=1

Kitna says volume of plays makes offense difficult
After today's practice I asked Jon Kitna to explain the differences between the West Coast offense and Martz' offense. He said they're very similar in some ways, but terminolgy and the emphasis on downfield options are the differences. He also says young guys, like Roy Williams (who said this offense is very difficult to learn), may have trouble learning it simply because of the volume of memorization required.

"I think the difficulty comes in volume more than when things are confusing. Things aren't confusing, they make sense if you understand the base of the offense. But there's such a volume to it. For four practices in this minicamp we have 180 pass plays. (In another offense) you might have 40-50 pass plays in a minicamp. There's a greater volume. There's no slowdown. You don't rep the same play eight times in one practice. You know, where I've been other places and that's what you do. That's not the case here. It's just, new play after new play after new play. And you've got to know it."

[JS]

The other day I was joking with my brother about which guys Martz would make change numbers, for those who don't know Martz did this a lot in STL. He is a big believer in numbers and prefers players to avoid certain numbers for various reasons. Example he asked Jeff Smoker to change from 9 to 15, he felt 9 was bad Karma considering the trouble hr got into while wearing 9 at MSU.

Well our first victim of the numbers game has been found...

Why Orlovsky changed his number

Quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who wore No. 9 last year, has changed to No. 15. Why?

"Because Coach Martz asked me to,'' Orlovsky said. "He said he wanted to see me in a double digit number.''

That's it?

"That's it.''

Jon Kitna, meanwhile, was very evasive about whether he'll eventually ask for No. 3, his former number. With Joey Harrington still officially on the roster, that number is taken. Based on the way Kitna responded to the questions, I'd be surprised if Kitna wasn't wearing No. 3 at the team's next minicamp.

[H1Man]

Lions Return for Day Two
Marinelli Holds Twice the Practice in the Team's Second Day of Mini-Camp

After the second day of mini-camp, hard work is clearly the mantra of the team’s veteran voluntary mini-camp.

The first day consisted of a hard practice in the evening while Wednesday’s agenda included double the practice load on top of position group meetings.

“We try to create a hell of a pace early - really getting that thing going,” said Marinelli. “Now what you're looking for is going over a period of time that has now developed a stronger base of conditioning.

“It's in progress. Keep working the tempo and execution - it's all part of it. Tempo and execution, all the things we are trying to get done."

With only two days of organized practice under Marinelli, the subject of current player mentality has come up among the media.

How are the players responding to this rigorous conditioning?

“I think so [the players are starting to get tired legs],” Marinelli said. “It's early in the year. This is an early mini-camp. It's an early one. We try to create a hell of a pace early - really getting that thing going.

“Now what you're looking for is going over a period of time that has now developed a stronger base of conditioning."

After three practices in two days, the Lions will conclude their mini-camp tomorrow with a morning practice in Allen Park.

“We're trying to keep the pace,” said Marinelli. “This is kind of how we do things. Trying out our practice, our tempo and how we do things."

Brown and his Receivers
While there is interest regarding the state of the overall team, the subject of conditioning and the young group of Lions wide receivers has been a focal point.

Wide receiver coach Kippy Brown was brought on this season and reflects the philosophies of his head coach and the other coaches within the Lions staff: in order to succeed he feels his players have to put in the time.

“To have a chance, keep showing up and working hard,” said Brown. “We have to establish a trust and they have to believe in what I tell them and trust that it’s the right thing and then go and do it. So show up and work hard – and they’re doing it.”

The Detroit Lions currently have nine wideouts on their roster, with two – Corey Bradford and Mike Furrey – picked up during free agency. Brown has coached Bradford prior to this in Houston for four seasons as well as in Green Bay.

But the trio of receivers who have the attention of many is made up of fourth-year player Charles Rogers, third-year player Roy Williams and second-year player Mike Williams.

Thus far in the getting-to-know-each-other process, Brown doesn’t feel there is anything major his group of receivers needs to “un-learn.”

“In most offenses you have fundamentals that stay constant like footwork and playing low and those things,” said Brown. “So a lot of those things are constant. And there’s terminology. A lot of people are doing the same things. There’s no secrets in this league you just have different terminology. That’s the big thing, learning the terminology.”

So, as the receivers are getting acquainted and adjusted to this new group of coaches just as their teammates are, their state of mind – according to Brown – seems to be the same as the rest of the players.

“Guys are still getting in shape somewhat; still trying to get in some kind of shape so you can come out here and operate at the tempo that we’re looking for,” said Brown.

Brown applies his “working-hard” mentality to more than just conditioning and showing up. He feels that success over the course of the season will stem on the amount of time put forth by his receivers.

In fact, when asked after a Wednesday practice what could help alleviate the dropped balls that have plagued Lions receivers in recent years, Brown simply said,

“Work hard, concentrate and focus – that’s it. That usually cures it for good players.”

http://www.detroitlions.com/document...ment_id=444416

[Glenn]

It would be cool if they just gave Kitna #3 right now, even with Joey still on the team.

[Taymelo]

It would be cool if they just gave Kitna #3 right now, even with Joey still on the team.

Hater.

[Glenn]

Hater.