Lions news: Recapping the latest notes from Day 1 of NFL Combine
The NFL world has embraced the Combine and press conferences have taken center stage.
The NFL Combine began Monday and the event is working through its schedule en route to on-field practice beginning Thursday, March 2nd. Day 1 of the Combine consists primarily of arrival and orientation matters, making Tuesday the true “First Day”.
Leading up to measurements and drills, general managers and coaches speak to the media — Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions will be on the podium Wednesday — and there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes business talk.
So far we’ve covered a variety of things, from player news to managerial changes to the exciting world of team president and CEO Rod Wood. Here’s a sample:
But there was also some notable news that we didn’t write an in-depth article about, which brings us to today’s notes.
- News comes fast at the Combine, and with 32 pairs of team reps along with teams of beat writers from all 32 teams in attendance, you can find fun information in a variety of places. For example, last offseason, Bengals coach Zac Taylor gushed about the Lions hiring Ben Johnson as their offensive coordinator. At Tuesday’s Combine, Taylor was asked again for his thoughts on Johnson. Detroit News reporter Justin Rogers was there to get the answer:
“I know your first path to the playoffs is ultimately to win your division, right?” Adofo-Mensah told Rogers. “So you never want to obviously strengthen your department. But ultimately, the best route I have to the playoffs is to put the best team on the field. So, that’s where it starts. Brad and I have a really good relationship and as I said before, you can make trades where both sides know their interests and both can win.
- In another interesting twist, Dan Campbell’s former mentor, Broncos coach Sean Payton, said Payton wouldn’t rule out hiring him for another role, although he didn’t consider former Lions coach Matt Patricia — the man Campbell replaced — as his defensive coordinator hired:
POD has thoughts…
- If you are new to the NFL Combine, Mothership has written an informative article highlighting and explaining each workout at the NFL Combine. Even if you’re a seasoned vet, it’s a nice piece to brush you up on.
- The Lions also released a spoken word piece entitled “Detroit Shows Up” by Detroit-based poet, author and events producer Joel Fluent Greene as part of their Black History Month celebrations:
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