Getty Dan Campbell interacts with a referee during a Lions-Vikings game in 2021.
The Detroit Lions roll into the first day of training camp an excited team given the high hopes they have for this season, and their coach seems to be thrilled about where things have trended for the team.
Campbell, giving his first press conference update on Wednesday, July 27, took time out to praise where the team has trended specifically in terms of their offseason work, which is a solid admission for any coach.
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Coming into camp in 2022, the Lions are locked and loaded and Campbell is excited about that fact most of all. As he explained, he wanted to give the Lions credit for showing up and making sure they were completely locked-in over the summer for the new year.
“I was real proud of our guys.”
“I wanted to say this. I was real proud of our guys. When they come back and they weigh in and they conditioning test, that pretty much tells you what their commitment was, how serious they were over the summer. Our guys were outstanding. It was outstanding,” Campbell told the media. “Everybody made weigh in. We had all but one guy who passed the conditioning test and that’s a guy who just started running a week ago who didn’t make it. That’s a credit to our guys They look good, they’re in shape and they’re ready to go.”
As a former player, Campbell would know what good conditioning looks like. The same goes for his staff, which is also littered with former players. At this point in time, it looks as if the Lions did all they could in order to set themselves up for a good training camp and new season.
Lions Still Dinged up to Start Camp
Perhaps the only health negative to start the The fact that the Lions have multiple players fighting back from injury. Specifically, the Lions likely had hoped they could get Romeo Okwara back into the fold sooner. Back in June, Campbell seemed as if he felt that Okwara could be ticketed for a camp return. Okwara, though, will start on the shelf.
Jerry Jacobs is on the edge of return, and has made what looks like his own progress in the offseason. Arguably the biggest injury from this group remains that of Josh Paschal, a rookie the team likely wanted to see on the field fast who is dealing with a sports hernia. That will have to wait now. The Lions added fullback Jason Cabinda to PUP as well as safety C.J. Moore to NFI on Wednesday. Offensive lineman Dan Skipper was on the non-football illness list.
In terms of Jameson Williams, the Lions were expecting him to be sidelined to start camp, so this is not much of a surprise. While the team would hope for him to return sooner, the hope is likely still that he can push for a midseason return to the Lions.
Good Conditioning Should Help Lions Start Fast
It’s very significant to hear that the team took the offseason and their conditioning seriously. After a tough 2021 season which featured a solid finish, the Lions knew they had to hit the ground running in a big way in order to improve things in 2022. This offseason, they managed to get that done in a big way. Players were working out even during their down time, so it makes sense to hear that the team is looks as good as they seemed at the outset once they finally made it in the building for real work to begin.
Minus the injured players, the Lions won’t have to take time getting many players up to speed when they get on the practice field. That will be a big advantage for the team as they look to turn the corner and get folks ready for competition on the field. Campbell already seems pleased with where things are at.
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‘Our Guys Were Outstanding’: Dan Campbell Praises Lions Conditioning