Michael Brockers Praises Lions’ Staff: ‘Feel Really Good About It’

The Detroit Lions have started out with their new coaching staff during training camp, and it’s been a breath of fresh air for players new and old to deal with Dan Campbell and his lieutenants.

Defensive lineman Michael Brockers is a newcomer to the mix, but it hasn’t taken him long to adjust to his new surroundings and also appreciate them in a big way.

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Joining the Catchin’ Fades podcast with Aqib Talib, Brockers lended some insight into what has impressed him about his transition to the Lions, and as he said, the staff and their interaction with players has been a big reason for some of the early momentum the team has built in terms of chemistry.

“Feel rally good about it because they started off with the coaching staff. Each time we’ve been talking about it, The coaching staff is the most important thing. If you get a good coaching staff that can communicate with the players and get across what they want and also let players be themselves, don’t try to change the players and make them robots. If you just treat us like men and let us know what’s up from the get-go, we can’t do nothing but respect that. And that’s what Dan and his staff have done,” Brockers told Talib on the show. “On a deeper note, most of his staff is African-American. When I looked at that, I said Dan gets it. He was in that locker room. He’s giving everybody their chance to shine. They lured defensive back coaches, Aaron Glenn is the defensive coordinator. I just like that concept of how Dan has built this team. We do have a young team, but I think like I said, once he treats us like men and communicates what he wants, we can get the job done.”

In terms of the buy-in from players who were also with the Lions in 2020, Brockers seems to think the roster is completely on-board with Campbell and his staff given how they are being treated by the new coaches early on.

“A lot of the guys from this ex-regime love this regime. They really have no choice, but it’s a night and day situation. That’s how they feel. They are like bro, this coaching staff gets it. They’re talking to us, they’re answering our questions like we want them to answer. So everybody appreciates that and just respects them, so we’re going to do something,” Brockers said.

Building that respect is a critical element for the Lions, and it’s good to hear that veteran leaders like Brockers believe some significant inroads have been made with regards to connection on the team.

Michael Brockers Explains Why Matt Patricia Failed With Lions

It’s been a question nearly as old as time that NFL personalities have pondered. Why can’t any of Bill Belichick’s disciples have success outside of the family? The Lions went through it with Matt Patricia, and other teams have with their hires from the Patriots as well. For his part, Talib asked Brockers why he believed so many former Patriots assistants failed. According to Brockers, it’s as simple as the coaches trying to be too much like Belichick.

“Because they try to be Bill Belichick bro, you can’t be Bill Belichick bro. You can take a couple of his concepts, but make it your own. Don’t try to be him. I feel like a lot of those coaches try to he him. Yes that philosophy works for him. Have your own philosophy, do your own thing. I think a lot of them guys take whatever they see Bill do and try to do the same thing. It doesn’t workout the same because it doesn’t work for everybody. It works for him,” he said.

Safe to say the Lions have a coach in Campbell that has no trouble being himself and being authentic. It’s something Brockers would probably admit is a big reason for his early success at connecting with the team so well.

Brockers Compared Dan Campbell to Rams’ Sean McVay

Dan Campbell, as a former player, seems to understand the delicate balance there is between pushing a player and pulling back. As a result, he’s been impressing in a fast fashion in Allen Park with the team. That’s welcome news given how much uncertainty was swirling early on about the hire.

Brockers has already been a player to noice this playing out in real-time this offseason. As he said on an interview with Jim Rome as shared by Chris Burke of The Athletic, he believes Campbell compares favorably to Sean McVay given his interactions with the team and his players early on.

Later in the interview, Brockers was asked specifically what makes a coach a good communicator, and as he explained, it’s the ability of the boss to show he cares while also being demanding. That balance can make the difference in success or failure.

“Communication is vital and the way you communicate is vital because a lot of guys don’t want to be yelled at or screamed at or stuff like that. Some guys want to be talked to as a man, gain an understanding of what you’re talking about and what you’re trying to teach and then let’s roll. A lot of these players in the league, we aren’t about a lot of BS. Just tell us what we have to do, explain it to us in terms we’ll understand and let’s get the job done,” Brockers said to Rome.

So far, it seems Campbell has struck that perfect balance, because he has reached Lions veterans as well as the young players. Bridging that gap is key toward being able to run a successful roster in the league.

Comparing Campbell to McVay is notable because the Rams’ boss has had tons of success early in his career. He’s not only won playoff games and made a Super Bowl, but he has flipped a losing culture with his enthusiasm and ability to connect with every player in a locker room.

The fact that Brockers sees those same elements in Campbell is notable, and it’s good news that he believes the staff is putting themselves in a position to succeed in 2021.

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