Detroit Lions' Tracy Walker has a new position; Josh Reynolds has new nicknames
A few months after signing him to a $25 million contract, the Detroit Lions came to Tracy Walker about playing a new position.
Walker, entering his fourth season as a Lions starting safety, worked as Jack Fox's personal protector with the No. 1 punt team this week, a role he said was the brainchild of special teams coordinator Dave Fipp.
"Fipp came to me and said, 'Look, I got this spot for you and I need help there. I need you to learn it,'" Walker said. "And I was like, 'OK, cool.' And I don’t exchange words. I know I can do it. I can do whatever I put my mind to."
SATURDAY'S OBSERVATIONS: Jameson Williams staying engaged, Jeff Okudah ready to hit
Walker has been a regular special teams contributor for the Lions since his rookie season, but has never played personal protector — the player who lines up in the backfield on punts — before at any level.
C.J. Moore, who played as Fox's primary personal protector last season, has not practiced this summer while on the nonfootball injury list. But Moore, who tied for second on the Lions with eight special teams tackles last season, spent this offseason playing elsewhere on the punt team, including gunner.
"This is my first time ever, but hey listen, like I told the coaches, I’m a plug-in piece," Walker said. "Wherever you want to put me at, wherever you feel like you need me at, I’m there and I’m going to learn it. So that’s the thing about that. Like I said about that, I’m so versatile you can put me wherever."
Though Walker should be an every-down player on defense, he has the traits of a good personal protector. Personal protectors are typically responsible for setting the punt protection scheme, similar to how safeties make defensive back calls. And Walker is a rangy athlete who has the arm length to block free rushers and the speed to cover punts downfield.
[ Amon-Ra St. Brown: 'I do what I do and you've still got to stop it' ]
"I’m definitely catching on really, really well," Walker said. "I’ve been doing great, so that’s the great thing."
Name game
Last year, they had a circus act on their defensive line (Alim "The Dancing Bear" McNeill), a streaming service in their offensive backfield (Craig "Netflix" Reynolds) and a piece of metal at linebacker (Tavante "Scrap" Beckett).
On Saturday, Dan Campbell unveiled a trio of new nicknames for wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
"I’ll tell you what, he’s different now. He’s a different athlete," Campbell said, "He’s slippery, man. I call him 'The Praying Mantis.’ He’s a spider of death. He’s just — there’s something about him. Fricking serpent. So I love where he’s at right now. I love where he’s at. I really do, I’m glad we got him."
Reynolds, a midseason addition after a failed stint with the Tennessee Titans last year, said his friends called him "J-Rey" growing up and he was known as "Big Smooth" during his time with the Los Angeles Rams, but he likes his new nicknames.
More: Uvalde shooting hits close to home for Josh Reynolds: 'Puts fear in anybody's heart'
"Looks like now I’m Praying Mantis," Reynolds said. "I like it though, man. That thing’s deadly. Know a little kung-fu. Shoot, wax on, wax off."
Reynolds, who caught 19 passes in seven games with the Lions last season, has played regularly alongside DJ Chark and Amon-Ra St. Brown with the first-team offense this summer. Campbell said he's "buying stock" on Reynolds in anticipation of a big year.
"I was pleased with what he was able to do and how he was able to help us towards the end of last year," Campbell said. "But he came into this spring and caught my eye again and I felt like he even took a step forward from there. I like this guy."
Injury update
Campbell said it's too early to give a timeline for when injured defensive end Romeo Okwara will return to the field.
"I really can’t," Campbell said. "Until we really get him out there on the grass moving, that would be hard for me to say if I’m being honest with you. I really don’t know."
Okwara, who tore his Achilles tendon last October, is on the physically unable to perform list and declined an interview request coming off the field this week.
Campbell said the same applies to injured rookie Jameson Williams, who tore his ACL in January.
"I’m not going to get into (what he's doing in rehab)," Campbell said. "But I would say every day he’s gotten better and better, and we’re putting more on him.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Tracy Walker eager for new special teams role
