Lions training camp notebook: The pads come on for Day 6
The sixth practice of Lions training camp marked the first time the team appeared in full pads. Head coach Dan Campbell and his staff were excited to ramp up the action.
The focus was on the lines. It’s difficult to evaluate the offensive and defensive lines without full pads. After a prolonged period of individual positional drills, the offense vs. defense fired up and did not disappoint.
Here’s some of what we saw on a sunny Tuesday morning in Allen Park…
Alim McNeill stands out
Third-round defensive tackle Alim McNeill made one heck of a first impression in pads. It started with the very first rep of OL vs. DL. McNeill lined up heads up on Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow and promptly torqued No. 77 into the practice field turf. It was a Nuke Laloosh moment of announcing his presence with authority. No. 54 kept it up throughout the day. On one rep in team drills, McNeill completely soaked up a double-team block that freed linebacker Jamie Collins to have a clear path into the backfield to stun RB D'Andre Swift behind the line. Collins made a great read but it was set up by the dirty work from the rookie from North Carolina State, affectionately called "Twinkle Toes" by coach Campbell. McNeill "won" nearly every rep he took and it didn't matter who was trying to block him.
Rookie on rookie violence
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
A special teams drill halted for a minor case of rookie-on-rookie violence between Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ifeatu Melifonwu. St. Brown quite clearly dominated both the rep that led to the altercation and the throwing of hands, blasting back Melifonwu with a right jab to the shoulder that sent the CB flailing. Based on what we've seen thus far in camp, don't expect to see much of St. Brown on special teams once the action starts counting in the standings. He's proving quite valuable as a receiver. Having said that, he completely crushed his reps in the blocking/gunning drill. Melifonwu is not off to a great start either in the base defense or on special teams. It appears he's fallen behind undrafted rookie CB Jerry Jacobs (who continues to thrive in coverage) on the depth chart, and he's not been nearly as physical as you'd like to see from a 6-foot-3, 210-pound outside corner. There's still time for the third-rounder from Syracuse to win more playing time and respect, but he needs to make something happen soon to restore confidence.
Penei Sewell first impression in pads
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
This was our first look at first-rounder Penei Sewell lining up in right tackle in full pads. So far, so very good... Sewell had no problems with his hand placement or mirrored footwork from playing left tackle at Oregon. He's clearly worked at making the transition and it's looking natural. He has such a lightning quick first step in the run blocking that it caught both Jashon Cornell and Julian Okwara off-guard in separate reps. About the only issue we've seen thus far with Sewell is that he continues to jump early. He had three false starts in Monday's practice and followed it up with two more late in Tuesday's team session. It got him sent off for a replacement. That replacement, Tyrell Crosby, had himself a nice day while working at both left and right tackle, too.
Safety in numbers
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Tracy Walker has locked up one of the starting safety spots in new coordinator Aaron Glenn's defense. No. 21 has impressed in every practice with his awareness and his closing speed to the point of attack, and that was true on Tuesday as well. The other starting safety spot is definitely unsettled. Three different players got reps with Walker on the first-team defense in the sun-soaked morning session: Will Harris, C.J. Moore and Dean Marlowe. Marlowe had the best moment, a leaping interception while playing QB spy on David Blough. Moore got the most reps and had a nice pass deflection on a late throw from Goff directed toward Kalif Raymond. Harris, who was the primary starter a year ago, didn't really stand out for better or worse. Expect this battle to continue into the preseason games and pay close attention to the pecking order when the Lions host the Buffalo Bills on Friday, August 13th. The coaches are auditioning everyone with Walker to see who fits best.
Quick hits
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
--Rookie LB Derrick Barnes remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Coach Campbell declared it a "minor issue" that first popped up in the spring. Barnes did not participate in drills in the team's minicamp in June with the same issue. --Another rookie defender, second-round DE Levi Onwuzurike, left practice very early and did not return. No official word on his status as of yet. --Defensive end Austin Bryant was activated off the PUP prior to practice. In one defensive drill, he played the role of motion TE and looked just fine sprinting across the formation. --Campbell noted that CB Quinton Dunbar is not currently with the team while dealing with a personal issue, which was not disclosed. Dunbar has not practiced since Friday. Undrafted rookie Jerry Jacobs has been the primary beneficiary of Dunbar's absence. --In the special teams drill that led to the fracas between St. Brown and Melifonwu, every player got two reps. The following players won their two reps:
CB Jerry Jacobs
WR Chad Hansen
LB Robert McCray, emphatic wins too
TE Charlie Taumoepeau
These players lost both their reps:
TE Brock Wright, who also had a bad drop in team drills
WR Sage Surratt
WR Javon McKinley
CB Alex Brown
--Campbell rolled off a great story about how legendary head coach Bill Parcells asked him to start a brawl during a Dallas Cowboys training camp practice session in order to get the players more fired up. Campbell clearly relished the story but doesn't intend on replicating that order in Detroit. However, when asked what player he would ask to start a hypothetical brawl, he quickly quipped that it would be LB-turned-FB Jason Cabinda. --If you ever want to buy Campbell a drink, here's his coffee order from Starbucks: Two venti (that's the biggest size) Pike Place brews with two shots of espresso in each one. Campbell admitted to drinking "a gallon of coffee" per day. His energy at the 8 a.m. press conference indicates either some caffeine intake or that he's the mother of all morning people.
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