Presser, no scrum: Campbell offers positive injury updates; explains why team is OK without big-bodied WR

Allen Park — Last week, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell noted the team expected to get several injured players back on the practice field following Saturday’s preseason finale against Pittsburgh.

A couple of days after that contest, Campbell was asked Monday if everything went according to plan with that group of key contributors returning to football activities over the weekend.

“Everybody was out there that we talked about, that I mentioned,” Campbell said. “It was good to have them out there, too. We got them out, it was about an hour, we let them compete against each other, a couple of team periods, individuals (drills) so guys could get worked in and it was just kind of pushing their heart rate a little bit.

The specific players Campbell acknowledged practicing Sunday were tight end Sam LaPorta (hamstring), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, guard Kevin Zeitler (shoulder) and cornerbacks Terrion Arnold (pec), Ennis Rakestraw (ankle) and Carlton Davis III (hamstring).

Campbell also said it was good to see defensive tackle DJ Reader on the practice field for the first time after the team activated him off the physically unable to perform list on Sunday.

“Even though it’s walk-through and (individual drills), just to have him out there, (it was good),” Campbell said. “He is a big man. He and Mac (Alim McNeill) over there together — Mac’s going to need to do more squats if he wants to keep up with Reader.

Poor McNeill, getting body-shamed by his coach for a second consecutive year. Last year Campbell quipped about the defensive tackle looking like an underwear model after dropping 30 pounds during the offseason. Now Campbell is joking about McNeill being a lightweight next to the 335-pounder Reader.

Of course, based on the way McNeill’s been practicing, looking primed to take his game to another level as he enters a contract year, I’m sure Campbell is just fine with where the fourth-year defender is at, both mentally and physically.

As for Reader’s readiness to play in a game, Campbell acknowledged it’s fluid, but the current target is the team’s Week 2 matchup with Tampa Bay.

● Obviously, there were going to be questions about the upcoming roster cuts, but Campbell did his best to cut them off at the pass, saying he and general manager Brad Holmes would continue their meetings after the press conference and no decisions had been made.

Campbell did acknowledge some cuts could come down the pipe later Monday afternoon, but more important to the coach was thanking the roster for their efforts this offseason.

“One more time, the appreciation we have for these guys that laid it on the line, gave everything they had,” Campbell said. “A number of these guys, the lost art of when your body doesn’t feel good, you’ve got the bumps and bruises, and just for those guys that can continue to just push. Those guys, it means a lot. It really does. Because that’s what this game is; it’s still a physical game and you have to be able to put that stuff behind you and still produce.

“So tough 48 hours coming up, but really appreciate these guys.”

● Even though it feels like a played-out topic of discussion, I asked Campbell about the wide receiver battle and whether any of the perceived contenders had done anything behind the scenes that media and fans weren't acknowledging.

In short, the coach didn’t have much to add, choosing instead to highlight the speed and athleticism of Donovan Peoples-Jones and Daurice Fountain, while closing with, “It would be nice to have the size. And so, you wish that would show up a lot more, but that’s what those two guys bring.”

It wasn’t easy, because you leave the roster lacking a bigger body at that position, but I cut both Peoples-Jones and Fountain in my final 53-man projection. That said, the thing I’ve wondered in that hypothetical scenario is if it limits the offensive scheme to not have that body type available. So I asked the question.

“No, I don’t believe that,” Campbell said. “We will always be able to, with what we’ve got on this roster, (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson) does a hell of a job of making sure that we put guys in position to have success and let our guys go win and whatever it takes to allow them to do that.

“So, no, I wouldn’t say it limits us,” Campbell said. “But like any offense or defense, man, you want, ‘Give us everything.’ If you can have it all then you can use it all. …It would be a luxury to have (size at receiver). It helps.”

● Earlier this offseason, special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said it is becoming increasingly difficult to exclusively play special teams and make an NFL team, but Campbell still hammered home the importance of those role players as the roster takes shape.

Interestingly, Campbell highlighted positional upside as a desired trait for the guys expected to primarily contribute on special teams.

“Ideally you want — you like the young, promising upside of a player in a position group that you feel brings value to special teams because they can grow,” Campbell said. “They’ll only get better in that position. I think you’ve got to take it as it is in each position group. Where are you at, where’s the depth, is anybody injured, and can the kid continue to grow?”

That could bode well for one of the team’s younger safeties, Brandon Joseph or Loren Strickland. At the very least, both have practice squad jobs waiting for them if they get cut and go unclaimed off waivers.

● Campbell said he’s comfortable with Detroit’s backup quarterback situation. Within that, it sounds like there’s some fluidity with who would play if starter Jared Goff suffered an injury.

During an early answer on the topic, Campbell showed a preference for Nate Sudfeld being the guy to come off the bench to steady the ship.

“Let’s start with (Hendon) Hooker,” Campbell said. “…It's hard for me to jump in and say, man, you feel great at No. 2. I think of him as, is he growing? That's literally where my mind goes first: Is he growing, is he developing? Yes he is. He got better because he got reps. All right, that's good.

"Nate, for the most part, has done what we've asked him to do," Campbell continued. "There are a couple decisions here and there, but we know what he is. He's been around the system now going on three years.”

Where the fluidity comes in is Campbell wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of starting Hooker given the benefit of having a week to build a game plan around the second-year QB.

“It’s hard to answer that because, there again, they both bring something different and you could easily say, ‘One of them gets you out of the game and the other one starts for you if something happened the next week,’” Campbell said. “So, you’re going to use all of those guys, I guess, is the best way to say it.”

● It’s going to be a relatively quiet week, in terms of media access in Allen Park. The roster cutdown must be completed by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Between now and next week, the only thing on the schedule is a Thursday morning press conference with Holmes and assistant GM Ray Agnew.