ALLEN PARK — It can only be a good thing for a player if Lions coach Dan Campbell tags him with a nickname.
Wide receiver Josh Reynolds has three — praying mantis, spider of death and freaking serpent. Campbell shared the names on Saturday, the fourth day of Lions training camp.
Reynolds played the last seven games of last season for the Lions after being cut midseason by the Tennessee Titans. In those games he had 19 catches for 306 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
“I like this guy, I’m buying stock in him. I think he could have a big year,’’ Campbell said. “He’s a smooth athlete, he’s a grinder, he’s smart and Jared (Goff) trusts him. I can’t say enough about that (wide receivers) room in general and he’s a big piece of that.’’
Reynolds was drafted in 2017 by the Los Angeles Rams where he played with Goff.
“We’ve had that rapport but to be able to continue to build on it is awesome and a big difference,’’ Reynolds said on Saturday.
Campbell said it has made a huge difference having Reynolds in camp.
“It makes a big difference. You guys know the story on him, I’ll say this, he came in the spring in great shape and I was pleased with what he was able to do and how he was able to help us toward the end of last year but he came in this spring and caught my eye again. I felt like he even took a step forward from that,’’ Campbell said.
At camp, Reynolds said he’s trying to soak up the offensive scheme.
Wide receiver is a competitive position for the Lions with guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus. Rookie Jameson Williams, a first-round pick, will add even more speed but so far hasn’t been cleared to practice.
“Those guys are pros in there , they work and they are smart,’’ Campbell said.
Reynolds, 27, says it is competitive.
“That’s all we do is compete over there. It’s real competitive. We’ve got guys who can do everything. We’ve got speedy guys, we’ve got long guys, all of them make plays,’’ Reynolds said.
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