Category: Uncategorized

Detroit Lions Sam LaPorta preps for second-year after finding much success as a rookie

ALLEN PARK — For Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, what a difference a year makes. 

The 2023 first-round draft pick excelled as a rookie and now he feels much more comfortable on the field less than a week into training camp.

“Personally when I showed up in the springtime (last year) you’re trying to take in as much information as possible. This year I come back in the springtime, I know a lot of the installs obviously so it was a great steppingstone to start off,’’ LaPorta said on Saturday. “Continuity, it’s great right now, we’re clicking right now, it’s early in camp but we have to keep building on it.’’

In LaPorta’s rookie season he had 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also broke the NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end, along with breaking Lions’ franchise records for receiving yards and touchdowns by a rookie tight end. 

Last season the Lions came up short in the NFC Championship game — one half away from the Super Bowl. While it’s a team game, the offense was key to the playoff run and the 12-5 season.

Quarterback Jared Goff signed a contract extension in the offseason, but not many changes were made to the offense which did lose WR Josh Reynolds.

Wide receiver Jameson Williams is stepping up and put on a show at training camp on Saturday.

“Fast, explosive, he’s getting in and out of his breaks really well. Memorizing his splits, all the little details are really coming along with Jamo and you see that,’’ LaPorta said.

For the tight end, he’s working to refine the details.

“There’s a bunch of guys coming off all-Pro seasons, the top 100 list is coming out, it’s awesome to see so many of our guys on it,’’ LaPorta said. “Just like everybody else, just kind of take small steps forward in a bunch of little aspects in my game. It’s truly what separates the good players from the great players in this league is small increments.’’

He spent a few days in Los Angeles working out with Goff before training camp. 

“It may not be actual results that you see on a day-to-day basis, but then when you look back for months and like a calendar year, like goodness this is how we were operating a year ago and this is where we are now just four days into training camp,’’ LaPorta said.

(UP NEXT: The Lions have Sunday off from training camp. On Monday they will wear pads for the first time since camp started on Wednesday.)

Detroit Lions Jared Goff excited about the possibilities including a bigger role for Jameson Williams

ALLEN PARK — While the Lions defense features more new personnel, quarterback Jared Goff sees a ton of potential on the offensive side of the ball.

“We know the sky is the limit and we’re excited,” Goff said on Friday, the third day of training camp.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson remains in charge and has added a few wrinkles to the playbook for his ever-evolving offense. It finished the 2023 season ranked third in the NFL with 6,712 yards of offense.

“Back in the spring there was a ton of stuff, even (stuff) we did last year that we can tweak and get better at, but some new stuff certainly in the spring and into training camp. Stuff we’ll play around with and see if it works and probably use a lot of it,’’ Goff said.

The 29-year-old Goff, who signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension in the spring, said hopefully he’s smack-dab in the middle of his prime. 

“I feel good and confident in the guys around me and they feel confident in me, it’s a good place to be,’’ said Goff, who was married this summer.

Along with most everyone, he expects a bigger role this year for wide receiver Jameson Williams who is entering his third season. Williams has shown flashes early in camp but had an excused absence on Friday.

“He’s a guy who can score on one play and you’ve seen it quite a bit in his career. He continues to get better. It’s exciting and his consistency has raised a ton,’’ Goff said. “He knows what time it is for himself and our team and has come to work really well and has done a good job.’’

Detroit Lions Dan Campbell: We will live on hard work, not reputation

Winning the Super Bowl is the expectation as camp starts

ALLEN PARK —  On the Detroit Lions first day of training camp they were riding the line between Super Bowl expectations and not losing their gritty identity.

It’s uncharted waters for this bunch but coach Dan Campbell is not going to let the ship get off course.

Heck, he’s lived through what can happen. In 2000 as a tight end, his New York Giants went 12-4 and lost in the Super Bowl. The next season, with the exact same team, they fell to 7-9.

“That was a lesson learned for me. I will never forget that, ever,’’ Campbell said on Wednesday. “We are not going to lose our identity, that is the most important thing to me and I won’t sacrifice it for anyone or anything. I told the team that, they know that.’’

After going decades without a postseason win, the Lions lost in the NFC Championship game in January – they were one half away from making it to the Super Bowl

“We don’t live off reputation, we live off of work,’’ Campbell said. “That’s what’s gotten us where we’re at, it’s been a long hard road to get to where we’re at right now. There’s a price to be paid so we’ve got to pay it again. That’s the message that will always be the message.’’

The coach is resolute that this team will not lose its identity as a hard-working, physical and gritty group.

“At this point nobody cares what we did last year. It doesn’t matter. It has no bearing on the season moving forward. If anything, it’s going to make it harder for us,’’ left tackle Taylor Decker said. “We can’t take that for granted. It’s hard to have a great season then refocus and get back to doing things the right way.’’

He’s been through it too, winning a national championship at Ohio State in 2014 and then not living up to expectations in 2015.

Consistency is key, Decker said, for teams and individuals.

That 12-5 record from last season may be old news, but, without question, it provided confidence.

“Each year you get into that meeting room the first day, it’s like: What do you want to accomplish with the team? I can truthfully say this year it’s not even playoffs, it’s not No. 1 seed. It’s the Super Bowl and that’s for everybody in the room,’’ wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. 

“And it’s the first year I feel like truly as a team we all feel the same way. We all want to win the Super Bowl, we know we can win the Super Bowl, we’ve got the team, we’ve got the coaches, we have everything in this building we need to win a Super Bowl. That’s our goal, that’s our focus and everything we do from here on moving forward to get there.’’