Lions Lowdown

ALLEN PARK — With the coaching change bringing Matt Patricia in as head coach for the Detroit Lions, changes were inevitable. That was the whole point.

Recently it’s been reported that the New England Patriots, where Patricia spent the last 14 seasons, don’t have fun at practice. “I think for us we’re just trying to go out there and get better. I think that’s the main focus for us. We’re trying to improve. We’re trying to learn. We’re trying to do a better job than we did the day before and that’s really the main focus for us,’’ Patricia said.

After three days of mandatory minicamp, here are a few observations on Patricia

1. Wasn’t a surprise when Patricia was asked about rookie fullback Nick Bawden going down at practice on Wednesday. He won’t talk injuries. His reply when asked about Bawden on Thursday morning: “At football practice we’re trying to make sure everyone is put in the best position possible. I don’t have any comment or discussion about anything in that situation. Just unfortunately he couldn’t finish practice. In general, for me, for everybody here injuries will be something that we definitely don’t talk about outside of our own little world. …” He went on and on. It’s his way of saying, “Check the report.” This has been modus operandi for Lions coaches going back to at least Jim Schwartz. Although Schwartz was a little more forthcoming with injury info than Caldwell. Expect Patricia to be more evasive. Just an educated guess – it’s the Patriot way. Patricia, like Schwartz, is in his first stint as an NFL head coach.

2. Which player will start where? First, it’s too early to know in many cases. Second, Patricia will not reveal. Many fans were frustrated that they couldn’t get more information out of Caldwell. Guess what? Patricia could be more tight-lipped. He has changed since his introductory press conference.

3. Patricia is all about football. It’s early and it’s key that he gets his points across to the 90 players on the roster. Getting to know players off the field? Not on his current agenda, but that could happen with training camp. In his first year, Jim Caldwell took all the different position groups out to dinner — let them pick the restaurants. Not uncommon for coaches to try to bond with players and we’ll might see that down the road.

4. Minicamp drills are shorter than previously. Players move around the three fields more often. Patricia’s goal is to keep them working and squeeze every minute out of his available time with them. He’s mentioned several times that he is constrained in time (by the NFL collective bargaining agreement). “I would say that’s probably the biggest frustration from that standpoint,’’ Patricia said.

5. Patricia has a booming voice and not afraid to express frustration on the field to his players. Let’s just say he uses colorful language to make a point. It’s a significant difference over the past four years. Good? Bad? Too early to tell.

ALLEN PARK — Matt Cassel is getting to know his new Detroit Lions teammates and coaches. It’s been intensified this week through the first two days of mandatory minicamp.

The 36-year-old quarterback, who was signed as a free agent, knows one key person in the organization.

Cassel spent his first five seasons (2005-2009) with the New England Patriots where he got to know Lions head coach Matt Patricia.

“We had a great relationship, he actually ran the scout team when I first got there, we had a lot of time together, we had a lot of fun,,’’ Cassel said on Wednesday. “It’s been a great relationship and that’s one of the main reasons I’m here.’’

Five more things to know about Cassel and the Lions:

1. Patricia remembers him well from their Patriots days. “Matt Cassel, obviously someone that I have a lot of history with, extremely professional guy. Guy’s been in a couple different systems now, very smart. A guy, if I remember this correctly, was actually a captain in college even though the positions and quarterbacks that he had to play behind, so I think that tells you a little what his personality is,’’ Patricia said on Wednesday. “The way, what a teammate he is. His approach, his study, and the respect that he gets from not only the players but the coaches too. So, he’s been great.

2. Last season the Lions only kept two quarterbacks — Matthew Stafford and Jake Rudock — on the 56-man roster. Patricia would not say if carrying three quarterbacks is an option this year. It’s too early to know.  Cassel and Rudock will likely battle in training camp for the No. 2 spot.

3. Cassel and Stafford are working on developing a good working relationship. “I think it’s going well, you probably have to ask him he might have a different opinion. We spend a lot of time together, he’s been great, he’s been tremendous, he’s a guy who wants to help out in any manner he can,’’ Cassel said. “That’s really helpful for for a guy coming into a system that I’ve never been a part of before with a lot of elaborate stuff going on.’’

4. Cassel is entering his 14th NFL season which is pretty good for a seventh-round pick. “I feel like you can never become complacent. I’ve always taken that mentality where I was drafted late and had to grind for everything I’ve had,’’ Cassel said. “That’s stuck with me throughout my career and the hard work and determination that continue to push through. At times it’s been tough.’’

5. Patricia still remembers Cassel as a rookie. “You know what? I think the thing about Matt (Cassel) as a young player that people underestimated, and we did defensively definitely, is he’s very athletic. You know, he was much faster than what you thought at the time as a young guy,’’ Patricia said. “Extremely strong arm, you know like everything’s like a fastball. It’s coming out like a baseball pitch, but was very smart, very energetic, great personality. Just a guy that can walk in a room and make everyone smile, go at ease. Great teammate from that standpoint. And as a young guy, he was great at the time for the situation we had back in New England. But really the biggest thing that stands out is his athleticism and his speed. You know, it was pretty impressive back then.”

ALLEN PARK — Glover Quin returned to the field on Tuesday for the first day of the Detroit Lions’ three-day mandatory minicamp.

The Pro Bowl safety has missed the offseason workouts since they started in April, choosing to be home in Houston with his family including his wife Gladys and his three sons.

It’s all a bit of a mystery. Quin talked after Tuesday’s practice but spoke more in generalities.

When asked if he was considering retirement, he paused for several seconds before saying, “No.”

“I think every player once you get to a certain age and look in the mirror and ask yourself can you continue to play at that high of a level? But thinking about retiring was not on my mind, it was just trying to figure out how much I had left,’’ the 32-year-old Quin said.

Since he returned that mean he thinks he’s good to go.

He did say clearly one reason he had stayed away was the chance to spend more time with his family.

The pay is great in the NFL but work-life balance can be tough to achieve.

“Only thing I was contemplating was how do I spend more time with my family. That was really it. How do I spend more time with them? It’s a difficult situation, it was the main thing.,’’ Quin said. “Disconnect and give them everything I’ve got, let’s try to figure out how I can spend more time with them.’’

Five things to know about Quin:

1. Quin, who has played in 132 consecutive games, signed an extension in 2017 that ties him up with the Lions through the 2019 season. He’ll make $3.85 million this season, giving up a $250,000 workout bonus. This will be his sixth season in Detroit. He started his career with the Texans as a fourth-round pick out of New Mexico in 2009. He signed with the Lions as a free agent in 2013.

2. Even though he’s missed time while coach Matt Patricia and defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni are installing a new defense, no one seems too worried about Quin’s ability to learn the system. “Everybody’s trying to do the best they can to try and understand what’s going on. And certainly Glover, you know, he’ll come in and work extremely hard. Obviously, a guy that’s a great professional and a guy that’s been in contact with us the whole time,’’ Patricia said before Tuesday’s practice.

3. Quin said playing defense is playing defense. “I’ve been around long enough, I’ve learned new defenses four times in my career. I’ve had four head coaches. So I understand what it’s like, I understand the business, I understand changing in cultures,, I wasn’t really stressing myself about what it was like, what was going on,’’ said Quin who noted he didn’t really bother his teammates who were present for the offseason workouts. He said he didn’t want to be a distraction.

4. While he is in town, it’s all football. “I’m trying to soak up as much of the play book as I can. Football is football to me, I think every day, because one of the things I think He blessed me with, was a great football mind. Being able to learn and understand defenses has been fairly easy for me so I came in (Monday), got a lot thrown at me and same with practice today,’’ Quin said on Tuesday.

5. Quin said it was good to get back into the swing of things and see his teammates again. “It’s cool, being away you go through a phase where you miss the game a little bit,’’ Quin said. “That was the first time in my career that I’ve had to experience that. I’ve always been a part of offseason programs, I’ve never missed games. …  It was more for me to take a step back and kind of separate myself and give myself fully to my wife and kids and enjoy that time, but understand I still had a job to do so I had to make time for that as well. So that was good.’’ He would not say if he’ll return next week for scheduled OTAs.