Lions Lowdown

For coach Matt Patricia to turn the Lions into a perennial playoff team, he has to build a solid relationship with quarterback Matthew Stafford.

He knows it, we know it. Now it has to happen.

With three days of organized team activities behind them, it appears that Matt and Matthew are off to good start.

Stafford down-played the fact that Patricia comes from the defensive side of the ball. It’s not a first. His first Lions’ head coach, Jim Schwartz, was also a former defensive coordinator. The quarterback also had a good relationship with former defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham.

“You know, it’s not like I’ve never talked to (former Lions defensive coordinator) Teryl Austin or any of those guys too. It is, it’s always unique. Every defensive coach kind of has their own philosophy. I’m sure Coach Patricia’s will be different than the guys who have been here before,’’ Stafford said on Thursday. “It’s always fun to kind of pick the brain of the other side and see what they’re seeing and what they’re trying to take away and what they’re trying to force you to do.”

Unlike the defense, the offense is still basically the same with Jim Bob Cooter in charge.

Of course, it will be tweaked just like it is every season.

So far Stafford has impressed Patricia which isn’t exactly a shocker. Patricia was asked about the differences in Stafford and Tom Brady and would not go there. (Not a shocker either.)

“Stafford’s phenomenal. He’s work hard, tough, smart and you know what’s great is when you have quarterbacks like that where you can go out and look (QB Jake) Rudock and (QB) Matt Cassel are the same guys, and you’re going out and you’re having football conversations,’’ Patricia said on Thursday.

“You’re not really having to always explain everything from a ‘let me draw this up for you’ and show you what I’m talking about, you can just have the conversations, ‘Hey if this guy’s here’ or ‘This leverage is played like this’ or ‘The DBs in this position’ or ‘The front looks like this’ and just for them to visually have those conversations with you, that’s what’s great. That’s when you know you’ve got guys who are really dialed in.’’

They appear to have quickly developed a good on-field rapport.

“He’s competitive out on the field, I’m competitive. He’s asking me non-stop, I’m talking to him non-stop. He’s out there a bunch as a head coach, kind of standing behind me looking at the defense and seeing it kind of how I see it,’’ Stafford said. “So, there’s constant back and forth of, ‘Hey, what did you see? Did this guy give it away?’ Whatever. But we’re always talking.”

It would be wrong to down-play Cooter’s role in the offense, but at the same time Patricia knows his success rides on the shoulders of No. 9.

So far, so good.

“Matthew’s unbelievable. He loves this game, like he loves football, loves to practice, loves to prepare, he wants to know as much information as possible, not only scheme-wise, he wants to know it from players, as far as the guys around him, as far as the guys on the other side of the ball,’’ Patricia said. “Different things, that I think for me that are fun to talk to him about is like there’s a little bit of a chess game that happens offensively and defensively through some of the positions and I think from that standpoint, you know, I’m looking at him saying, ‘I’m seeing this’ or ‘You’re doing this’, you know, ‘What are you seeing from this position and how do you view that’. And I think that’s all part of the growth and education of it and it’s great. It’s a lot of fun when you can do that on the field.”

The OTAs continue next week with mandatory minicamp set for June 5-7.

 

ALLEN PARK — After his third day of Detroit Lions’ organized team activities this week, rookie Frank Ragnow was a new-found appreciation for the NFL.

Ragnow, the first-round pick out of Arkansas, clearly sees the differences between college and the NFL.

“It’s way different. I have a lot of respect for the NFL, it’s a whole different speed and these are a lot of talented guys out here, all the way, four-deep everybody is really talented,’’ Ragnow said after Thursday’s session. “It’s been an adjustment but it’s been fun to get to work and learn every day.’’

Four things to know about Ragnow after three days of OTAs:

1. Ragnow lined up at left guard throughout the two-hour workout. When he was drafted it was unclear if he’d play left guard or center and it’s still too early to know. Coach Matt Patricia said on Thursday that no decisions have been made on positions and, in fact, several guys would line up at different positions, maybe even some they haven’t played before.

2. Ragnow said he has no preference on guard or center. “Just want to be out there helping the team. I played a lot of positions in high school, played a lot of positions in college,’’ Ragnow said. “I just like playing football. Wherever they put me I’ll be happy to be there.’’ He said he played about the same amount of snaps at guard and center at Arkansas.

3. Patricia’s early impressions of Ragnow: “I think he’s done a great job. He comes and he works extremely hard, as have all the rookies that have been in here and that’s out on the field together. It’s really, you know what’s good, when you see and go out in practice and you don’t particularly notice that there’s a guy that is wither a young player or not. He just kind of fits in with the group and fits in and plays, and you’re not really looking at it and saying, ‘That’s out of place’, like it looks like it’s out of place. I haven’t noticed that at all.” And, that’s a good thing.

4. Veteran guard T. J. Lang and guard/center Graham Glasgow, who is entering his third season, have been a help to Ragnow. “They’ve been incredible, both of them have been really incredible really helpful and have given me a lot of tips day to day,’’ Ragnow said. “It’s been a real blessing to have both of them in the room.’’ Glasgow lined up at center on Thursday.

 

ALLEN PARK >> Luke Willson apologized for sweating when he took the podium on Tuesday.

The Lions tight end said he didn’t usually sweat that much so apparently he’s working out hard in his first offseason in Detroit.

Willson, who signed with the Lions as a free agent, seemed totally comfortable talking to the media. He even asked for softball questions when he hopped up to the podium.

“I’m a local guy take it easy on me,’’ Willson asked, half-joking.

Five things to know:

1. He grew up in LaSalle, Ontario, (minutes from the Ambassador Bridge) and was a big Lions fan especially during the Barry Sanders and Herman Moore days. “Fun fact, David Sloan was my tight ends coach in college so we had a full-circle thing. Johnnie Morton’s brother, Chad, was out in Seattle … I liked the Lions growing up with that being said I think it’s important for me to establish the divide yeah i was a fan of the team but I’m here to do a job,’’ Willson said. Sloan was a tight end with the Lions from 1995 to 2001.

2. In his five seasons in Seattle, Willson had 89 catches for 1,129 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s uncertain what his role will be with the Lions. “At this part of the offseason, phase 2, it’s too early to talk about roles. I’m here to do whatever the coaches ask me, right now with CBA rules, personally it’s about getting better each day,’’ Willson said. “A lot of individual stuff, showing the coaches what I can do and from there they’ll decide what role I’ll be playing this year.’’

3. Willson spent the last three seasons in the same tight ends room with Jimmy Graham in Seattle. With the Lions, there is not one big name guy who is a tight end on the roster. “I’d say we’re learning together. At the same time, it’s been a lot of fun in that sense where everything is new to a lot of us. Mike Rob (Roberts) has been here longest for a year. Hakeem (Valles) has been here for last year. Even for me as a veteran guy bouncing stuff off Hakeem, but it’s been fun in the sense I can tell them some stuff as far as being a little bit older and they can help me out. It’s been great, I think we all get along pretty well,’’ Willson said.

4. Willson responded, “Absolutely not” when asked if the Matt Patricia controversy that arose last week will hang over the team this season. “He spoke to the team at the team meeting what happened at the team meeting stays in there. We all support him. It’s back to football for us. We’re pretty focused right now,’’ Willson said. “To be honest I kept an open mind, I believe in Coach Patricia and listened to what he said.’’

5. Here’s what he wants fans to know about him: “You know I want, I kind of grew up in the blue collar area that this is, Windsor is an automotive city as well. My parents weren’t in the automotive industry but good friends and family are,’’ Willson said. “I think I bring a part of that to my personality and a part of that to my game playing — a little grimy here and there, a little blue collar we’ll see how it goes.’’