Lions Lowdown

ALLEN PARK — Lions coach Matt Patricia was scheduled to address the media on Thursday to discuss this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

Instead he stood behind the podium for nearly seven minutes in front of a jam-packed media room, to address the Detroit News story that reported he was indicted but not tried in a sexual assault case when he was 21 years old on spring break.

“I’m here to defend my honor and clear my name,’’ Patricia said in his opening statement.

Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford, who rarely attends news conferences, was in attendance displaying her support, along with general manager Bob Quinn, team president Rod Wood and Lions counsel Jay Colvin.

The team issued a statement on Wednesday night giving their full backing to Patricia. Their attendance on Thursday emphasized their support.

“Mrs. Ford, her family, Rod and Bob are unbelievable people. I can’t express to you how amazing human beings they are, compassionate and understanding,’’ said Patricia who was hired in January to replace Jim Caldwell.

After thanking the Lions’ organization, he stated: “Twenty-two years ago I was falsely accused of something very serious, very serious allegations. There were claims made about me that never happened. I am thankful on one level that the process worked and the case was dismissed. At the same time, I was never given the opportunity to defend myself or to allow push-back with the truth to clear my name. This was something that was very traumatic to me. I was 21 years old. Once it was finally addressed I tried to put it behind me.’’

The first-time head coach said the issue never came up in the interview process with the Lions or at any time during his career.

“I started interviewing for jobs 22 years ago, in a time where one year after this incident happened where I interviewed, and these situations never came up, never asked. It was never an issue through the course of my career. The case was dismissed and I’m innocent,’’  said Patricia who spent the past 14 seasons with the New England Patriots.

Even though the charges were dismissed, it has now become an issue due to the Detroit News story which offered no update on the situation. The News reported: “The relevance of even old and untried charges raises questions for the Lions at the height of the ‘Me Too’ movement, which has brought new scrutiny to sexual misconduct allegations.’’

Patricia managed to keep his emotions intact through the press conference.

“I lived with the mental torture of a situation where facts can be completely ignored or misrepresented with disregard for the consequences and pain it would create for another person,’’ Patricia said in his statement.

“I find it unfair and upsetting that someone would bring this claim up over two decades later for the sole purpose of hurting my family, my friends and this organization with the intention of trying to damage my character and my credibility. I was innocent then and I’m innocent now,’’ he said.

Under Quinn — and even before he was hired — a player’s good character has been an important factor on whether they were drafted or signed by the Lions.

“I talked to the team today and told them exactly what I said to you guys, told them the truth,’’ Patricia said. “I also took this opportunity again to one more time focus on the fact that in this time we need to be sensitive and responsible. I used this as a learning moment with them so we can all try to be together.’’

 

ALLEN PARK >> If you are wondering whether Graham Glasgow will start at left guard or center for the Lions this fall, you are not alone.

Glasgow, who played both positions last season, does not know yet where he will line up. The Lions drafted Frank Ragnow in the first round. He was a center at Arkansas but also could move to guard.

“That’s up to Bob (Quinn) and that’s up to the coaches. I’m an interior offensive lineman. I’ll play left guard, I’ll play center, I’ll play whatever they ask me to,’’ Glasgow said at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

Five thoughts from Glasgow as the Lions’ offseason work continues:

1. After playing 16 games last season (and 15 his rookie season in 2016), he said it didn’t take his body long to recover. “I’m a younger guy, it doesn’t take me as long probably as if it was T.J. (Lang) who did it. After a couple weeks I was ready to go again. I was ready to get everything going,’’ said the 25-year-old Glasgow. Lang, the veteran right guard, is 30.

2. On new coach Matt Patricia: “He’s very straight forward. His goals are to win, to win every week. That’s something all of us can get behind.” Then Glasgow was asked whether Patricia has a sense of humor, he responded that they might have to soften him up.

3.  At the NFL draft, GM Bob Quinn specifically said he was frustrated by inability to convert on short-yardage situations last season. “I would say it’s right for him to be bothered by that, we were bothered by that. It was frustrating in a lot of ways for us. We were our own harshest critics and I think that is something we in a lot of ways took personally. We tried to get that worked out and I think that’s something we will also improve this year,’’ Glasgow said.

4. Glasgow said he doesn’t know much about first-round pick Frank Ragnow, but has heard he’s worker and expects he will fit in. Glasgow said the biggest transition for an NFL rookie is just how good the guys you line up against every week. “You’re not playing against Michigan State and Ohio State, or in his case Alabama and Auburn one week and playing against Vandy or Rutgers the next week. Every single D-linemen you’re going against is very good. They’re all professionals, everybody is getting paid money. Having consistency from week to week is hard as a young offensive lineman,’’ Glasgow said. “I knew that was something I had to get ironed out when I first got here and a lot of older guys helped me out with that.’’

5. On new offensive line coach Jeff Davidson: “I would say that Jeff seems like he’s a fantastic guy, he’s a very down-to-earth coach and I think he’s somebody that will help our position group get better and improve throughout the year,’’ Glasgow said. “Having somebody with a lot of personal experience can help me and younger guys in the locker get our technique down, a lot o questions he’ll be able to answer.” Davidson has 24 years of coaching experience, 15 of those working with offensive linemen.

ALLEN PARK — While the Lions went into the draft with needs on the defensive line and run game. With their six picks, they have boosted the run game and added just one defensive lineman.

General manager Bob Quinn said it was just a matter of supply and demand.  The best players on the board when they picked just happened to be mostly on offense. He’s visited with a few defensive line vets in recent weeks and may look at signing one or more of them.

“Productive day,” Quinn said after wrapping up the three-day draft.

Here are his thoughts on the three players drafted on Saturday and how he sees them fitting in:

— He traded his third round pick in 2019 to the Patriots for their fourth-round pick on Saturday. With that they drafted defensive end Da’Shawn Hand out of Alabama.

“I thought it was a really good value pick. Big, strong guy, position versatility, can play inside or outside. Good scheme fit for us. Good knowledge of our defensive line coach (Bo Davis) and that helped,” Quinn said. “Knows our technique. Met with him at the Pro Day. Matt and I went down to he Pro Day and met with all of those guys. Had a good meeting with Da’Shawn so felt that was a really good pick for us.”

Position versatility was key.

“We’re not going to have a base 3-4 or a base 4-3,” Quinn said. “He’s a defensive lineman that can play anywhere from 7-technique all the way down to nose depending on the different fronts we’re going to use. That was one of the things we liked about him.”

— With the fifth-round pick the Lions drafted tackle Tyrell Crosby from Oregon.

“Another good value pick, he really stood out on the board well above everyone else at that point. it was a really pretty easy pick when we talked about it,” Quinn said. “We had him graded a lot higher than we took him. Thought the value was too good to pass up.”

Crosby played left tackle in college but has practiced at other spots.

“We see him as a guy at multiple positions along our front. Had him in for visit it was a good day, he brings a lot to the table,” Quinn said of Crosby.

— In the seventh round, fullback Nick Bawden from San Diego State got the call from the Lions who did not have a fullback on the roster last season.

“Just some conversations we’ve had in the offseason since Matt (Patricia) has got here with some new staff members. It’s something we want to add to the mix to kind of give our offense more of a physical presence,” Quinn said. “It’s a seventh-round pick, it is what it is. He’s a guy we liked and was a good value at that pick.”

In the first round the Lions drafted interior offensive lineman Frank Ragnow. Running back Kerryon Johnson was the second-round pick and safety Tracy Walker was the third-round choice.