Tag: Brad Holmes

Lions WR Jameson Williams likely out rest of preseason after hamstring injury

Amon-Ra St. Brown expected back next week

ALLEN PARK — Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams could be out the rest of the preseason after sustaining a hamstring injury on Wednesday.

“There’s a good chance it probably could go through the preseason,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Thursday morning prior to the second joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s ankle injury, which also happened Wednesday, is not as serious. Campbell expects him back sometime next week.

Williams’ injury is more worrisome since he’s suspended for the first six games of the season due to an NFL gambling infraction.

Campbell wanted the speedy second-year receiver, who played only six games in 2022 due to injury, to get as many reps in preseason games as possible so he’d be ready to jump in after his absence. He played until late in the third quarter in the preseason opening win over the Giants on Friday when he was targeted seven times and had two catches for 18 yards.

“As long as he stays on top of the mental portion of it, you can get a lot out of the mental work,’’ Campbell said. “He grinds on that and takes care of the hamstring, we’ll take it as it comes.’’

This is the second camp injury for Williams who was injured on the second day of camp and missed the next four sessions.

Campbell said he and GM Brad Holmes have discussed adding another wide receiver.

“But to do that you have to move on from somebody and that’s a hard move too with other areas, other spots. We’re thinking about it,’’ Campbell said.

These absences open the door for younger receivers with an eye on a roster spot like Chase Cota, Dylan Drummond, Avery Davis and Antoine Green.

“Great opportunity. It’s another spot, honestly. This room is wide open, we’ve got a pretty good feel of some of these guys. We have a spot, potentially two, wide open,’’ Campbell said. “Cota you want it? Go get it. Drummond you want it? Go get it. Trinity Benson, we’re going to get him back a little bit today.

“Our eyes are wide open, we’re looking for guys,’’ Campbell said. “We have a track record in a three-year period here. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been drafted, who you are, what it is. You’ve got an opportunity, you want to earn it, go get it.’’

The Lions and Jaguars held their second joint practice on Thursday. They will meet in a preseason game at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Ford Field.

Calvin Johnson checks out Lions minicamp as he continues to mend fences

ALLEN PARK — Calvin Johnson visited the Detroit Lions minicamp on Thursday. The Hall of Famer has not been a familiar site around the team since he retired after the 2015 season, but has mended fences in recent months.

Johnson said he was there Thursday to inquire about equipment for a football camp he is going to run on Saturday at the Lions’ facility. When most players were off the field, he got a lesson on how to start the motor that runs the JUGS machine which throws passes, punts and kickoffs.

He arrived fairly early and stayed until the end of the session which lasted nearly two hours.

Johnson was spotted talking on the sidelines and shaking hands with Rod Wood, the team president. 

He also chatted with several players and Sheila Ford Hamp, principal owner and chairwoman of the Lions. She was attending for the second straight day.

This isn’t the first sighting at the Lions facility recently. Johnson was on hand to welcome first-round picks Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell the day after they were drafted in April.

Johnson also chatted with Lions GM Brad Holmes after practice.

Coach Dan Campbell, a former Lions tight end, was teammates with Johnson in 2007 and 2008.

EXTRA: If you’re at the Taylor Swift concert at Ford Field and see a guy who looks like Dan Campbell, it’s him. While he’s more of a Metallica kind of guy, he will be there with his wife and guests.

Lions GM Brad Holmes can’t hide emotions – he’s thrilled with draft

ALLEN PARK — When the cameras focus in on the NFL war rooms on draft weekend, many of the reactions include big smiles, a little hand-shaking, not much else. Ho-hum.

Not so for the Lions with GM Brad Holmes. At all. He’s punching tables, high-fiving and bear-hugging colleagues after making his picks. 

He’s also thrown some inadvertent elbows to whoever might be too close. It’s still legend how Rod Wood, team president, was on the wrong end of Holmes’ celebration when Penei Sewell was drafted.

So this year Holmes told himself and others in the room he was going to try to be more disciplined.

It didn’t work.

“I guess I just can’t state it or emphasize it enough that we draft players that we love,’’ Holmes said when the three-day draft was complete on Saturday.

“When you’re able to get them sometimes you can’t control the emotion. It’s genuine. It’s authentic. You find that guy you love and that’s a fit for what we’re about and what our culture is and what we want our football team to look like, you just really can’t control your emotions.

Most of the time the object in front of me is a table, that’s what gets the beating all the time,’’ he added.

It’s all an indication that Holmes was “thrilled” with the eight players he drafted.

In the first round he nabbed running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell. He sees both as immediate impact players.

He was criticized for maybe taking Gibbs too early with the 12th pick, but he made no apologies. He was the player they wanted at that spot. 

Ultimately what he’s trying to accomplish is to win more games. The end of last season was good but not good enough because they didn’t get to the playoffs.

“I know a lot will be said that ‘you acquired a running back in the first round.’ We didn’t acquire a running back in the first round. We acquired an elite weapon to keep our offense explosive in the first round,’’ Holmes said.

“We didn’t acquire an inside linebacker in the first round, we acquired a legit anchor to elevate our defense in the first round. That’s what the ultimate goal is, that’s what our vision is. We couldn’t be more excited about how the weekend went,’’ said Holmes who was wearing a black sweatshirt featuring a large photo of coach Dan Campbell on the front.

“I told you all this is my brother, this is my guy,’’ Holmes said. “I love this sweatshirt.”

Holmes, who just finished his third draft with the Lions, also made a big move on Saturday, trading running back D’Andre Swift who he called a “dynamic, electric football player.” Swift was sent to the Eagles — Philadelphia is his hometown —  for an earlier seventh-round pick on Saturday and a fourth-round pick in 2025.

“It’s my job to keep laser-focused on the present, but probably even more to keep laser-focused on the future. That’s what went into a lot of decisions with having to make the trade of D’Andre Swift to Philly,’’ Holmes said. “He was in the last year of his contract. Going back to last year I felt good about bringing back Jamaal Williams, it didn’t happen. You have to be prepared for those things.

 “We don’t draft scared, we don’t kind of play scared. The thing with Jahmyr Gibbs, that’s the guy we loved. Again, having to keep that laser focus for the future and we wanted to do the right thing for the player,’’ Holmes said.

2023 Lions draft

RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama, first round (12th overall)

LB Jack Campbell, Iowa, first round (18th overall)

TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa, second round (34th overall)

DB Brian Branch, Alabama, second round (45th overall)

QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, third round (68th overall)

DL Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky, third round (96th overall)

OL Colby Sorsdal, William & Mary, fifth round (152nd overall)