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Report: Dan Campbell expected to miss Lions rookie minicamp for personal reasons

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Suzanne Halliburton | Last updated 5/10/24

The newest Lions arrived for this weekend’s rookie minicamp. But they won’t be seeing coach Dan Campbell.

The Detroit Free Press reported that Campbell will miss the three days of practice because of “personal reasons.” No other details were provided. However, the team expects Campbell to be back later this month when OTAs head into Phase 3. During this period, all teams can go through 11-on-11 non-contract practices.

The rookie minicamp, which starts Friday, allows all the first-year players to practice together without the veterans. Plus, the Lions brought in some players who didn’t sign as undrafted free agents. They’ll try out for an invitation to stick with the team as they head into training camp.

Two of the tryout players are quarterbacks — Theo Day of Northern Iowa and Cade Peterson of Grand Valley State. Both quarterbacks grew up in Michigan and cheered for the Lions.

The next phase of OTAs begins May 21. Mandatory minicamp is June 4 to 6.

The Lions were one of the hottest teams in the NFL last season. The once moribund franchise came within a game of reaching the Super Bowl. Instead, they fell to the 49ers in the NFC title game. You can quantify the excitement in the city. Last month, Detroit played host to the three-day NFL Draft. More than 775,000 fans attended the festivities. That was an NFL Draft record.

In a draft top-heavy with offensive talent, the Lions selected Alabama’s shutdown corner Terrion Arnold in the first round. They then added Missouri DB Ennis Rakestraw in the second round. So obviously, Campbell wants an immediate improvement in the secondary.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be on hand to oversee the newest Lions. Detroit drafted six players and have signed another 15 undrafted free agents. In addition, the team is bringing in 15 players for a collective tryout.