Lions
During the Lions’ rookie minicamp, first-round LB Jack Campbell spoke about emulating former Vikings LB Chad Greenway and what he is going to bring to an improving Detroit defense.
“Really, I try to be the best version of myself, but growing up in Iowa Chad Greenway was the guy that like pushed me to become who I am today,” Campbell said, via DetroitLions .com. “This defense, we’re going to attack,” Campbell said. “Do things the right way. Again, once a play is done, we’re not going to sit and talk about all the things we could have done. Next play mentality and good to go.”
“All I can do is prepare to the best of my ability and let my talents and everything else take me to where I need to go,” Campbell added. “I’m going to do everything that I can to put this team in the best position to win games. Right now a lot of people have high expectations on me and that’s all good. I’m just going to stick to what I know and who I am and come out here every single day and give it my all.”
Packers
The upcoming season is a big one for Packers S Darnell Savage after the former first-rounder was benched for stretches last season. Green Bay has put itself in a position where they have little choice but to rely on Savage to have a bounce-back season, showing confidence that he can put it together in his fifth season as an all-around safety.
“I’ve seen Darnell make plays in the post,” Packers DB coach Ryan Downard said via USA Today’s Paul Bretl. “I think Darnell is best when he pulls the trigger and let’s it all hang out. I’ve had that talk with him. If you watch his Maryland tape, he was going to get it. He’s got to trust himself. We have to do a better job of tackling and playing a physical brand of football. That’s not only at the point of contact, but that’s taking on blocks.”
Savage has the speed to be a big-time playmaker in the secondary but even in his best seasons, missed tackles were an issue. Downard noted tackling is one of the must-haves that he looks for in the position.
“Prototype-wise, I’d like to have a two-way safety,” said Downard. “What I mean by that is a guy that can cover and a guy that can tackle. If you can thump, if you bring power on contact, that’s a bonus, but I got to be able to get guys on the ground. So tackling is a premium. Obviously, coverage and taking the ball away is a premium. If we have two of those guys who can do both, we can play them left and right. If we have a guy whose skill set is more anchored towards tackling or physicality to his game, then we might place him on the boundary and the other guy in the field. So we have to see who is going be that guy.”
Vikings
- Vikings ST coordinator Matt Daniels and WR coach Keenan McCardell were selected to participate in this week’s Coach Accelerator program at the May NFL owners meetings. The program is intended to increase exposure between owners and executives and diverse coaching talent with the goal of increasing the number of minority head coaching hires.
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