Matthew Stafford jogged from one field to the other and over to three of his offensive linemen who had finished their pass rush drill. He gave left guard Joe Dahl a fist bump, then left tackle Taylor Decker, then center Frank Ragnow.
Contact was not off limits on the first day of padded practice in this very unusual Lions training camp; how could it be if coaches are going to get their players ready for the season?
By and large, the football portion of Monday’s practice looked like it always has. Players blocked and hit and thudded up in one competitive drill after another.
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But outside the white lines, signs of the coronavirus pandemic that has threatened so much of our world and continues to create obstacles for the football season, were everywhere.
Moments after Stafford finished dapping up his teammates, a Lions trainer or equipment manager or scouting intern – everyone’s pulling double-duty these days given the limited number of people allowed contact with players – reached into an orange Gatorade wagon-style cooler and fished out a few small plastic bottles of water that he put in a water bottle carrier.
Dave Birkett: 5 Lions players to watch as padded practices begin
He walked past Dahl, Decker and Ragnow, offering each a drink, and eventually found a taker in rookie Logan Stenberg.
When Stenberg finished, the trainer (we’ll stick with that description) retrieved the bottle, emptied its final few drops and put it in the plastic bag tied to his cart.
Beneath his cart he carried a collapsible clear plastic space-saver bag with fresh towels. Every time a player used one, a trainer collected it and stuffed it in a mesh laundry bag tied to a larger cooler filled with more water bottles just behind one of the end zones.
“Man, football’s been different since we got in the building,” defensive tackle Danny Shelton said. “Especially with COVID. I feel like the organization has been doing a great job with just being COVID smart, making sure everybody has their own individual things that are keeping the germs away from each other. If that’s our own water bottles or wearing masks around the building, it’s something that we got to get used to and as football players.”
Water breaks and personal space aren’t the only thing different about this year’s camp.
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There were no fans at the Lions’ Allen Park facility, of course, and no sign of ownership. The few media members in attendance were separated into two bleachers, with one reserved for the six reporters taking Covid-19 tests every day.
And most everyone but players wore masks, including Lions coach Matt Patricia, who had a gaiter around his neck as he stood 10 to 20 yards away from the action.
When a player walked over, like linebacker Jamie Collins did late in practice, Patricia pulled the gaiter up over his mouth and nose before talking.
“It’s just something that we have ingrained in our mind to adapt, adjust and just keep going,” Shelton said. “So that’s just how the season is, you just got to adapt to it, keep going.”
The Lions have their second padded practice of camp Tuesday, and an off day Wednesday. As is customary, we’ll be bringing you news, notes and observations every day.
What I saw Monday
• Rookie cornerback Jeff Okudah had a welcome-to-the-NFL moment early in one-on-ones. Okudah squared off against speedster Marvin Hall in his first rep. Hall ran a go route, but there was an offensive miscommunication on the play so neither player had a chance to make a play on the ball.
On his second rep, Okudah, who spent most of the day working with the second-team defense, went one-on-one against the Lions’ best receiver, Kenny Golladay. Golladay beat Okudah with an out route, cutting hard to the sideline after angling like he was going to run a post. Okudah slipped as he tried to keep up and Golladay made an easy catch.
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“His head is probably spinning,” Golladay said after practice. “He’s got a lot going on. Me and Marv (Jones) just try to tell him just come up here and get some work with us, don’t hang around the back. Just come up here and get some work like some competition you’ll be seeing come Sunday. And we really just want to help him by any way, any way we can. Just help him get ready for when Sunday comes.”
Okudah got beat on his final one-on-one rep, right after the horn to change periods sounded, but Victor Bolden dropped the ball.
He’s going to be a big part of the Lions defense this fall, and should be an excellent player in time.
• With Okudah working with the second-team defense, second-year cornerback Amani Oruwariye got first crack at the outside cornerback spot with the ones. Oruwariye held his own in spot duty last season and should have a role as the fourth or fifth cornerback this fall. He has the size to contribute and will be someone worth watching as camp goes on.
• One other defensive back who caught my eye: Jayron Kearse. He is the biggest defensive back I can remember suiting up for the Lions at 6 feet 4 and 220 pounds. He’ll serve a three-game suspension to start the season but should, at minimum, be a special-teams contributor when he returns. He had a nice pass breakup in one-on-ones on a comeback route.
• While Okudah worked with the second unit, the Lions did throw rookie Jonah Jackson in with the first-team offense at right guard. That spot is one of the few starting jobs the Lions legitimately have up for grabs, and Jackson, a third-round pick, is the slight favorite to win job Week 1.
On Monday, he struggled in one-on-one reps against Nick Williams, which was not unexpected at all. Williams, who had six sacks for the Chicago Bears last season, was too quick for Jackson off the line.
Jackson, it should be noted, did do a little snapping later in practice.
• Kenny Wiggins took second-team reps at right guard and did some snapping, too. Wiggins played as a sixth offensive lineman last season and can play anywhere but left tackle on the line. He’ll have a valuable role, either as a starter or backup.
• Frank Ragnow will soon be one of the best centers in the NFL. He was impenetrable in one-on-one drills.
• I did not see the diving catch Marvin Jones made during seven-on-seven work as it was going on during the one-on-one rush drills, but a colleague said it was spectacular. Jones got up and flexed after he made the catch, and looked healthy, after finishing the past two seasons on injured reserve.
• One more offensive note: In full-team red-zone work, Stafford threw a perfect pass to Golladay in the back of the end zone for a touchdown against cornerback Justin Coleman. Coleman had good coverage on the play, but the pass was perfect and Golladay made a nice toe-tap to stay in bounds.
• On special teams, the Lions alternated holders (punts Jack Fox and Arryn Siposs) on six Matt Prater field goal attempts to end practice. Prater appeared to make four of six kicks, though it was tough to tell on the skinny goalpost. He missed two of his final three, with Siposs holding and rookie Steve Wirtel snapping on both. I do not know that the misses had anything to do with the battery, but just a note. Incumbent long snapper Don Muhlbach handled the first three snaps, with Wirtel handling the final three.
• Lastly, after using an ATV for all of practice last year following Achilles surgery, it was good to see Patricia back on his feet, walking around, circulating to different groups at practice.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here’s how you can gain access to our most exclusive Lions content.