Dan Campbell got shortchanged in his first offseason as Detroit Lions coach when the NFL scuttled the extra minicamp usually allowed for teams with new coaches because of COVID-19.
The Lions won’t get a second minicamp this spring as payback, but Campbell said his team is far ahead of where it was a year ago as it gets ready to begin offseason workouts this week.
“It’s going to be good,” Campbell said. “Just to be out of the COVID restrictions and everything else, open the building up and not have to do virtual meetings, it’s going to go a long way. So I do feel like we’re going to be able to do a little bit more than we did last year, which is good.”
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Campbell said he expects to have perfect or near-perfect attendance at voluntary workouts, which begin Tuesday and run through June 16.
In Phase One of the offseason program, which lasts two weeks, teams are limited to meetings and strength and conditioning workouts.
In Phase Two, which lasts three weeks, teams are allowed on-field workouts that include individual and group instruction, but no live contact or offense vs. defense drills.
The Lions are scheduled to begin Phase Three with their first of 10 Organized Team Activities on May 24. Mandatory minicamp runs June 7-9.
“We’re going to have a good turnout of our guys,” Campbell said. “I would anticipate just about all of our guys here, if not all of them. At least, if not by April 19, within a week or two of that, for sure when we start in-classroom stuff.”
The Lions return the bulk of their 3-13-1 team from a season ago, including all 11 starters on offense.
Ben Johnson is taking over as offensive coordinator after helping in that role the second half of last season, and new receiver DJ Chark already has joined Jared Goff for a throwing session in California.
Defensively, the Lions return eight starters and expect to get defensive end Romeo Okwara and cornerback Jeff Okudah back from torn Achilles tendons sometime this summer. Free agent additions Jarrad Davis, Chris Board, Mike Hughes and Deshon Elliott should compete for playing time, and the Lions have eight picks in this month’s draft to address a unit that gave up the second-most points in the NFL last season.
Campbell said the Lions are counting on continuity to help them take a step forward on both sides of the ball.
“We lost out on (the extra minicamp last year), and of course COVID pushed everything back, so we lost a little bit of that,” Campbell said. “But this year, we’re already going to be ahead so certainly anytime you’ve at least kind of had your system in a little bit and now you can go back and watch your own cut-ups (it’s an advantage).
“Last year, you’re pulling cut-ups (from) New Orleans and some things, so now we can watch ourselves and our own schemes and kind of just continue to grow and learn and move on. Go to level 201, if not more.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.