Dan Campbell steps in again to cool down Lions: Training camp news and notes

New York Times

24-07-2025

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — You'd think the final day of practice before pads go on would be a lighter one. Not for Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions.
Thursday's practice featured stoppages, scuffles and high energy. A good warmup for Friday's much-anticipated padded practice. They look ready to go.
Until then, here's what we saw Thursday — Day 4 of training camp.
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For the second consecutive practice, Campbell had to intervene.
On Tuesday, Day 3 of training camp, Campbell briefly stopped practice after several defenders were hitting hard and tackling players on offense. That is not permitted right now, as the team is still in shorts. Second-year UDFA Morice Norris was singled out and warned after taking down rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa. About 20 minutes later, he delivered a similar hit that knocked down seventh-round WR Dominic Lovett. Campbell simply pointed to the facility, and Norris' day was done.
While practice was less physical Thursday, after an off day on Wednesday, it was still heated. Several scuffles broke out in the first hour of practice. It happened so often that it was hard to get a sense of everyone involved. The most notable names featured star WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch. These guys have gone at it the last two practices, with Branch laying a hit on St. Brown during a team period days ago. The two were gnawing off during WR-DB drills Thursday morning, and when the team period began, you knew it was bound to continue.
On one play — a tight formation — St. Brown went in motion before the snap on a designed run, with Branch hovering near the line of scrimmage. St. Brown took a B-line toward Branch to block him. The two engaged and didn't let go. A pile of Lions emerged around them, with Branch's helmet getting pulled off. Jared Goff had to rip Branch away, and the coaches made Branch cool down for a play on the sideline before returning shortly thereafter.
OT Giovanni Manu and DT Brodric Martin got into it, with DT Myles Adams, RT Penei Sewell and LG Christian Mahogany not far behind. But the instance that forced Campbell to step in came after that. LB Anthony Pittman tossed RB Jabari Small to the ground on a run play. OL Trystan Colon took exception, pushing Pittman before edge rusher Nate Lynn pushed him back. A pile ensued. Campbell paused practice for a few minutes, made the entire team gather around him and lectured them like a father trying to get his young children to play nice.
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It's odd to see Campbell stopping practice twice now over things like camp fights — almost accepted by this staff in years past — and his team being too physical. One takeaway here is that Campbell can't be blamed for the early injuries in camp, as he's tried to temper the physicality of these practices on more than one occasion. Another would be that the Lions are in desperate need of joint practices to take this energy out on guys not wearing Honolulu Blue. That'll come later, as the Dolphins and Texans come to Allen Park next month.
When you build your team with guys who love football and don't back down from a fight, you're bound to have days like this. Maybe just wait until the pads are on, though. That'll be Friday.
The Jared Goff-Frank Ragnow relationship was one of the best in the NFL. Ragnow was known for his vast football IQ and preparation, helping Goff and the Lions' offensive line identify potential blitzers and get into the right plays at the line of scrimmage. Goff has taken ownership of this offense over the years and has become one of the best processors in the game, praised by his coaches for his ability to see things pre- and post-snap.
That's why the center battle has been the most oft-discussed one this camp. Ragnow has since retired, and the Lions have repped both rookie Tate Ratledge and veteran Graham Glasgow at center.
But how does Goff, the man they'll be snapping to, feel about things?
'It's been great,' Goff said Thursday, speaking for the first time this training camp. 'Tate, I thought, was doing a good job and Graham was in there today. And I've been comfortable with Graham for quite some time. So whoever that ends up being, I'll be good with.'
You wouldn't expect anything different from Goff, of course. This decision will be made by Campbell, offensive coordinator John Morton and offensive line coach Hank Fraley. And while this staff has made an effort to support Goff as much as possible, don't underestimate what Goff brings to the table.
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On the surface, one of the benefits of having a veteran lineman like Glasgow at center would be taking advantage of his football knowledge. Goff trusts Glasgow, who was the spot-starter whenever Ragnow missed time the past two seasons. They have a rapport and that goes a long way.
At the same time, Goff's just as proficient at the line of scrimmage as Ragnow was. It's an underrated part of his game these days, so he doesn't necessarily need a veteran center to do his job and do it well. His ability to help others around him could allow the Lions to take advantage of Ratledge's athleticism, rather than Glasgow's IQ and experience.
Well then pic.twitter.com/xvL7MnHYdx
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) June 4, 2025
For what it's worth, Ratledge praised Goff for helping him make the transition to center.
'Talking to him after plays, trying to see what he sees, he sees what I see,' Ratledge, also speaking for the first time this camp, said of Goff. 'He's done a great job helping me, too. Jared's done a tremendous job helping me. I have a question about a certain look, a certain play, I can go to him and he'll have an answer for me, so he's also been a great help to me.'
'Yeah, I try to,' Goff said of being the glue to the offense and bringing others along. 'I try to bridge that gap from things we did last year to things we wanna do this year. Making sure everyone's on the same page and making sure I'm doing a little extra, in my (play)book a little bit extra, making sure I'm all over it and can help on the field and be that extension of the coaching staff that you want to be. We have a new offense, so it'll help.'
While the offensive line works in new pieces, they're working on finding the right group. Ratledge got the bulk of team reps at center the first three days, but played mostly guard Thursday, as Glasgow took over. They've been alternating between right guard and center, with Christian Mahogany playing exclusively left guard. The Lions are taking a long look at both — especially Ratledge. He figures to be the future of the position, whether it's this year or next.
He's still figuring things out, but the kid doesn't lack confidence. He played for a championship program at Georgia. He said offensive line play is offensive line play, and it's just a matter of mastering the playbook, which will come with time. And with veterans like Goff, Glasgow and others helping him along, he could take to the position in short order.
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'I mean, I think confidence is key when it comes to football,' Ratledge said. 'If I was to come out here and didn't believe in myself, probably wouldn't have very good days, so in my eyes, I feel like I have to come out here and believe in myself or I'm not gonna have great days.'
• Lions CB Terrion Arnold and LB Derrick Barnes each left practice early on Thursday and didn't return. It was a hand injury for Barnes and a leg injury for Arnold, per the team. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz offered more clarity on the injuries, reporting that Arnold strained his left calf and the team will be cautious with him. Schultz added that Barnes is expected to be fine. Not every injury is of the season-ending variety.
• Martin (foot) returned to practice Thursday. He left Tuesday's practice and didn't return, but he appears to be good now.
• Lions RB Sione Vaki, CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and DT Roy Lopez remained sidelined. Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard said he's eager to get Rakestraw back because he impressed this spring.
• Lions LT Taylor Decker was getting a bit of work done off to the side in his jersey. He's shooting for an early-August return.
• Before he left practice, Arnold was having another strong day. He's arguably been the most impressive defender in training camp. Sheppard spoke this morning and said Arnold took the leap this offseason. We're seeing in training camp so far.
• Sheppard said he believes the secondary will be the strength of his defense. Hard to argue that. They've been tremendous as camp unfolds.
• Sheppard said he's 'extremely excited about' rookie edge Ahmed Hassanein, but reminded those in the room he's still a rookie. He's been flashing, though.
• Safety Erick Hallett picked off Goff during a team period on Thursday, making a nice play on a comeback route ran by Jameson Williams. A bit of a miscommunication from Goff and Williams, and Hallett took advantage. Keep an eye on him.
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• That said, Williams' route-running has been noticeably crisper. Little wasted movement or rounded routes. I've liked what I've seen from him.
• Jahmyr Gibbs had some impressive runs, freezing defenders in space with his footwork before accelerating upfield. Add in his budding WR responsibilities and he's been impressive.
(Top photo of Jahmyr Gibbs: Junfu Han / Imagn Images)