Detroit Lions: Learning to play pro football without actually practicing together

The Detroit Lions have opted to allow their players to workout on their own and to coach them without practicing together. But will it work?

The Detroit Lions have 28 players on the roster who have never once practiced playing pro football together with their fellow Lions. That also means that 62 on the roster have never practiced with the new guys either. Then there are all the new coaches that were brought in this year. So Matt Patricia and the Lions had to figure out a way to make it work.

As Tori Petry of DetroitLions.com explained, the team had to choose between doing a form of virtual weight training or doing virtual classroom work. They choose to do the classroom work and trust the players to work out on their own. Considering nearly a third of the roster has never been on a Lions team before, that’s a fair amount of trust.

Normally during OTAs (which would be about halfway through by now) players would have their classroom work then go out onto the field and practice what was taught, together. Coaches get to know the players and vice-versa. Muscle memory is a side effect of this type of learning, and this year that isn’t happening. It makes me wonder how good the team can prepare for a season this way.

Not that there is any choice, the ‘stay at home’ order was extended to June 12th, and unless something changes within the NFL, that is normally about the time that players get six weeks off before the start of summer training camp. There won’t be any time to have OTAs in Michigan the way things stand now.

Assuming that summer training camp will start on time, there is still plenty of time for everyone to get their work in, at least one would think so. But while we are assuming stuff, we also have to assume that practicing on your own is hard enough to be in playing shape and not suffer hamstring injuries and the like all season long.

Another assumption is that all the players have their heads in the game, so to speak. That distance learning is in fact educating them on the system and the coaching and all the X’s and O’s.

It’s my opinion that some of the rosters in the past would not be able to handle what is needing to be handled this year. I would further give my opinion that it’s entirely possible this roster can make it work. That is if they are putting in the work I am forced to assume they are doing. The current roster makeup just seems like they are self-motivated for some reason.

There is a lot more work ahead for all involved in all levels of the game, so while we are hoping everything turns out okay for the players and the coaches, we actually have to spread that hope out even further to include all involved with the Lions and the NFL.