As Detroit Lions players start to descend back on Allen Park, training camp is not what it used to be "back in the day." But it is undeniably a grind, practicing in the peak of summer heat while trying to get meaningful work in.
For a player like center Frank Ragnow, who battled several injuries last season, practice weeks during the season are about managing an ongoing toe issue that he'll be dealing with for the rest of his career. In terms of training camp, along the same line, there's probably a point of diminishing returns for him. A day off here and there is likely.
Training camp was important for Campbell when he was player, as he had to battle for a roster spot every year. But he is keenly aware of the rigors of camp, and as a coach he knows when to push and when to pull back on the intensity of practice.
Veterans like Ragnow can surely appreciate having a head coach that is dialed in like Campbell is.
Frank Ragnow appreciates Dan Campbell's approach to training camp
Ragnow appeared on the "Green Light with Chris Long' podcast, with guest host Beau Allen, this past week. What training camps are like under Campbell was a topic, and Ragnow had a good bit to say.
"Yeah, he’s like a good balance. He’s from the Bill Parcells tree, so I guess that means people work, they go," Ragnow said. "He definitely has that, and he knows and communicates that to us. ‘Like, here’s the deal, I’m gonna do what’s best for the team.’ We go. We have some days, we call them red line days where they’re pretty juicy."
"But also, he’ll listen to us and he’ll talk to us and kind of feel it out and he’ll understand where the team is and evaluate. It’s pretty cool how he really evaluates camp and makes a plan that he thinks is the best fit for us. Having days where it’s gonna be old school, banging, real physical days and then we’ll have days where we let off and be more mental. It’s a good balance.”
It's easy to pigeonhole Campbell as the kind of coach who will push players to their max during training camp practice day in and day out without consideration for anything else. But in reality he's got awareness some coaches (including his predecessor in Detroit) don't. Players appreciate that, and Ragnow's sentiment is definitely shared by plenty of others as the first training camp practice looms.