It is the beginning of the end of Detroit Lions spring football.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Detroit Lions will hold the first of two Mandatory Minicamp practices, which will be the end of their offseason program. By the end of the week, the only thing between us and Detroit Lions football will be a month-and-a-half of emptiness and training camp.
But unliked OTAs, media gets to be present for the entire mandatory minicamp schedule—rather than just once a week during OTAs. That means we’ll get a fuller
look at practice, not just rest days and walkthroughs. Media is also expected to talk with the assistant coaches on each side of the ball this week, which could help us get extra insight on specific players, positions, and strategies.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What do you hope to learn from Lions mandatory minicamp?
My answer: Quite simply: I want to see more full-speed drills. I want to see what each side of the ball looks like in 11-on-11s .
During OTAs, we barely got any of this. We got one practice with 7-on-7s, and during another practice we got one end-of-game 11-on-11 situational drive. That’s essentially all we’ve seen.
Give me some red zone 7-on-7s. Give me an actual full drive or two. Let me see Blake Miller have a rep or two against Aidan Hutchinson, even if no pads or full contact is allowed at this point. And let me see offensive coordinator Drew Petzing actually call plays for a drive, rather than run a scripted series.
Of course, I’m also interested in some players. I’d like to hear from Ennis Rakestraw and Terrion Arnold for the first time since the offseason program started. I want to see what Isiah Pacheco thinks of the Lions’ program after spending a few years with the Chiefs. I’d also like to know where Dan Jackson is mentally at after losing his entire rookie season.
In other words, there’s a ton to look forward to over the next two days.
But I want to hear what you’re interested in. Share your hopes and dreams for Lions mandatory minicamp in the comment section below.
