ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The old leaders are gone. Matthew Stafford look around the Detroit Lions offense and realizes he’s one of the most tenured offensive starters out there.
Dominic Raiola and Rob Sims are gone. Dan Orlovsky, Joique Bell and Manny Ramirez might be older but haven’t spent as much time with the Lions in recent years as Stafford has. When it comes to Lions offensive players, it is Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew who are now the players who will be looked to as the true Lions leaders.
And for Stafford, that means building more relationships than maybe he even had in the past. The 27-year-old said he’s always felt it was part of his job to do this, but now, he’s the guy who might have to be the leader.
“This time of year, it’s a lot of building camaraderie off the field,” Stafford said. “Been out to dinner a couple times with a bunch of guys. Took the (offensive line) to a Tigers game. Just do stuff like that to kind of get to know some of these guys.
“Because whether they haven’t played a lot of football for us or they were just coming out of college, it’s important to make sure that we’re all pulling for each other.”
Building rapport on the field and relationships off of it is one of the key components of organized team activities, especially since there is no hitting allowed so it is tough to get a feel for multiple positions – including both lines.
Even the speed of everything, because of the lack of allowed contact, is a little bit slower so it changes what Stafford is able to get out of an OTA practice.
“It’s the assignments, the technique, the physicality part of it just isn’t there without pads on,” Stafford said. “So if guys are getting in the right position and putting their hat and hands in the right spot, that’s really what you’re looking for.
“We’re not perfect but these guys are giving great effort and learning every day.”
For Stafford, the team’s clear starting quarterback, it also gives him a chance to work with players he probably wouldn’t have reps with during an in-season practice. For instance, Calvin Johnson missed Thursday’s OTA, so it opened up reps for other players, including Jeremy Ross, Ryan Broyles and even Andrew Peacock.
That, he believes, could help the younger receivers trying to make the team and Stafford in case he ever needs to throw to them in an actual game. There becomes at least a small knowledge base and familiarity there – something the Lions realized last season when their entire offense around Stafford became a rotating cast of players due to injuries.
“Think it’s a big opportunity and not only for them to get a rep with me, but for me to get a rep with them,” Stafford said. “We saw last year, Calvin out for how many games and not 100 percent in probably half of them, having other guys have to step up.
“My familiarity with them is growing and will continue to grow with more reps.”
Between building comfort with one another and instilling the beginning of bonds the Lions hope last throughout the season, that is a large chunk of what Stafford appears to be working on now.
