The Detroit Lions brought aboard wide receiver Josh Reynolds in early November, claiming him off the waiver wire after he had requested and was granted a release from the Tennessee Titans. The move reunited him with QB Jared Goff, as he spent his first five years with the Los Angeles Rams prior to joining the Titans.
It wouldn’t be long before Lions general manager Brad Holmes would reward Reynolds with a brand new, two year contract extension worth a total of $12 million.
Earlier this afternoon, the team was back in practice for the first time since their preseason victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but there was one noticeable aspect that was different – the coaching staff wasn’t there. Head coach Dan Campbell was physically on the field, but merely watching.
And for Reynolds, it was a first-time experience for him.
“It was actually my first official player-run practice,” Reynolds explained. “We’ve done some offseason and stuff. But, at camp, it was interesting, man.”
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Today was a career 1st for Josh Reynolds
Reynolds continued, “I’ve only been on three teams, so I mean, it’s hard to tell. I mean, shoot, it was awesome. It’s a good way to kind of get players to hold each other accountable. Instead of having a coach every day that gets in your ass all the time. To hear it from one of your teammates, one of your peers — it hits different.”
According to Campbell, he wants players to be able to organize themselves and demonstrate the awareness of their craft without having to have the coaching staff constantly present.
“When we get this where we want it, the players are the ones who are regulating this. They do it themselves, and they know what’s acceptable and unacceptable,” Campbell said last season. “And now, we’re given them the guidelines, and now they handle it themselves. It is important and you want to get there. But, until they do take over and they’re able to make it their own and get all of the pieces where we want them and everybody in the right mindset, that’s on us as a coaching staff to have to stay on it and continue to lead them.”
