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WARM RECEPTION: Lions rave about rookie receiver
With just the offseason workouts under his belt, Johnson already impresses his teammates.
Life has moved swiftly the last six weeks for Calvin Johnson. Events have flashed by almost in a blur — like watching road signs through the window of a high-speed train.
Johnson has gone through the typical progression for a rookie draft pick in the NFL, but it is more momentous for him because of his draft status.
The Lions drafted him second overall April 28. There was a flight to Detroit the next day for an introductory press conference, then a trip home to Atlanta with his family. He was back the next weekend for a three-day mini-camp, then another mini-camp followed with the veterans.
And now Johnson is nearing the end of the official offseason workout program. The Lions had their last on-field practice Friday. After another week or two of conditioning, Johnson will get what he probably needs most — a break.
All players will be on their own until they report for training campJuly 25. Double sessions begin the next day.
With almost every practice play — good and bad — Johnson has made an impression on the coaching staff and his teammates that has validated the Lions’ decision to draft the wide receiver from Georgia Tech.
“No question,” quarterback Jon Kitna said after Friday’s practice at DetroitRenaissanceHigh School. “The kid is as good as everybody said he was, or better.”
Kitna made a reference to a practice earlier in the week. Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald were not at practice. Roy Williams has not practiced while recovering from a slight hamstring injury.
Johnson had to step in at different positions, and he wasn’t fazed.
“Every play was designed for Calvin,” Kitna said. “He handled it great. He seems to be fine. He’s the first one on the field. He takes care of his body.”
Kitna is going into his 11th pro season. He was asked if has played with any receiver who compares with Johnson in raw ability.
“He’s a lot like Roy,” Kitna said. “I haven’t played with anyone like that big, who runs, snatches everything.
“This guy is like the perfect mold for receivers, and he has the desire to be great. He went above what I thought he could be. He has a different way about him.
“He doesn’t take any plays off. He gets mad at himself. That’s a good thing.”
The next few weeks are important for everyone — players and coaches. There is a balance between being prepared for training camp and still being fresh for the grind of two-a-days.
Everyone needs to be recharged for camp, including rookies. Johnson is looking forward to the break — but knowing the real work is ahead.
“After that, I go home for a little while, get my mind off football for a little while,” Johnson said. “I’ll get back into my playbook, sharpen up on everything so I can come back into camp well prepared.”
Johnson can feel how he has developed since his first mini-camp. He didn’t have time to train regularly before the draft because of the demands on his time. He traveled to visit teams and spent three days in New York for the NFL’s draft show.
By the end of the first three-day mini-camp, he could feel his legs burning.
“I was hurting those three days,” Johnson said. “I was real sick. I was definitely not in football shape. Everybody will break down after that first two-a-day. Then you’ve got another. It’s worse. From then till now, I’m in good shape. My speed has increased.
“As far as the speed and everything I’ll be all right. The biggest thing is running routes, being real precise, getting in and out of your routes.”
The next giant hurdle for Johnson — and all high draft picks — is contract negotiations. There has to be some doubt whether Johnson will be signed so he can report to training camp on time.
“I’m not thinking about that at all,” Johnson said. “I don’t think that’s a problem, getting the contract done. That’s not on my mind at all. I feel I’ll be in on time.”
Rookie contracts
There is a high price for losing in the NFL, and the Lions have paid it consistently for five straight years. In 2001, Matt Millen’s first draft as president of the Lions, they took offensive tackle Jeff Backus of Michigan with the 18th pick in the first round.
Since then, the Lions have drafted in the top 10 every year — and paid handsomely for their high picks. They drafted Joey Harrington third in 2002, Charles Rogers second in ’03, Roy Williams seventh in ’04, Mike Williams 10th in ’05 and Ernie Sims ninth in ’06.
Rogers’ signing bonus of $14.4 million could be a relative pittance compared to what Johnson will get.
The salary cap in 2003 was $75 million. This year’s salary cap is $109 million — $34 million more than when Rogers was drafted, and an increase of $7 million from 2006.
Guaranteed money in rookie contracts has become more important than signing bonuses, and the Lions will have to lay out some heavy dough for Johnson. Mario Williams, a defensive end drafted first overall by Houston last year, got $26.5 million guaranteed on a six-year contract. Running back Reggie Bush, drafted second overall by New Orleans, got $26.2 million. Quarterback Vince Young, taken third by Tennessee, got $25.7 million.
With those benchmarks, and an expected increase in the range of 7 percent over last year’s draft class, look for Johnson’s guaranteed money to be in the range of $28 million.
Tom Lewand, the Lions chief operating officer and lead negotiator on player contracts, said negotiations on rookie contracts usually don’t begin until July.
The Lions want a six-year contract for Johnson.
Rogers? Really?
Shaun Rogers has spent the offseason doing rehabilitation for knee and shoulder injuries that required surgery. Rogers’ season ended after the fifth game last year. He served a four-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on banned substances. Knee surgery, performed the first week of the suspension, kept him from playing again.
Coach Rod Marinelli has made Rogers a project. He thinks Rogers can be a dominating defensive tackle, which he was in 2004 and ’05, when he made the Pro Bowl both years. Conditioning and weight have been issues for Rogers throughout his career. With camp about seven weeks away, Rogers still looks to be substantially overweight, but Marinelli expects him to be in shape for the season.
“Oh, he will,” Marinelli said. “He’s not been able to do a lot. He’s been in rehab with the knee, and he’s gotten some individual work over the last month. The key thing for him right now is that I want to make sure he’s totally healthy so he’ll have his chance to really perform to be at his best.
“He can really help this team if he’s healthy.”
I’ll believe it when I see it.
WARM RECEPTION: Lions rave about rookie receiver
With just the offseason workouts under his belt, Johnson already impresses his teammates.
Life has moved swiftly the last six weeks for Calvin Johnson. Events have flashed by almost in a blur — like watching road signs through the window of a high-speed train.
Johnson has gone through the typical progression for a rookie draft pick in the NFL, but it is more momentous for him because of his draft status.
The Lions drafted him second overall April 28. There was a flight to Detroit the next day for an introductory press conference, then a trip home to Atlanta with his family. He was back the next weekend for a three-day mini-camp, then another mini-camp followed with the veterans.
And now Johnson is nearing the end of the official offseason workout program. The Lions had their last on-field practice Friday. After another week or two of conditioning, Johnson will get what he probably needs most — a break.
All players will be on their own until they report for training campJuly 25. Double sessions begin the next day.
With almost every practice play — good and bad — Johnson has made an impression on the coaching staff and his teammates that has validated the Lions’ decision to draft the wide receiver from Georgia Tech.
“No question,” quarterback Jon Kitna said after Friday’s practice at DetroitRenaissanceHigh School. “The kid is as good as everybody said he was, or better.”
Kitna made a reference to a practice earlier in the week. Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald were not at practice. Roy Williams has not practiced while recovering from a slight hamstring injury.
Johnson had to step in at different positions, and he wasn’t fazed.
“Every play was designed for Calvin,” Kitna said. “He handled it great. He seems to be fine. He’s the first one on the field. He takes care of his body.”
Kitna is going into his 11th pro season. He was asked if has played with any receiver who compares with Johnson in raw ability.
“He’s a lot like Roy,” Kitna said. “I haven’t played with anyone like that big, who runs, snatches everything.
“This guy is like the perfect mold for receivers, and he has the desire to be great. He went above what I thought he could be. He has a different way about him.
“He doesn’t take any plays off. He gets mad at himself. That’s a good thing.”
The next few weeks are important for everyone — players and coaches. There is a balance between being prepared for training camp and still being fresh for the grind of two-a-days.
Everyone needs to be recharged for camp, including rookies. Johnson is looking forward to the break — but knowing the real work is ahead.
“After that, I go home for a little while, get my mind off football for a little while,” Johnson said. “I’ll get back into my playbook, sharpen up on everything so I can come back into camp well prepared.”
Johnson can feel how he has developed since his first mini-camp. He didn’t have time to train regularly before the draft because of the demands on his time. He traveled to visit teams and spent three days in New York for the NFL’s draft show.
By the end of the first three-day mini-camp, he could feel his legs burning.
“I was hurting those three days,” Johnson said. “I was real sick. I was definitely not in football shape. Everybody will break down after that first two-a-day. Then you’ve got another. It’s worse. From then till now, I’m in good shape. My speed has increased.
“As far as the speed and everything I’ll be all right. The biggest thing is running routes, being real precise, getting in and out of your routes.”
The next giant hurdle for Johnson — and all high draft picks — is contract negotiations. There has to be some doubt whether Johnson will be signed so he can report to training camp on time.
“I’m not thinking about that at all,” Johnson said. “I don’t think that’s a problem, getting the contract done. That’s not on my mind at all. I feel I’ll be in on time.”
Rookie contracts
There is a high price for losing in the NFL, and the Lions have paid it consistently for five straight years. In 2001, Matt Millen’s first draft as president of the Lions, they took offensive tackle Jeff Backus of Michigan with the 18th pick in the first round.
Since then, the Lions have drafted in the top 10 every year — and paid handsomely for their high picks. They drafted Joey Harrington third in 2002, Charles Rogers second in ’03, Roy Williams seventh in ’04, Mike Williams 10th in ’05 and Ernie Sims ninth in ’06.
Rogers’ signing bonus of $14.4 million could be a relative pittance compared to what Johnson will get.
The salary cap in 2003 was $75 million. This year’s salary cap is $109 million — $34 million more than when Rogers was drafted, and an increase of $7 million from 2006.
Guaranteed money in rookie contracts has become more important than signing bonuses, and the Lions will have to lay out some heavy dough for Johnson. Mario Williams, a defensive end drafted first overall by Houston last year, got $26.5 million guaranteed on a six-year contract. Running back Reggie Bush, drafted second overall by New Orleans, got $26.2 million. Quarterback Vince Young, taken third by Tennessee, got $25.7 million.
With those benchmarks, and an expected increase in the range of 7 percent over last year’s draft class, look for Johnson’s guaranteed money to be in the range of $28 million.
Tom Lewand, the Lions chief operating officer and lead negotiator on player contracts, said negotiations on rookie contracts usually don’t begin until July.
The Lions want a six-year contract for Johnson.
Rogers? Really?
Shaun Rogers has spent the offseason doing rehabilitation for knee and shoulder injuries that required surgery. Rogers’ season ended after the fifth game last year. He served a four-game suspension by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on banned substances. Knee surgery, performed the first week of the suspension, kept him from playing again.
Coach Rod Marinelli has made Rogers a project. He thinks Rogers can be a dominating defensive tackle, which he was in 2004 and ’05, when he made the Pro Bowl both years. Conditioning and weight have been issues for Rogers throughout his career. With camp about seven weeks away, Rogers still looks to be substantially overweight, but Marinelli expects him to be in shape for the season.
“Oh, he will,” Marinelli said. “He’s not been able to do a lot. He’s been in rehab with the knee, and he’s gotten some individual work over the last month. The key thing for him right now is that I want to make sure he’s totally healthy so he’ll have his chance to really perform to be at his best.
“He can really help this team if he’s healthy.”
I’ll believe it when I see it.
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