Dan Campbell Camp Day 16 Press Event

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Dan Campbell Camp Day 16 Press Event 08/20/26

Dan Campbell kicked off his Day 16 press event with some injury notes, plans for today, and took some questions form German press members about the upcoming regular season Patriots game in Germany.

Injury Summary

• New/Updates:

  • Sam LaPorta took a shot to the hip in the night practice, and it flared up. Hope to have him for Week 1

  • Jimmy Rolder will NOT be ready by the time camp ends (four more practices) and may linger into the season.

  • Ben Bartch is in concussion protocol

  No Changes/Updates:

  • Branch - Potentially Early September

  • Kerby - Likely will linger into the season on same timeline as Branch

  • Peyton Turner - Has not practiced all camp despite a "minor" stiff back

  • Giovani Manu - Added to NFI/Injury List due to previously undisclosed injury form offseason

  • Damone Clark - Clark's injury is undisclosed but has missed multiple practices now

  • Cade Mays - Mays is sidelined for 8-10 weeks with fractured Wrist (Target Week 5)

  • Mekhi Wingo - Concussion protocol

  • Isiah Pacheco - MCL Strain - Target Week 1 return

Quick Hitters

• Practice will be in shells for about an hour with some red zone work

• Goff will not play against Washington, Dobbs will start, but both Dobbs and Altmyer will get equal reps

• Talked about Juice coming back from injury and getting thrust into being full time at center but has confidence he has been a center in the league and played snaps there before.

• Said the plan is to get Hutch and Campbell off the field more this year. Campbell likely will be on less special teams, and Hutch will get rotated out. Campbell said most difficult thing was convincing them to come off.

• Also said that if Campbell is off, then Nowaske or Rodriguez would likely be the Green Dot comms guy

• Asndered about body types and EDGEs in particular, centered around Eric O'Neil

• Took some ribbing about his old hair style (came up in the Brad Galli interview) and Cmapbell confirmed he is doen with the flowing locks.

• Took a couple questions form German media and discussed the travel plans and mentioned its a Lions home game in Gemrany and that the Lions are Germany's team also.

Dan Campbell Press Event Transcript

• Opening Statement: You know, they're under stress. Uh, they get tired, have to work with each other. You got to stay on top of your fundamental. I just thought it was great work. So, I'm pleased. Backed way off today. Shells hour long, a little bit in the red zone. Uh, just get the blood flowing and then and get them out of here. Questions?

• Ask you about uh the backup quarterback rotation. I thought maybe we'd see a little bit more of Josh Jobs out there, but still kind of really limited those practice reps. Is that competition for the backup job still wide open and where's Dobs kind of fitting in this mix right now? It is still open and uh you know I see we're going to start dos this game you know so yes Dave golf's not playing um so we we'll start dos but they're both going to play equal amounts is kind of the plan here between he and Altmyer.

• And what you need to see from the first pre preseason game to the second preseason game to feel like okay we're heading in the right way to the regular season like this is this is I like this what You just need to feel like you things are cleaned up that you're not making the same mistake twice you know some of these particularly these young guys these young players like okay what did you learn from the last game that's really what you're looking for is there growth when the lights are on like you can in in practice you can see growth you can see guys getting better okay now you for under the lights Thursday night at Cincinnati and now where is it at? Hey Sheila, what's going on? How you doing back there? Steve, what's up? Okay, all good. How am I doing? Um but yeah, that that's what you're looking for. That's what you're you just want to see the growth, man. Are they learning from this and it's not too big for them and uh and they can take the coaching to the field when it really matters, you know, in game time.

• Just to follow up on Justin's question, two things. The um because you got such good work the last couple days, does that change your plan for playing any other starters uh Saturday? Uh it could it could, but I'm not quite there yet. I just know I don't see Goff playing. Yep.

• And then with Dobbs, is there a specific reason why he hasn't gotten many reps yet? Is that just you got to, you know, soak culture with all the work? Well, I think it was some of it is look, Dobs is a bright guy. He's played in this league. Uh, but also, man, just making sure got him up to speed. Uh, being true to that and also Luke's a young player, but he's promising, you know, and getting him trying to soak him with reps. So, it was just kind of a little bit of that, but, uh, we'll get a look at Dos here and let him go.

• Do you think there's a chance you could see Jimmy Rolder back on the practice field before the end of camp? I know you guys only have four practices left. Uh, it's probably unlikely. He's doing well. He is I mean he is progressing well, but I think it it'll be hard pressed to see him next week early in the early in the season. I do. Yep.

• I do way

• Back through all our conversations back through May and I don't know how but nobody's mentioned Eric O'Neil at any point but obviously he had the really nice rush against starters in game and then the pick six and the scrimmage the other day. um maybe doesn't fit the body type you've typically had on the edge, but what have you liked about him since bringing him in? And where do you kind of see his growth at this stage in camp? He he's a guy that makes plays every day. Um you know, he is he's pretty sneaky. He's crafty. He's a little bit of um him is what is he? You know, that's what and we're still trying to answer that a little bit, man. Where does he really fit? What really suits him? you know, it's not stack backer, but yet it can it be on the line kind of an OLB or is it D-End like a rush D-End? I know this. He's smart. He plays hard. He's pretty crafty. Um, you know, he he's got some tools in his toolbox as a rusher and he just kind of makes plays every day. So, uh, it's hard to he's another guy it's hard to ignore him, you know, and I don't want to say quiet. I think I mentioned him before. I mean, he's you saw the interception the other day, you know, in that that night practice we had and he made, you know, had a good rush. He had some good plays in the Cincinnati game. So, he's intriguing and some of it is really fit, man. Where does he where does he and special teams, by the way, he makes plays in special teams every day. So, yes, we like him.

• Jack played more than 99% of the defensive staffs last year. Uh how much is that uh attributed to the fact that he's got the green dot and you know how much has he become indispensable essentially for the defense? Yeah, he's just too good of a player. I mean it's you know look that here's the here's the good news with Jack. Jack is a u a big physical human being for the middle linebacker position which means he can take a beating and he can deliver a beating and you that's hard in today's game. Um, so to have a guy like him, I mean, he can he can take on a lot of reps. Not everybody can do that, but he's too valuable. I mean, he just he does everything for us. There is a chance we pull back on some of these special teams reps, you know, because we do we need him on defense, and he's not coming off the field. He's just too valuable for that.

• And in light of that, who if he is off the field, who would have like who would be the communication hub, I guess, or you know, in light of like him being out? I mean, would who would have that green dot? You're talking doom right now. Don't do that. Um, no. I mean, look, there's a number of guys we like. Um, you know, Rodrigo could take the green dot. Um, Bachi could take the green dot. Um, now there's a chance Nowaske takes the green dot. Nowaske had the green dot the other day. Um, so we've got guys that can do that, but that's not going to happen. You know, I guess if his shoe comes off, yes, one of those guys can do that.

• On the subject of snaps and reps, Hutch was the only D-Line last year to play over a thousand snaps. You got some fresh legs there now in and DJ and Derek Moore, those guys here. Is there a chance to maybe get Hutch a few extra blows per game? and how much could that potentially benefit him over the course of a game, but also over the course of a 17 game season? Yeah, we'd like to be able to do that and you really just alluded to it. You know, some of the you know, the what went into that, the wise, the he's another guy it's hard to take him off the field because he does so much for us and he doesn't he doesn't get tired. He doesn't wear down. Uh he just keeps coming. But we also know, man, it if we can take some off of him, it's only going to help. uh not only now but long term. So that's in our heads. Uh now it's a whole different story trying to get him off the field. All right. But we'll figure that out. Um cuz he doesn't want to come out and uh that's a good problem to have. But it's in our mind and that's why it's important for a guy like Derek Moore to come on. You know, we this you know, he just got back and the good news is he's gotten you know, two good days of work. Um, you know, that's positive, but he's got a long way to go. He just needs reps. Derek Moore needs reps, but we like what we see for the limited amount of snaps he's had so far, but it'll be big.

• You got a couple more days with Juice at center. Just what have you seen from him as he's kind of get more reps there and work with Jared more. Yeah. Well, I think it's been um probably what you would imagine a little bit. you know, he just he just got back. Um, and now he's exclusive center and it's just there's been a little bit of we got to kick some of the rust off of here. You know, we got to um you know, we got to get a little bit of that off there and let those guys work together. But I did think yesterday was better, you know, and particularly in a lot of that situational work to where they got to be on the same page with some stuff. Um, and the rest of the O line, I think those only help. Like I say, Juice has played center. he's played in real games. Uh, you know, he's suited for it and it's just really about he getting up to speed with Goff and some of our calls and then those, you know, being on the same page with the guards and everything, but uh time on task, you know, we got time to get there. So, you know, I like I said, I see Juice playing in this game with that old line and uh and so this will be good work for them.

• You mentioned uh Ben Bartch as a challenger for that starting left guard job. We haven't seen him out there the last two days. Obviously, he missed some time at the start of camp. I'm just wondering if you can provide an update on him and then with only four practices left, do you think there's a time for him to kind of make you feel comfortable with him winning that job? It's a good question. He's in concussion protocol, so he got dinged, I guess, a couple of days ago. Um and so no, it's hard to say that. you know, it's real hard to say that over four practices or whatever. Doesn't mean it can't. Um, but that that window is shrinking uh right now, you know, so the most important thing is for him to uh get to where he feels right again and to where he can go. You know, he's healthy, he feels good, and he can start practicing and then we'll see. But no, I mean, I think that that window is closing quickly.

• Do you feel like you have the body types and depth in the edge room to kind of mix and match the season based on situations with where at in the edge room? The edge. Yeah. Defensive. I got you. I think all of those Yeah. As it pertains to edge, I'm going to say all of it between the interior and on the on the perimeter cuz I look, Wonnum has had a really good camp. Like uh I would love where Wanom's at right now, man. He's another one of these guys. He just he's a smart football player. He's crafty. He knows how to use his length. Uh he's got a couple of different rushes that are a little bit of a problem and um plays the run all. So between that, Hutch, I think Derrik Moore, the more he just needs reps, you know, that's a good thing. And then we got Lim, you know, he's been a tear in the middle. Um and that hadn't slowed down at all. That that's just kept coming. So, you know, any one of those improved just a little bit. You know, you get a little bit more press up there. And by the way, Tyliek is having a good camp. You know, um, you get a little bit more push up the middle or get an edge and flush the quarterback to want them or I'm talking about, you know, half a yard a step or whatever that is to hutch or want them, that's good news. You know, Wanom pushes a little bit, he's pushing a Hutch. Hutch pushes a little bit, you're pushing a W. So, any little bit and I think all of those guys are just going to elevate each other's games. So, I like where we're at.

• Dan, do you have an update on Sam LaPorta? I do. So Sam the other night he kind of he got hit in the hip. Um and it just it flared up a little bit. It's a little aggravated, but we feel good long term about him. We're just we're resting for a little bit here and letting it calm down. What's that?

• Something that could go into the season or Well, I don't know, Dave. I don't know. I feel like we'll be okay, but I don't know.

• You mentioned a couple weeks ago um you and Brad were going to try to avoid doing a total reveal till the end sort of maybe as a bit of a change. Why I guess why did you decide to do that or whose idea was it? No, I mean I think that we we've kind of always been that way a little bit. You know, we just um Well, that's not true. I know where you're going. Normally, we all get together with the scouts' coaches in front of each other. We'll go, you know, whatever once a week or after the first two weeks, then we go. But I think it was a little bit more just for efficiency's sake. And I see what I see. He's getting what he's getting, what he sees, scouts, and then hey man, as this thing starts to get a little bit closer, let's get together and kind of start kicking some things around. So I think it was just it's a little bit of that probably more efficiency like when you do those big meetings, man, those things go for four or five hours and man, you there's a lot of things that like we don't need to talk about Pane Sewell again, you know? And um and so I I just think there there's some things to where this is just a better way to do it because look at the end it's about Brad and myself and I know what I see. He knows what he sees and then us coming together. Now that being said, when I told you that the other day, probably 30 minutes later, I went up there and we uh we were talking about it.

• So um is it sort of like keeping a clear vision for yourself and separating those visions at all? Well, I think that helps and I think that's a little of it. Let's not get, you know, cuz you can get skewed, you know, that that's human nature. If you're in there with the coaches and you get nothing but coach's perspective, then you're that's all it is and that's the last thing you hear. And just like if I heard nothing but the scouts, you could be skewed by that a little bit, you know, and so it just kind of keeps you independent and stay true to the film, what you see, what do you see in practice, and then go from there.

• Dan, real quick, sorry. I was watching your interview with Brad a couple nights ago and the picture of you guys from 18 years ago, which is incredible. What would it take for you to bring that flow back this season? Well, you know, it grew out a little bit last year. I had it just a little bit. Boy, it's not the same. It just it's I don't know. I don't even know how to describe it. So, um I think I'm done with that. I think those days are done. Yeah. Good question, though.

• Our last few joining us from Germany. Yes. Hi. Hello from Germany. Um I know it's early days but can you tell us a little bit about how you prepare for this game against the Patriots and also get us a little bit excited? We are already but even more. Yeah. So, I think it's unique because it's, you know, that game will be one of these we're going to try to prepare here and get a lot of our game plan, get the guys ready, and then for us, we're getting on the plane at night. Um, call it Thursday night for a Sunday game. Flying, we land, we stay awake, and now we're right into the next practice to get ready, you know, and the players will have just a little bit of downtime the day before the game to kind of check the sights out and get a lay of the land and all that. Um, but they're dealing with that, too. The Patriots are going through the same thing. But as far as like going, we're excited to go over there, you know, because look, we're Germany's team, too. So, we're not just Americans, we're Germany's team. Um but we're looking forward to it and uh you know St. Brown's um you know he's got lineage and heritage over there and I that means something to us too and so we're pretty excited about going over there and playing. It's going to be a home game for us.

• Yeah. Uh the German fans are really excited like Tiana said. Do you have some words for them maybe? For who? I'm sorry. For the German fans I think I just said it. We're Germany's team. We're excited to go over there and uh you know, we want to we want to represent and we want to show you about um you know, NFL football and the way that we think it should be played um and put on a show. Thanks, guys.

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