Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter spoke to the media after Thursday's last OTA practice of the offseason.
Here are three highlights from that session:
1. The Lions haven't taken the "gunslinger" out of Matthew Stafford
Stafford enjoyed the most efficient eight-game stretch of his career to end last season after Cooter took over as coordinator the second half of the season. He completed 70 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions over the final eight games.
Cooter's offense last season featured a lot of short, high percentage passes that got the ball out of Stafford's hands quickly to mask some of the deficiencies the Lions had upfront trying to protect him.
Cooter will still have some of those short-passing elements in his new scheme, but don't think he won't take some shots down the field as well.
"We're not going to bury that guy yet," Cooter said of Stafford's gunslinger moniker. "We had to do what we had to do last year with certain instances kind of where we were in the season and some of that showed up in the game tape.
"I don't think we'll put any restraints on our quarterback, you know, so there may be some short passes, there may be some long ones. So, we're not going to restrain him at all."
2. Flexibility is the name of the game
Cooter has received rave reviews from players on offense for the way they say he's tailored his system to emphasize the players' strengths. Not the other way around.
The Lions have some talented pieces on offense. Cooter used the terms "flexible" and "adaptable" to describe his scheme.
Tight end Eric Ebron said after practice that Cooter is willing to take a few more risks as a play caller to try and get players in the right spots on the field to make plays. Ebron also said Cooter has taken the time to really get to know each player and what they bring to the table.
"I'm excited about Jim Bob," Ebron said. "I think we all are – about what his philosophy is, what he brings to the game of football. What he knows. The way he coaches.
"He's straight forward. He's going to tell you what's up. You ball, you play. You don't, you ride the pine."
How would Cooter describe his offensive philosophy?
"Whatever it takes for our guys to win," he said. "That may be scoring a lot of points, some games it's not. Sometimes you've got to play a little slow, you've got to help the defense out. At the end of the day, flexible, adaptable, able to do whatever we need to do hopefully to help our team win games."
3. He's always thinking about offensive football
"Well, I've realized in the last six months, eight months or whatever, I have a lot more things going through my head when I'm driving home and driving in here in the morning," Cooter said.
"So, it may be a little tweak, it may be a little note. Maybe I need to tell this guy this thing, I forgot to cover this yesterday, I need to cover it today. Those things happen a little more often these days than they did in the past, I'd say."
