Pride of Detroit
Everything you need to know about Detroit Lions OC John Morton’s training camp press conference.
New Detroit Lions coordinator John Morton took his spot in front on the podium Monday morning before Detoit’s seventh training camp practice. Looking a bit more comfortable in his position, Morton gave a lot of informative answers to reporters questions. Here are my biggest takeaways from his session.
Anyone you ask—including his mentor Jon Gruden—will tell you that Morton is extremely dedicated to his job. We’re talking “sleep in the film room” kind of dedication to his job.
Along those lines, Morton admitted he passed over spring plans to self scout and make sure he had everything he needed to attack training camp and the 2025 season.
“I really didn’t go on vacation this year, until the last 10 days. I was just in here looking at what we did in OTAs and things like that, and looking at our defense,” Morton said. “I basically game-planned our defense. I want to put this guy here, I want to put that guy there. We want to do this versus that, because I think that’s important. I want them to see where I’m coming from, what I’m going to do during the season. So, if that means me getting here early like I always do, so be it.”
In his previous two decades (plus) of coaching, Morton has gained a reputation for his love of the long ball. While that hasn’t been a staple of Detroit’s offense recently, Morton believes Detroit has the players to make this a feature of his offensive attack.
“I’m isolating guys. I want to give them the chance, so I’m taking more shots,” Morton said. “Plus, I want to see who can do it and then make the corrections, whether it’s a technique error, something like that. I’m all about that, because we have the guys that can do it. So, if you got them, utilize them.”
That sound you hear is Jameson Williams’ stock crashing through the roof.
Unlike his predecessor, Morton noted that he plans on calling offensive plays from the booth rather than the sidelines.
“I’m going to be upstairs, so I can see it all away from all the chaos,” Morton said.
To be clear, Morton was referring to the preseason. There was no indication it would be different during the regular season, but I do think it’s worth pointing out that he was specifically asked about the preseason. And, remember, there are about 30 extra players on the sideline during the preseason, so it’s a bit more chaotic.
Many have wondered about Morton’s play-calling skills, given his limited experience. He only regularly called plays during his one year as Jets offensive coordinator in 2017. However, Morton expressed confidence in his abilities.
“I’m good. I feel very comfortable this second time...
