Dan Campbell Press Conference | July 22, 2025

Dan Campbell Press Conference | July 22, 2025

And then the guys are off tomorrow. So it’ll be, you know, our third good day of work and uh get them moving around really um will be out today. Um and um I think Lopez is going to be down today as well, you know. So I think those two guys probably be a few days here. Um don’t think they’re they’re major, but but we’ll uh let them see where they shake out. So questions. Say it again. So what what happened? Oh, he got stepped on. Yeah, got stepped on and uh kind of stepped and got twisted. Um got stepped on with a cleat and then the cleat twisted on top of his foot. So, you know, last year Manu was so raw, you know, coming from college in Canada. I’m just curious, where have you seen him make the biggest gains having a year under his belt now? Well, he he’s uh just in his training, you know, I mean, he’s he’s gotten a year now uh with us um you know, with Mike Clark and Josh Schuler and those guys. And so really training his body, you know, has been big for him. You know, he’s began to transform um himself. And uh and I would say that’s the biggest, you know, that’s the biggest improvement. And then certainly the, you know, um there’s things that have that he’s getting more aware of that he’s learning and man, he’ll take two steps up and then one step back, you know, and so that’s kind of where he’s at. He’ll have a good day and then, you know, there’s a couple of things that’ll slide that we just we got to keep working on with him. Um and he knows as long as he keeps pushing, he’ll be fine. But um you know he that that’s what he’s got to do is learn from it. Listen to what Hank’s telling him and Steven and those veterans and uh work on it, improve and um and just get better every day. What’s he dealing with and what did you like about his development with what was he dealing with and what did you like about his development throughout the offseason? Yeah, hamstring. Um you know, Vaky is a guy that that was unfortunate we didn’t have him for the spring. you know, we’re really high on him from an offensive standpoint. Certainly special teams, I mean, he’s he’s, you know, he’s he really helped us in special teams and and we feel like he could do that again. Uh, but offensively, just to see, you know, what we could do with him, see if we could expand his role. You know, we feel like just athletically, u, sizewise, explosiveness, power, there’s versatility in what he can do. you know, he might be able to play multiple roles, multiple positions. So, this kind of sets us back, you know, um but he’ll be in there rehabbing with Fish, getting it right, getting the strength back in it and uh and then we’ll start over again. D we asked you in the spring, I’m sure we’ll ask you when pads go on, just to see a Hutchinson back on the field. What type of emotional lift, what type of football lift does seeing 97 back on the field give you and this team? Yeah. Well, it’s good to see anytime you see, you know, one of your, you know, one of your guys that that um you know what he brings to your team, you know, what he brings on the field. Uh the production, you know, the energy, the violence, the it does give you a little boost, a little lift. For me, it’s just good to see his confidence back in himself. You know, that feels good to see. You know, he you can tell he um he has a lot of faith in where he’s at right now. uh how it feels the way he moves, the way he bends, the way he’s coming off the edge, and that’s only after two days. So, um it’s pretty exciting. It’s pretty exciting. So, uh it’s good to have him back. One guy we uh haven’t heard much about is, uh Miles Frasier. What’s he dealing with? And is there a timet for his return? Uh knee. Yeah, probably I don’t know. Let’s call it September, October. Let’s say something like that. Is that good? All right. We saw some other guys working with traders yesterday, working their way back. Um Dorsy, uh Wingo, and and Malcolm. I’m just curious, are any of those guys working their way close to working their way back on the field? Uh I would say Dorsy’s probably the closest of that group. Um you know, we’re hoping, man, late camp we get Dorsy back. He’s doing well. You know, he’s running. His speed is he’s the speed is there. Now it’s just about the transit, you know, the being able to um to put your foot in the ground, make a make a transition, all of that. But he is he is progressing. He’s getting better and better. So, um you know, Rodrigo, we’ve already talked about he’s doing good. Doing really good, but I I think he’s another October guy, you know. Um so, yeah, Wingo’s probably September. With Ratlich, how do you go about bringing him along in a position he didn’t play in college? And you know, especially given that the center is such a kind of all-encompassing position, a lot of mental aspects that identify protection. Do you focus on technique? I mean, or are you also kind of kind of teaching it holistically? How how are you how are you doing it step by step? Yeah, you it it is it’s um you’re you’re getting it all at once. um you know that it it it’s everything. It is it’s the mental and it’s and it’s the technique of it. So yeah, we’re look, we’re putting a lot on him. You know, he’s drinking out of a fire hose right now. And uh but but there’s things that we saw uh with him in college, you know, at Georgia that we were we felt like, you know what, we we think this guy can play center. We knew he it it was going to take it’s going to take some time. You know, when that’s something you haven’t uh you haven’t done in games, uh it’s going to take a minute. But he has practiced it and he’s gotten a lot of reps at Georgia uh playing center, you know, against really good some really good, you know, competition out there in spring and stuff. So, um anyway, so we’re excited. Like I say, we’ll see where it goes, man. All he’s got to do is keep working. It’s only two days. I like where it’s been versus the spring. It It already feels better. It already feels more natural. Are you going on Thursday? Uh I What is today? Friday. Tuesday. Friday. We can’t Thursday. Dan, with um Levi and a lean down, it seems like maybe the obvious deficiency is just some of the the ability to get edge the pass rush from the interior there. Who who are some guys you maybe got eye on that can can step up and and maybe help you fill that void? Yeah, I mean I I I think really all of those guys are you know it it’s an open um there again it’s kind of an open competition to see who can you know who can give us the most in there. Um you know we talked about Tai Lee we know Reer, I’ve already talked about Reer, you know he can edge and push the pocket. Um, you know, look, we kind of like Cooper now. He’s a young guy, right? Um, he he let’s see let’s see what he can do. Um, you know, we got Rayquin, a veteran guy. Um, you know, we we’ve got some guys here and uh you know, I know we’re Pascal and Alem and all that. It’s going to be a minute. Um, but but we feel pretty good about those guys obviously. So, um, we’ll be all right. We’ll find it. And then if we need to fabricate it, we’ll fabricate it. A little bit edge, you know, kind of values he had as a sort of a little bit everything that that is the value. I mean, he he is he’s a jack of all trades, man. He uh as he’s running by me yesterday, he wanted to make sure I knew he could play blocking tight end. So, um I’m telling you, kickoff, kickoff, return, watch him. I mean, he he’s a pretty smooth athlete for a big man. play the nose, play the three, play the big end. Um, you know, he he is he’s versatile and that’s why that’s why he just keeps competing uh to stay on rosters, man, because it’s it’s hard it’s hard to ignore a guy like him. He he just he does so many different jobs, you know? You know, if you get him to the game, you’re going to be able to use him. I mean, there’s there’s no question, you know. So, um, but he’s another guy. What was your initial reaction when you found out you guys were going to be playing the Hall of Fame game? Obviously, that pushed everything up, but what was your personal reaction when you found that out? Um, that that it’s, you know, they want us there and we’ll be there. We’re going, we’re going to get good work. Thanks, guys. All right. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Hear from Head Coach Dan Campbell as he speaks to the media on July 22, 2025.

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