Imagine having to fire someone while telling them haven’t done anything wrong. Now imagine having that conversation more than a dozen times in 24 hours.
That’s what NFL coaches and general managers around the league had to do last week when trimming rosters from 80 players to 53. The only difference for the Detroit Lions is those difficult interactions were filmed by HBO’s documentary series “Hard Knocks,” which aired its fifth and final episode of this season Tuesday night.
“There ain’t nothing else you could do,” Lions coach Dan Campbell tells wide receiver Tom Kennedy during a montage of several players getting bad news. “You did everything you could possibly (expletive) do. You put it on tape and it’s all out there. And we’ve gotta go another way. I hate it because you earned it. You (expletive) earned it and it falls into, well, what about body type? What about a true outside receiver? What about special teams? It’s a move we felt like we had to make, man.”
Kennedy’s release was one of more than 20 from last week, and had been foreshadowed in a speech Campbell had given that had been featured on “Hard Knocks” a week earlier. In it, the coach noted the players on the roster bubble were sorted into two buckets: The guys who did everything right and were short on talent, and the guys with talent who had yet to earn the trust of the coaching staff and teammates.
Kennedy ultimately fell into the former category and he wasn’t alone. Campbell and GM Brad Holmes delivered bad news with similar messaging to multiple players, including offensive tackle Dan Skipper, defensive tackle Bruce Hector and running back Godwin Igwebuike.
Disappointed, both Skipper and Hector asked similar questions, paraphrased as, “What more could I have done?”
And the answer essentially was, “Nothing.”
Igwebuike’s release was brought into sharper focus because of the way it was contrasted against Craig Reynolds, who had been one of a handful of players featured throughout the series. It was clear the team liked both, but it was Reynolds who won a job while Igwebuike was told the team was reluctantly going in a different direction.
“You’re going to get another opportunity,” Campbell told the player. “You’re going to get an opportunity, I believe that. You (expletive) did everything right. You’re a competitor. You do have talent.
“I hope you get another shot and I hope we’re not playing against you. But if we do, I hope you give us hell.”
The crew also followed wide receiver Kalil Pimpleton and quarterback David Blough on their journey to new homes. Pimpleton, who never stopped smiling and expressing his gratitude when being told he was being released by the Lions, eventually landed a spot on the New York Giants practice squad.
And even though the Lions didn’t feel Blough was good enough to earn their backup quarterback job, it was made clear the team wanted him back on the practice squad. Instead, he opted to pursue a different path after his release, signing up to be part of that unit in Minnesota.
“It’s the worst, the absolute worst that could have happened just because he feels like this is a dead-end street here, where there he might still have the chance to compete as a No. 2 eventually,” Campbell said in a recorded phone call. “I just talked to him. It was hard and he was shook up, but I was like, ‘Hey, man, I get it. I understand.'”
There were also some success stories in the finale, including seventh-round pick Chase Lucas earning a spot on Detroit’s 53-man roster.
“There’s something about this Chase Lucas,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said in a coaches meeting. “This dude loves football. I like that trait about him. He doesn’t care if he plays one play or he plays 10 plays, he’s going to play (hard).”
Similarly, even though the team had to let undrafted rookie Obinna Eze go because he clearly isn’t ready, Holmes explains why they hoped to keep him around as a member of the practice squad, which is where the offensive tackle ended up.
“I just think you have rare length and feet, and you’re tough, and you’ve got a lot inside you,” Holmes said. “You’re going to be in a place where we’re passionate about development, so I think you’ll be just fine. I think this will be a positive for you.”
And what would an episode from this season of “Hard Knocks” be without Malcolm Rodriguez? The sixth-round pick had long since secured his place on the roster by cut day. Carefree, it allowed him to head to the appropriately named Rodriguez Vaquerita in Detroit to do some shopping for cowboy boots and hats.
Back at the team’s facility, team president Rod Wood informs Campbell that Rodriguez is the No. 2 most requested jersey by fans, which draws a smile from the coach.
“To me, that kind of tells you who our fans are and they’re buying into what we’re talking about,” Campbell said. “That’s kinda cool. They’re not into the flash.
“I’m telling you, he’s coming on like a damn hurricane.”
After a previously publicized segment of rap star Eminem visiting the team aired, the episode closed with members of the coaching staff being asked to complete the sentence: “The 2022 Detroit Lions will _________.”
Glenn said the team will “compete every game,” while linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard said the Lions will “put the NFL on notice.”
Last up, Campbell pondered his answer for a full minute, the camera never moving from his face as he rapidly blinked and tugged as the whiskers on his chin.
Finally, after a deep sigh, he said, “The 2022 Detroit Lions will be the team that can and will.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers