Allen Park — Dre Bly was coaching college ball last season, so he can’t speak to the quality that was in the room before he got to Detroit.
But the new Lions cornerbacks coach is not ignorant to the fact that he’s been set up for success with the presence of veterans Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley.
Bly, a former Pro Bowler who played in Detroit from 2003-06 and signed on to be cornerbacks coach this offseason, said at the end of minicamp the two free-agent additions make leadership look easy. That’s saying a lot, considering Moseley, signed from San Francisco, has been limited while continuing to cover from a torn ACL suffered in October of last season.
“Those guys have been here every day. (Moseley), ever since he signed, he’s been here rehabbing every day,” Bly said. “Just their professionalism, how they conduct themselves in the meetings — they’re out here early, getting work in before practice starts. So it’s just instant credibility, man.
“That’s the one thing I was challenging those guys on when they came here…was the impact they were going to bring to the room, be able to set a great example for the younger players.”
Sutton, 28, signed a three-year deal with Detroit after six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His leadership ability is well-documented; a former coach once described him as being an extra coach on the field.
But Moseley, both physically and mentally, was a bit more of an unknown commodity to the general public. After four seasons with the 49ers, 2022 was supposed to be his breakout year. Unfortunately for him, his promotion to full-time starter happened to coincide with the most significant injury of his career.
Prior to tearing his ACL in a Week 5 contest against the Carolina Panthers, he allowed only 13 receptions and 135 yards.
“Well, he’s anxious,” Bly said. “He was a pretty daggone good player out there in San Francisco. He’s from North Carolina, went to Tennessee, played with Cam, so those guys are kind of wired the same. So just to see his fire to get back to the field, his commitment to rehabbing and working, it tells you about the man.
“When most guys are traveling and vacationing, he’s here working to make sure he’s ready when we come back for camp. I’m excited to have a chance to work with him. I think he brings a tremendous amount of leadership and experience through our room, and I can’t wait to see what comes from that.”
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi