Ex-LA Rams DL Michael Brockers on Campbell – McVay similarities

A long NFL journey

His first few years as a Ram saw him endure a lot of mediocre seasons. Well, not mediocre exactly. Just a bit middle of the road so to speak. He was a defensive lineman on the Rams 4-3 front under Jeff Fisher. As such, he did what defensive linemen do. He gobbled blockers, stuffed the run, and let many of the other guys get to the quarterback. He claimed 5.5 quarterback sacks in 2013. Not great, but not bad for a defensive lineman. Stout and long-armed, he was an ideal guy on defense, because he did a bit of everything for the team.

Most of all, he called it like he saw it. That is the Michael Brockers who was one of the fan favorites:

But that all changed for him with the arrival of Sean McVay as the new head coach in LA. Brockers got to taste postseason play. A playoff game in 2017. A Super Bowl run in 2018.

So when a player like Brockers tells the media he sees a lot of similarities between his new head coach Campbell and his former head coach McVay, it comes with nine years of professional football veteran eyeballs behind it when making such an assessment. Not his first rodeo.

Brockers Says Campbell & McVay are Alike

And as Brockers recently told Jim Rome:

Here is the key point made by Brockers in the Jim Rome segment from above:

"“Communication is vital and the way you communicate is vital because a lot of guys don’t want to be yelled at or screamed at or stuff like that. Some guys want to be talked to as a man, gain an understanding of what you’re talking about and what you’re trying to teach and then let’s roll. A lot of these players in the league, we aren’t about a lot of BS. Just tell us what we have to do, explain it to us in terms we’ll understand and let’s get the job done.”"

In other words, a good head coach has to win the locker room. Not just on the football field.

Think what you will about Michael Brockers, Jared Goff, Coach Pleasant, Ray Agnew, or Brad Holmes, but together, they are bringing a new revitalized perspective to the Detroit Lions team. And it’s hard to turn off the appreciation and admiration for players just because they don a new jersey.

The Detroit Lions may not be stacked to challenge in the NFC North Divison yet, but they will surprise a few teams.