New Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell, who has coached in three Super Bowls and won two, is trying to bring a winning culture to a team that has not won a title since the Eisenhower administration.
And that apparently includes seeking out players who have experience with winning teams.
Detroit’s biggest free-agent signings — Golden Tate and James Ihedigbo — were made primarily because they are good players. Tate especially. He can play inside or outside, and his sure hands will offer some stability for a team that led the NFL last season in drops.
Ihedigbo is a hard-hitter who fills Detroit’s need at safety and has experience in the new system.
But both players also won Super Bowls in the past two years, and that is no accident.
“Both guys have won championships, so they know what it takes,” Caldwell said recently. “I think that’s important, that you infuse your team with guys that understand what winning is all about. And I think that’s key. Golden is a true leader. Competitive as the day is long, and you need that, obviously, every single day in practice.”
Tate led the Seahawks last season with 64 catches for 898 yards, and helped them beat the Denver Broncos, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII. Ihedigbo won a Super Bowl with the Ravens two seasons ago.
Adding players who have won before is no guarantee that they will win again, of course. And the Lions know that well.
They signed tailback Reggie Bush last offseason and touted his Super Bowl ring from 2009. And the Lions finished 7-9.
But Bush was a veteran voice in the locker room, and was a good leader for that team. He returns this year, and Detroit is hoping Tate and Ihedigbo are another step toward changing the team’s culture into a winning one.
“It’s a benefit, obviously, and it doesn’t hurt in that situation, and I think same thing with your staff,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell took the same approach with his assistant hires, adding guys such as defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi who have been around a lot of victories — and a couple Super Bowls — the past few years.
“Now we have guys on the staff that have been there as well,” he said. “Teryl Austin has been there. Joe Lombardi has been there. We have guys that have been in certainly championship situations. So I think that’s a great benefit.”