Tom Lewand Quotations

He wanted to build a stadium where he could stand on the 50-yard line and know he's in Detroit.

He's a talented football player who had a good workout for us last fall and again yesterday. It's an opportunity for him to come in and compete. We'll see where it goes. It provides depth and competition to the position.

He exceeded our expectations at Ford Field in the first year of this thing. It's funny, he's almost his worst enemy now because the expectations are so high, but he keeps meeting them.

I think we've had some success in recent years. Free agency, again, is not a panacea. It's not how you build your football team. It's part of the equation, and this year, even with the uncertainty, is no different.

The one thing you always know about anything Robert does is that his heart and soul will totally be in it,

We'll be ready to go on free agency Monday morning.

We'll continue to work with him, and it's our goal to try and reach a long-time contract with him.

We put the tag on Jeff Backus with the intention of keeping him here not only in 2006, but beyond.

The rules are going to have a bigger impact than the dollar amount.

There's no disputing his success offensively. He should be an exciting guy to work with.

In no small measure, the Ford family's commitment to the city and the fans here was reflected in the commitment of the other 31 owners to bring the Super Bowl here. We're the only northern city to get it a second time.

Shaun King's a talented football player who's taken a team to the NFC championship game. When you can add a quality football player that adds some depth to that position, it just made sense to do it.

I just go down there with an open mind, ready to work on whatever is put before us. Beyond that, I can't have any expectations.

I have to give the Ford family credit. They wanted it done first-class and told me to do things the right way. We put a lot of care and thought into everything.

He's still learning the position. From that standpoint, he's almost a young player at that position. As he continues to learn the offense and the position, he'll only get better.

It's definitely a different year, but any time there's change, there's opportunity. There is an opportunity for teams who understand these rules to take advantage of whatever circumstances come our way at 12:01 Monday morning.

The important thing is, we like Jeff Backus a lot. We have a great relationship with him on and off the field.

It's an opportunity for him to come in and compete and to learn the system from day one along with Joey and Dan. We'll see where it goes.

It really is a family day -- a chance for the kids to be able to come out. The kinds of experiences that people get, they'll remember for the rest of their lives. That's not always possible on a regular season game day when guys are preparing.

You have to have two plans. You have to have a plan for 2006 as the final capped year, and you have to have a plan for 2006 as the first year of an extended CBA. It's a different year. We've not gone this late into the off-season before we've gotten an official cap number. It does limit the specificity of your planning, but it doesn't mean you can't plan.

It's a good thing. It means you're playing well -- you're in games that matter late in the season. That's a good thing to have happen to your club.