The rookie is taking things slow in his first taste of the NFL." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhitePride Of Detroita Detroit Lions communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryLionsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions NotesDetroit Lions AnalysisDetroit Lions TransactionsDetroit Lions Game RecapsFiled under:Detroit Lions NewsJahlani Tavai is taking things ‘day by day’New Ricky Wagner Jersey White ,24commentsThe rookie is taking things slow in his first taste of the NFL.EDTShareTweetShareShareJahlani Tavai is taking things ‘day by day’Jahlani Tavai is entering a whole new world. The Detroit Lions linebacker and 2019 second-round pick is a long ways away from the Hawaiian Islands where he played college football and the beaches of Southern California where he played in high school. He is also faced with the new challenge of playing in the NFL, and most likely stepping into a huge role in Matt Patricia’s defense this season. It is a lot to take on for a young player, but Tavai is abiding by a simple message. “My main message right now is literally take it day by day,” Tavai told reporters after OTAs on Tuesday. Aschallenging as the days ahead will be, he has great people leading him. “[I’ve been] getting to learn from guys who are vets here. They’re great leaders and I strive to try and become a leader like them,” Tavai said.For Tavai this is a huge paradigm shift. At Hawaii, he was one of the team leaders. The linebacker was the quarterback of the defense and the most important player on that side of the ball. He was the face of the team and most important guy in the locker room. The linebacker notched 390 combined tackles and 16.5 sacks in his four years as a Rainbow Warrior. He led the Mountain West Conference in solo tackles in 2016, and landed in the top 10 in 2017. It would not be a stretch to name him as one of the best linebackers to ever play at the University of Hawaii. In Detroit he is back at the bottom. A rookie entering a new league Tracy Walker Jersey White , a new city, and attempting to learn a new playbook. He is taking things one step at a time, though. “First I gotta learn the playbook. I gotta perfect that part,” Tavai said, “The vets learned it last year and they’re doing a great job for the younger guys. I just gotta take the responsibility to learn it on my own and do the right thing.”As the challenges ramp up for the rookie, he at least feels as though he is in the right place. He spoke highly of both the leadership on the roster and the leadership in the organization as a whole. “This is a great environment. I love how the coaches have a standard on being successful,” he said, adding “I wanna ingrain that in my mindset and just come out here everyday and just be a Lion.”The rookie has already managed to make quite the impression as a Lion Ricky Jean Francois Jersey White , leaping into the air to snag an impressive interception off of backup quarterback Tom Savage on Day 3 of OTAs.Detroit should be just as excited to have Tavai as he is to have them, and as he learns and grows, they hope they have found a potential star in the 2019 NFL draft.But for now, Tavai still just has a simple message. Take things day by day.“I’m just gonna have that mindset and take care of what I can control.” About a year ago, the Detroit Lions made the tough decision to divorce themselves from tight end Eric Ebron. It was the end of an ugly era that saw fans turn on the former first-round pick after Ebron’s inconsistent play and confrontational attitude towards critical fans reached a breaking point. In the end, the Lions didn’t think Ebron was worth the $8.25 million he was due to make, as general manager Bob Quinn called the move strictly a “financial decision.” Ebron responded by going to the Colts and setting a career high in yards (750) and setting the Colts’ record for single-season touchdowns from a tight end (13). The former Lions tight end has remained relatively quiet about his time in Detroit since landing in Indy, typically choosing to decline comment on the Lions organization or only taking very Matthew Stafford Jersey , very subtle jabs(?) at Detroit. However, last week at the Super Bowl, Ebron spoke with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, and recalled about his time in Detroit. He was still very reserved and careful with his words, often prefacing an answer with “I’m not going to downplay the organization” or “I’m not going to take anything away from Stafford,” but he did have one thing he was very clearly unhappy with during his time with the Lions: His lack of red zone usage.“I used to beg for it,” he said. “I begged everybody. Everybody. A lot of people knew it, but it is what it is.”According to NFLsavant.com Womens Kerryon Johnson Jersey , Ebron received 6, 8, 9 and 12 red zone targets in his four years in Detroit. In one season with the Colts, Ebron saw 22 red zone targets come his way, five more than any other player on Indy. His 13 touchdowns led all NFL tight ends and was second only to Antonio Brown among all receivers. Ebron suggested this was a microcosm of a bigger problem in Detroit: their inability to hear and understand their players’ needs.“Just listen to their players,” Ebron offered as advice to the Lions. “They’ll understand exactly what I mean, at least the players will understand what I mean. Just listen to the players, man. The players play Michael Roberts Jersey , and if there’s some things that can help their game, do it.”Obviously, since Ebron has left, the Detroit Lions have changed nearly all of their offensive coaching staff. However, it’s unclear if his advice is directed towards them or management. Either way, this offers at least a little background on how things devolved with Ebron so quickly.