Detroit Lions: Jim Schwartz Emphasizes Staying the Course at the NFL Combine

Jim Schwartz took the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine and stayed on message—the Detroit Lions are worried about the present, not worried about the future or concerned with the past.

Talking to reporters for the first time since his end-of-the-year presser, Schwartz joked that he wanted to keep his press conference under 30 seconds and immediately deflected questions about Matthew Stafford's shoulder.

"I'm not going to answer that, you guys know me," Schwartz said. "For you guys not from Detroit, I think these writers are trying to catch me in a different setting."

Schwartz had explained his feelings on player injury reporting in his last press conference.

He doesn't do it.

Similarly, Schwartz was tight-lipped on recent tampering charges, saying that he felt the Lions still have a strong case and have multiple options (including appeal). However, Schwartz said too much information was already leaked about a case that is "supposed to be confidential."

Schwartz also wasn't worried about the future of the league, calling the impending lockout a "big if."

Here are some other bullets from Schwartz's presser:

• When asked if Kyle Vanden Bosch was "everything he expected," Schwartz's answer was, "No...more." He praised Vanden Bosch's impact on the football field and off it, claiming he appreciates how the former Titans DE feels he still has to earn the money on the contract he signed.

• Schwartz called Gosder Cherilus one of the most improved players on the Lions offense from last year and said the coaching staff felt he was on the right track. Cherilus is coming off microfracture surgery.

• In terms of team-building strategy, Schwartz emphasized the draft and said no one was looking for a quick fix when they started turning the team around, saying, "The only way you can be a successful team for a long time is to be successful in the draft."

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Michael Schottey is an on-call editor for the Bleacher Report College Writing Internship. He is also an NFL Featured Columnist and an NFL Draft Expert. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, he has professionally covered the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the Scouting Combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on Twitter.