One player was cut. Another never really got on the field at all. And of the 90 players the Detroit Lions will have in training camp at the beginning of August, half of them won’t feel completely comfortable about their place with the team.
Spring workouts won’t necessarily earn players a place on the team, but much like the early rounds of a golf tournament, you can lose standing pretty quickly during May and June. Here are five players who fell a bit during the spring.
1. CB Bill Bentley: This one is obvious. Bentley didn’t do much during May or June and didn’t participate in the team drills during workouts. He was passed by multiple players during that time and the Lions saw enough from others to terminate his contract Thursday afternoon. He was entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Lions, but now he’s going to have to finish coming off his season-ending ACL injury with another team.
2. CB Mohammed Seisay: With Bentley and Nevin Lawson not participating in team activities and a lot of reps to go around because Alex Carter was at Stanford for half of OTAs, there was a chance for Seisay to put himself in a good position heading into camp. He didn’t stand out at all during the OTAs open to the media or in minicamp and seemed to be the cornerback I often wrote down when a receiver made a big play. Special teams could still help him and he’s practice-squad eligible, but barring injuries, Seisay has a long road to the 53-man roster at this point.
3. WR Jeremy Ross: He said the special-teams emphasis on a particular day dictated when he’d be returning vs. working on coverage units. While that might have been true, he clearly lost reps to players he’s competing for the returner job with – most notably rookie Ameer Abdullah. Two other receivers, TJ Jones and Ryan Broyles, also seemed to get more returner reps than Ross. Ross was working with the gunners a lot during those periods, but for a player who has a primary role as a returner, that has to be concerning.
4. TE Joseph Fauria: The third-year tight end is likely going to make final 53-man roster, but he still wasn’t able to fully participate in practice while coming off ankle injuries last season. At first glance, that isn’t a huge deal. Here’s where some questions could come. The Lions signed another tight end, David Ausberry, during the spring, so there could at least be some competition. The bigger put-on-notice move could have been trying to claim Tim Wright after he was released by New England. Tampa Bay received him on waivers, but the Lions put in a claim. With Eric Ebron and Brandon Pettigrew essentially locked into the 2015 roster, Fauria would be the tight end in most trouble of the three. Again, expect him to still be on the roster, but he needs to get healthy by camp.
5. RB Joique Bell: As long as he’s healthy, Bell will still have a major role in Detroit’s offense and will be the likely starter when camp opens in August. While sitting out might have helped him see the offense from a bigger picture, that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi expressed concerns about when Bell will be fully healthy and available has to be worrisome for the Lions. And if it is worrisome for Detroit, it should concern Bell. Ameer Abdullah looking sharp, even without pads or being hit, is also a good and bad thing for Bell.
