5 things to watch as Detroit Lions open OTAs – Detroit Free Press
Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez look ahead to next week’s start of organized team activities for the Detroit Lions.
The Detroit Lions open organized team activities Tuesday with the first of 10 practices scheduled for the next three weeks in Allen Park.
NFL teams are required to make one of every three practices open to reporters. And teams can finally start doing seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 drills, though no pads are allowed.
With that in mind, here are five things we’ll be looking for this week:
Dre Day: DeAndre Levy underwent hip surgery last fall, and while the Lions have expressed confidence that he’ll be the same player he was before his injury, the proof remains to be seen. Levy has taken part in the first two phases of the off-season program with no known setbacks. How much of a workload will the Lions give him the rest of the spring?
Tackle or bait: Taylor Decker played left tackle to start rookie minicamp earlier this month, but the Lions have not yet settled on whether he or Riley Reiff will man the position this fall. Don’t expect any declarations on the matter this week, but it’ll be interesting to see how the team positions its linemen, nonetheless.
Rookie look-see: Nine of the Lions’ 10 draft picks are expected in Allen Park for this week’s OTAs, including Decker, second-round pick A’Shawn Robinson and third-rounder Graham Glasgow. Glasgow, at center, and long snapper Jimmy Landes are among those competing with veteran players for starting jobs. The only rookie who won’t take part in workouts is running back Dwayne Washington, who can’t take part while the University of Washington is still in session, per NFL rules.
Fear Ameer: With Calvin Johnson settling into retirement, the Lions will need more from their running game this fall. Ameer Abdullah is the No. 1 back, and if he conquers his fumble problems, he should be in for a big season.
Corner lot: Nevin Lawson played well in half a season at starting cornerback last year, and the Lions are counting on big things from him this fall. Lawson suffered a horrific foot injury as a rookie and missed most of last off-season, so this spring should be big for his growth and development.
Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@davebirkett
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