Mandatory minicamp kicks off on Tuesday at the Detroit Lions team facility in Allen Park. The three days of practices are the first required appearances for all Lions players after the voluntary OTA sessions of the recent weeks.
It will mark the first time this year I’ll be in attendance to observe practices with my own eyes. And while it’s important to not get too wrapped up in what happens in the limited sessions, first impressions are often quite telling.
Here are some of the things I’ll be focused on at Lions minicamp this week. Stay tuned for daily summaries both here at Lions Wire and also video recaps with the Detroit Lions Podcast.
Position changes in the secondary
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
The Lions are experimenting with some positional flexibility in the defensive secondary. It’s carrying on from the early offseason programs, where DBs coach Aubrey Pleasant and safeties coach Brian Duker have worked to implement some interesting transition ideas.
Will Harris, a safety for most of his first three years in Detroit, is heavily cross-training at cornerback. Ifeatu Melifonwu, a third-round rookie CB a year ago, is getting work at safety. So is reserve CB Saivion Smith.
This is the time to make the positional switches. Remember a year ago — Godwin Igwebuike transformed from a safety to running back in his successful quest to make the team. Harris received some pretty positive reviews for his work at outside corner in OTAs, so maybe the fourth-year vet can salvage a roster spot for himself in 2022.
The QBs behind Jared Goff
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Lions chose to bring back both Tim Boyle and David Blough as backups behind starting QB Jared Goff. It was a controversial decision to keep the status quo at the most important position in professional sports.
In OTAs, the early returns on the returning reserves were not positive. Even the Lions own in-house media was openly critical…
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