Lions camp observations: Defense keeps humming with dominant showing in scrimmage
Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Tuesday morning training camp practice.
● It was scrimmage day at the Meijer Performance Center. It provided a good day of work for the players who aren’t expected to play in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
In terms of injuries, All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph was out a third straight day. He’s dealing with minor knee irritation, according to coach Dan Campbell. Additionally, slot cornerback Amik Robertson was sidelined for a second consecutive day. According to the player, that's also not a major concern.
Avonte Maddox continued to fill in for Joseph, while Erick Hallett took the nickel reps with the first-team offense, just as he did Monday.
In positive news, outside cornerback DJ Reed was back to full strength after being held out of full-team work the past few practices. For what it's worth, he delivered a few hits on Tuesday that proved he's feeling good.
Finally, with running back Kyle Robichaux getting banged up a day earlier, the Lions added Jacob Saylors to the room ahead of practice, waiving tight end Luke Deal to clear the roster spot.
Undrafted out of East Tennessee State in 2023, Saylors led the UFL in rushing yards and scoring last season as a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks.
● We’re going to go through the day, drive-by-drive, which had a heavy emphasis on the top offensive group matching up with the starting defense. A spoiler: The day belonged to the defense.