Lions camp observations: Defense picks off 4 passes; offense gets last laugh with situational, 'game-sealing' deep ball to Williams
Allen Park — Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Monday morning training camp practice.
● As always, let’s start with participation and injuries.
Including the three players on official injury lists (Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Giovanni Manu), the Lions were down 15 players on Monday.
Also sitting out were running backs Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki, center Cade Mays, offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, linebackers Damone Clark, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jimmy Rolder, cornerback DJ Reed, safety Avonte Maddox, defensive tackle Aidan Keanaaina and edge defenders Derrick Moore and Payton Turner.
Unquestionably, the biggest news from Monday is that Mays will be shelved for at least the next couple of months with a wrist injury. Additionally, we learned that Pacheco is dealing with a strained MCL, but he’s expected to be back before the start of the regular season.
Maddox was the other new name on the list. It’s not known what the veteran defensive back is dealing with at this time.
Returning to action were defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson. Ahmed Hassanein was also back on the field after exiting on Sunday with an ankle sprain.
In terms of in practice injuries, backup offensive tackle Devin Cochran went inside early with a trainer and running back Jabari Small has been pushing through a left leg issue the past several days, which is clearly nagging him.
● OK, buckle up, there was a ton of full-team work with the Lions back in full pads after a day off and a non-padded practice over the weekend.