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After Early Rash Of Injuries, Lions Healing Up

The Lions expect to enter the regular season relatively healthy. Starting RB Jahvid Best was cleared to play after passing all concussion tests. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (shoulder) sat out the final two exhibition games, but just as a precaution.

The bulk of the injuries came early in camp. Rookie RB Mikel Leshoure (Achilles) is out for the year. Rookie DT and 13th overall pick Nick Fairley (foot) missed all of camp and isn't expected to be ready for the first couple of weeks.

Starting LT Jeff Backus has performed well after missing four weeks with a torn pectoral muscle.

PLAYER NOTES

--RB Mike Bell was released. He had been battling for a backup spot. He and FB Jerome Felton were cut, leaving Maurice Morris, Jerome Harrison and Aaron Brown to back up Jahvid Best. The Lions are believed to be still looking to add a veteran running back.

--P Nick Harris is in danger of losing his job to rookie Ryan Donahue. Coach Jim Schwartz said the battle will go down to the final exhibition game on Thursday. Last week Donahue punted first and was the holder for Jason Hanson.

--OT Corey Hilliard has been taking practice reps at right guard in recent weeks. The Lions are worried about starting RG Stephen Peterman, who has struggled off and on throughout camp.

--RB Maurice Morris still hasn't participated in a full practice since breaking his hand early in camp. Still, he is expected to play in the regular-season opener.

--RB Aaron Brown, a long shot to make the roster at the start of camp, was the team's most productive back in the preseason, leading the team in receptions through three games and total yards. He's far from a lock to win a spot, but he's made himself as difficult to cut as he could.

--S Ricardo Silva, an undrafted rookie, has two interceptions and a fumble recovery in three games. He is presently working as the fourth safety behind starters Louis Delmas and Amari Spievey and veteran Erik Coleman.

--S Michael Johnson, former Giant, was released.

--WR Demario Ballard, who opened some eyes early in camp with his 6-6 frame and 4.55 speed, was cut. He could be brought back to the practice squad.

DRAFT PICKS TO STICK

Rd. 1/13, DT Nick Fairley - Missed all of camp with a broken foot. Won't start the season but could be ready to play in two or three weeks.

Rd. 2/44, WR Titus Young - Missed the first three weeks with a hamstring injury and his playing time is still being monitored and limited. He is expected to start in Week 1 as the team's third receiver.

Rd. 2/57, RB Mikel Leshoure - Out for the season after surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.

Rd. 5/157, LB Doug Hogue - Expected to make the roster, though he won't see much action at linebacker. He is expected to contribute on special teams.

Rd. 7/209, OT Johnny Culbreath - A physical specimen, but too raw to contribute this season. He's a good candidate for the practice squad.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS
Starter - Matthew Stafford; Backups - Shaun Hill, Drew Stanton, Zac Robinson.

There is only one knock against Stafford, and that's his durability. He has missed 19 games the last two seasons, playing in three and finishing only one last season. But the Lions won the only game he finished and were leading the other two when he went down. He has a strong, accurate arm and a firm grasp of the offense.

In Hill, the Lions feel they have one of the best backups in the business. He and Stanton engineered the Lions four-game season-ending win streak last season.

RUNNING BACKS
Starter - Jahvid Best. Backups - Maurice Morris, Jerome Harrison, Aaron Brown, Stefan Logan.

Best showed big-play capability in his rookie year, but turf toe injuries on both feet curtailed his production. His durability came into question again this preseason after he suffered a concussion against the Browns.

The Lions can ill-afford to be without Best for any length of time. Their attempts at bolstering the run game were thwarted by the season-ending injury to rookie Mikel Leshoure. The Lions were hoping Harrison might be able to regain the bounce he showed in Cleveland in 2009, but he was not productive in the preseason.

Morris, in his 11th year, remains the best inside runner on the roster.

Logan is the team's kick return specialist, but as he did last season, he will play some at running back and receiver. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan likes to use him on reverses or as a decoy on fake reverses.

The Lions have opted to play mostly one-back sets. Jerome Felton, the one true fullback last season, was released. When the Lions do use two backs, they will deploy tight end Will Heller as the blocking back.

The run game remains a concern entering 2011.

TIGHT ENDS
Starter -- Brandon Pettigrew. Backups - Tony Scheffler, Will Heller, Joe Jon Finley.

It will be interesting to see how Stafford uses Pettigrew. With Hill getting most of the snaps last year, Pettigrew set a Lions record with 71 catches and 722 yards. Stafford, though, likes to throw down field more than Hill did.

Pettigrew is too big a talent to completely ignore, as is Scheffler. The Lions used Scheffler as a slot receiver at times last season. He is hoping for a bounce back year after catching 45 passes last season.

Heller is a valuable piece of this offense. He is the best blocking tight end on the team and has the versatility to play the H-back role when needed.

Finley spent last season on the practice squad. He plays the same versatile role that Heller does.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters - Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Titus Young. Backups - Maurice Stovall, Rashied Davis, Nate Hughes, Derrick Williams.

The Lions will either lineup with two tight ends or three wide receivers. As Young matures, they will use three wides more often. Young has big-play potential but there have been concerns about his toughness and durability.

But make no mistake, Johnson, coming off an All-Pro season, is one of the centerpieces of the offense. He's no longer merely a straight-line threat. He showed the capacity last season to catch balls over the middle and also make plays after the catch.

Burleson is invaluable as Johnson's wing man. Not only does he do all the dirty work (playing the slot or the second-receiver spot), he also fills in at flanker when Johnson is out.

Stovall and Davis, veterans, provide much needed depth. Stovall, at 6-5, provides another big, steady target. Davis will make his mark mostly on special teams, as will Stovall, but he will back up Burleson in the slot.

Hughes has the most straight-line speed but he and Williams both are on the bubble and may not make the final roster.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Starters - LT Jeff Backus, LG Rob Sims, C Dominic Raiola, RG Stephen Peterman, RT Gosder Cherilus. Backups - LT Corey Hilliard, LG Dylan Gandy, C Chris Morris, RG Donald Thomas, RT Rudy Niswanger, LT Jason Fox, T Johnny Culbreath, C Dan Gerberry, LT Kirk Chambers.

When healthy, this is a cohesive and veteran group. Initial health concerns were alleviated when Backus (pectoral) and Cherilus (offseason microfracture surgery) made it back strong by the end of camp.

Pass protection is the forte of this unit. Even though all three quarterbacks were injured last year, the Lions were sixth in fewest sacks allowed. Run blocking, however, remains a concern. In particular, the Lions seem worried about Peterman's play. He was hampered by a foot problem all of last season and he hasn't seemed to full regain his form.

The Lions entertained the idea of signing veteran Leonard Davis, but refrained. They are also working Hilliard some at right guard.

Battles were still being fought late in camp to decide the backups. Hilliard, Fox, Gandy and Niswanger seemed to be leading the way. Gandy plays both center and guard while Niswanger can play every line position. Fox, in his second year, missed most of camp with a foot injury and won't be ready to start the season. While he was out, Hilliard and Chambers got most of the work.

Culbreath will probably find his way to the practice squad.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Starters - DE Cliff Avril, DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Corey Williams, DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. Backups - DE Lawrence Jackson, DT Sammie Hill, DT Nick Fairley, DE Willie Young, DT Andre Fluellen, DE Keyunta Dawson, DT Quinn Pitcock, DT Rob Callaway.

It's easily one of the best and deepest defensive lines in football. Even losing DE Turk McBride to the Saints, Young is ready to step into the rotation.

Suh, with 10 sacks, was an All-Pro and defensive rookie of the year, but he benefitted from the gritty play of Williams and also from the hard edge rushing of Avril and Vanden Bosch.

There is some concern about Vanden Bosch. He's in his 11th season and coming off neck surgery. He was slowed in camp by a shoulder injury. Still, Jackson proved last season more than capable of handling a full-time role.

Coaches believe that Avril is on the verge of stardom. His biggest problem has been staying healthy.

Dawson, Pitcock and Callaway probably won't make the 53-man roster.

LINEBACKERS
Starters - OLB Justin Durant, MLB Stephen Tulloch, OLB DeAndre Levy. Backups - OLB Bobby Carpenter, OLB Ashlee Palmer, MLB Isaiah Ekejiuba, OLB Doug Hogue, OLB Caleb Campbell, MLB Cobrani Mixon.

This is the biggest positional upgrade on the team. By far. The signing of Tulloch, the second-leading tackler in the league last season, allowed Levy to move to the outside where he played in college and in his rookie season. Where last season the Lions started aging Julian Peterson and unpolished Zack Follett on the outside, this year they have Levy and heavy-hitting Durant.

Durant is also excellent in coverage, something neither Peterson nor Follett were.

Carpenter will also be in the rotation. It took him most of last season to acclimate himself with the system, but he's playing fast and loose now. He was the team's leading tackler in the preseason.

It is a fast and physical group.

Levy still took some reps in the middle. If Tulloch ever goes out, Levy would move back over. Palmer has worked some in the middle also, but he is primarily an outside linebacker.

Hogue will play mostly on special teams. Campbell and Mixon could end up on the practice squad.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters - CB Chris Houston, CB Eric Wright, FS Louis Delmas, SS Amari Spievey, NCB, Brandon McDonald. Backups - CB Alphonso Smith, FS John Wendling, SS Erik Coleman, CB Aaron Berry, CB Nathan Vasher, CB Prince Miller, CB Anthony Madison, FS Ricardo Silva, S Aaron Francisco.

The Lions are banking that Wright has a bounce-back year similar to what Houston delivered last year. Houston was as close to a shutdown corner as the team has had in years. Wright is coming off a disastrous season in Cleveland, but he had a strong preseason.

Delmas is also looking to bounce back from a down season. He played through a groin injury last year and didn't come near the production of his rookie season.

Spievey, a converted corner who won the strong safety spot by default last season, has been by far the most improved player in camp. Coleman was expected to start but Spievey has refused to give up the spot. He's still vulnerable on deep routes but he has been superb in short areas and in run support.

Coleman will be prominent in the rotation. He was also one of the leading tacklers on special teams.

The depth at cornerback is still a work in progress. Smith, who led the team with five interceptions, hasn't practiced because of a broken foot. He won't be ready to start the season. In his place, both Berry and McDonald have played well.

Veteran Vasher is fighting for a roster spot with Miller and Madison. It is likely that one, and perhaps, none of those players will make the team.

Silva has been a pleasant surprise. Still raw, he has two interceptions and a fumble recovery in three games. Wendling was a Pro-Bowl alternate on special teams last season, but if the Lions keep Silva, Wendling and Francisco may both be cut.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Jason Hanson, P Nick Harris or Ryan Donahue, LS Don Muhlbach, KR-PR Stefan Logan.

Special teams were a weapon for the Lions last season and they have worked to make it one again, despite the rule changes governing kickoffs. Logan, who ranked in the top five in both kickoff and punt returns, has the green light to bring kicks out of the end zone.

Hanson, healthy after battling knee injuries the last two seasons, had proved adept at placing kicks into the corners and forcing teams to return them. The Lions don't want to concede the 20-yard line.

Their coverage teams, like last season, are led by Isaiah Ekejiuba, Wendling, Carpenter, Logan, as well as newcomers Coleman and Hogue.

Copyright (C) 2011 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.

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