The injured players
The Detroit Lions are down some of their key players to start training camp. The pass rushers are particularly hit by the PUP and NFI bugs. Both Ziggy Ansah, and free agent acquisition Devon Kennard are missing from the start of the team’s ramp up to the season.
“Those guys will be out there when they’re ready to go and for us, we’ll just evaluate everybody that is,” Coach Patricia said when asked. “That certainly gives some other guys an opportunity to get some more time out on the field.”
Patricia is not concerned about what happened over the last two seasons with Ansah. “This is my first year with him so the stuff that happened previously doesn’t matter. He’s really worked hard to get himself ready to go and he’s not quite there yet.”
Patricia may be comfortable with Ansah’s situation but many Lions fans are antsy. They have seen this before and it hasn’t gone anywhere good. Ansah is only half of that equation, Devon Kennard is also suddenly on the NFI list and not in football shape.
“It’s the same situation obviously, it was just working out, trying to get ready, and he came in and he’s just not quite ready to go.” Coach Patricia expressed. “When he is we’ll get him out there and take him off that and he’ll be good.”
The Lions need Ansah and Kennard to be a big part of the defense this season, but it is a little early to be hitting the panic button.
Diggs is part of the safety group
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the question asked was regarding Glover Quin. Patricia clearly knows how lucky the Lions are in having a player like Quinn on the back end. “He’s a great football player and has an unbelievable skill set, a very smart football player.”
He mentioned how important communication is for the safeties. He referred to To Quinn, Tavon Wilson, and Quandre Diggs specifically as guys that have to be communicative “on the back end.”
There has been a lot of speculation this off-season that Diggs’ move at the end of 2017 to the safety spot could become permanent. Coach Patricia seems to have confirmed that at least for the moment that is the case.