The Detroit Lions officially kicked off their offseason program this week with the first round of OTAs. This gives the coaching staff the first chance to evaluate the roster in its fullest, including the rookies, newcomers, and returning veterans. It will also give them a better insight into some of the positional battles and the competition for the 53-man roster.
While most starters have their roster spot secure for next season, there are plenty of Lions who are on the bubble heading into training camp. One of the positions that will have a fierce battle for a roster spot is safety.
Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are locked in as the starters there for the foreseeable future, but the depth behind them remains in question. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported that safeties coach Jim O'Neil said newcomer Avonte Maddox will be the team's top backup at safety to begin the season.
The Lions will likely have four safeties on the active roster, like last season. This leaves one roster spot open between five players currently on the roster. O'Neil couldn't hide his excitement about the looming fierce competition for that roster spot.
"We got five young, unproven hungry guys that there's one spot, go earn it. And it's exciting to see those guys compete and obviously in the OTAs, then the training camp practices and they'll get the bulk of the work throughout the four preseason games. So we're waiting on one of them to pop."Lions safeties coach Jim O'Neil
Those five players competing for the spot are Dan Jackson, Loren Strickland, Ian Kennelly, Erick Hallett, and Morice Norris.
The favorites to land the job among that group are Jackson and Strickland. The former is the seventh-round pick in this year's draft, and the latter made last year's roster against all odds as an undrafted free agent. Birkett included in his reporting that the team has been impressed with UDFA Ian Kennelly so far, as well.
The No. 4 safety may not sound like the most important role on the team, but considering how the Lions were decimated by injuries last season, having quality contributors as depth pieces can be very important. This will be a storyline worth keeping an eye on before the season.