Detroit’s final practice before the team’s preseason opener Friday was conducted at two distinctly different speeds. Individual drills were run at half speed.
Team drills, however, began with the Lions running a high-energy “fastball” drill that is normally scheduled later in practice. Although Schwartz said the reason for the early fast-paced action was a response to sluggish effort earlier in the week, the drill created energy that fed the remainder of the workout.
The Lions spent a large portion of practice with the first team units facing their third team counterparts in scouting situations. In addition to giving the third team players more experience against first string competition, the drills provide vital experience for the scout team players that will be charged with preparing the starters during the regular season.
3rd QB contenders struggle: Undrafted free agents Kellen Moore and R.J. Archer are fighting to convince the Lions to keep a third QB this season, but they had difficulty when facing first-team opposition during Thursday’s workout. Moore was intercepted twice in drills. Archer was flushed from the pocket by DE Cliff Avril, and would have been sacked if contact were allowed. Both players face a difficult battle to make the final 53-man roster, because the emergency QB gameday roster designation has been eliminated by the new CBA. To make the team, they’ll have to prove themselves more valuable than an additional depth player at another position -- a tough task given Detroit’s current injury issues.
RB Kevin Smith looks ready to start: Kevin Smith returned to first-team running back duties Thursday after leaving Wednesday’s workout with ice on his quad. With both Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure unavailable for Friday’s preseason opener, Smith and the rest of Detroit’s remaining backs could face a larger workload than they normally would during a typical first exhibition game. Smith was followed in the rotation Friday by Keiland Williams and then Stefan Logan. Logan took some first team reps early in camp, but Williams’ experience in the Lions’ backfield last season gives him a slight edge over Logan on the depth chart.
Leshoure making progress: RB Mikel Leshoure spent Thursday’s workout running with trainers. The work was the first time that Leshoure has been seen running since a hamstring injury sidelined him on the second day of camp. He told reporters he’s hoping to return to full practice next week. Despite suffering an injury he says is completely unrelated to the torn Achilles that ended his 2011 season, Leshoure says he’s coping with missing the first week of training camp. "You try not to get frustrated and for the most part I haven't been," he said. "You just have to learn to deal with it. It's part of the game."
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