Defensive back injuries hamper Detroit Lions heading into MNF
By Brandon F
The weakest position on the Detroit Lions roster heading into the season was defensive back. That is still the case, but not from a talent standpoint. The Lions are battling injuries at the position and may have to find guys off of the street or start an unprepared rookie for its game against Chicago on Monday Night Football this coming week.
Aug 30, 2012; Detroit, MN, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Jonte Green (36) against the Detroit Lions in a preseason game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US Presswire
Against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Detroit Lions cornerbacks Bill Bentley (shoulder) and Jacob Lacey (concussion) left the game with injuries. Both players sat out practice today, and the team currently only has two healthy cornerbacks on the roster—Chris Houston and rookie Jonte Green.
Green has been an embarrassment, to say the least. It is not his fault, however, because he hasn’t been able to adjust to the speed of the game. Not to mention he has been a liability on special teams. In the past three games, the Lions have allowed four special teams touchdowns, two of which happened because Green missed his assignments.
However, the Lions did have some good news about its defensive backs today.
According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions designated rookie cornerback Chris Greenwood to return to practice on Wednesday. To start the season, Greenwood was added to the PUP list because he had abdominal surgery in the offseason. The team has three weeks to activate him. He will not count toward the 53-man roster until that time.
Several writers have indicated that Greenwood will not add any value to the Lions on game day, as he was unable to participate in training camp and is not anywhere close to being ready from a skillset standpoint. His rookie year may have to happen during his second season with the team.
The Lions will probably not sign anyone this week to revamp the position, but it could be a grim situation for the team if Bentley and Lacey are unable to dress for Monday’s game.