With the start of Lions training camp comes all the injury news that Dan Campbell and company
have been keeping mum during the offseason. During his opening presser today, Campbell
offered status reports on a few players, with more negative than positive.
Jeff Okudah, CB:
“He’s good to go.” says Campbell. Okudah, whose recovery has been well
documented on his Instagram stories, has been working his way back from an Achilles tear in the
season opener. Per Campbell, “We’re gonna give him some reps…if he looks good today, he’ll
get more…we’re not putting any restrictions on him.” He took some first team reps today, and if
all goes well, heāll be starting in week one.
Romeo Okwara, EDGE:
Okwara, another Achilles victim, has unfortunately not made the same
progress Okudah has. His injury did come later in the season, but heās going to start the season
on the PUP list. āHeās progressing, heās on that trajectory, itās just not as steepā says
Campbell.
Jason Cabinda, FB:
Unfortunately, the Lions are down a superback. For reasons unknown,
Cabinda has been placed on the PUP list. Itās currently unclear who will replace his role in
the offense.
CJ Moore, CB:
Mooreās been placed on the Non-Football Injury list. This one could be a
problem – Mooreās the Lionsā ace gunner on special teams. With him out, thereās serviceable
depth at CB, but special teams is where the problem lies. If the Lions canāt find a reliable
replacement, the special teams unit would take a step backward.
Dan Skipper:
Skipperās on the illness list. As serviceable o-line depth, Skipperās not going
to start, but losing any player is bad news. However, this isnāt a big deal for the future.
Josh Paschal, EDGE:
Paschal has been diagnosed with a sports hernia, per Campbell, who said
āHeās doing well, but itāll be a little bit. Heās doing good. Heās progressing.ā The second round
pick was added to the PUP list over the weekend. Itās good to have some clarity on what
Paschalās dealing with, but his injury, in tandem with Okwaraās, really shortens up options at
EDGE.