The Detroit Lions got several key players back on the practice field Saturday as they get ready to host Washington next Saturday for their second preseason contest.
Top cornerback D.J. Reed has been out the last week and a half with a groin injury, but was back practicing Saturday and didn't look hampered at all. He had some good one-on-one reps with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and his return is a welcome sight for Detroit's defense. Reed's had a pretty strong camp so far.
Veteran center/guard Juice Scruggs has missed the last week with a soft tissue injury and returned Saturday, taking all the first-team reps at center. He and second-year OL Seth McLaughlin are competing to replace Cade Mays at center until he returns from a wrist injury.
"It's just another opportunity. Next man up and I'm ready," Scruggs said after Saturday's practice. "It just felt good being back out here, man. Out for about a week and it felt like a month. I'm just happy to be back out there with the guys."
Also back at practice was rookie edge rusher Derrick Moore. He missed close to two weeks with a groin injury. The Lions expect Moore to play a big role on the edge of their defensive line along with Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum and others.
Veteran running back Sione Vaki made his return to practice after suffering an eye injury and a broken nose the first padded practice of camp Aug. 2. Vaki is not only one of Detroit's top special teams players but he is also trying to earn the No. 3 running back role behind Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco on offense. His return is big for that running back room after Jacob Saylors (ankle) and Kye Robichaux (foot) were injured in Thursday's preseason loss in Cincinnati.
GREAT COMPLIMENT
Lions head coach Dan Campbell was asked Saturday about rookie cornerback Keith Abney II and his play in his preseason debut Thursday. Campbell said he was impressed by Abney's performance after watching the tape.
"I though Abney played a good game. He feels like a football player," Campbell said. "He's felt that way out here. And that showed up the other night. He's got a knack. He's pretty instinctive, plays aggressive, not too big for him.
"And I thought he did some things certainly on defense, but special teams too. There's a couple of things where he's out there at jammer that were a little bit – we have got to work on some stuff. But overall, he certainly showed up, man. That was good by him."
'He feels like a football player.' Coming from Campbell, that's a pretty good compliment. At least Abney thought so walking off the practice field Saturday.
"That's a great compliment," he said with a huge smile on his face. "Especially coming from coach. It just gives me motivation to keep working, staying poised and keep stacking those days and keep getting more compliments like that."
Abney recorded five tackles and recovered a fumble against the Bengals.
PRESEASON TAPE
Campbell was asked about the play upfront along the offensive line against Cincinnati after getting a chance to watch the tape. He was particularly impressed with how his starting tackle combination of Larry Borom and Blake Miller played. He also thought left guard Christian Mahogany 'was a force,' but has to clean up a couple fundamentals.
Two names Campbell mentioned as standouts to him from Thursday after watching the tape were defensive lineman Chris Smith and cornerback Ryan Cooper Jr.
"Smith, I thought played his tail off," Campbell said. "The amount of just slug it out, dirty work that guy does. I mean, we had one clip, we only got 10 on defense and he's smart enough to say, 'You know what? Fine.' He just gets to a zero nose to balance out the front. We only got three. And he battles in there. He takes three guys on. I thought he played well.
"Cooper (Jr.), that was a hell of a hit he made over there. I know it was one play, but it's like, I know who he is now. He got a ball out."
