The Detroit Lions escaped their first week of preseason without the injury bug biting them. The same cannot be said after their loss to Washington on Thursday Night. In this edition of Lions Notes, we discuss those injuries as well as a few roster moves that were made.
Jordan Thompson - Tight end Jordan Thompson appeared to suffer a serious knee injury against Washington. Details of his injury are not known. The Lions have placed Thompson on waivers. If he goes unclaimed in the next 24 hours, he will default to the Lions' injured reserve list. Thompson saw brief action last season, but spent most of the season on the practice squad.
Taylor Mays - Once a highly touted prospect out of USC, Taylor Mays was drafted by San Francisco in 2010. He spent four seasons with Cincinnati before signing with Minnesota earlier this year. The Lions signed him in June, and Mays did not play a single snap against Washington and only played a handful the week prior against the Jets.
After Thursday's game against Washington, Mays asked to be released. The Lions did not object. When coach Jim Caldwell was asked why Mays didn't play in Thursday night's matchup he said, "It's just kind of one of those things where everybody's got to perform and he gave it his best".
Mays was not expected to make the final 53-man roster. The Lions also waived WR Jared Haggins although coach Caldwell had been commenting that Haggins "was catching everything" during the off-season. The Lions face a log-jam at wide receiver and Haggins was not expected to make the roster in any capacity.
Larry Warford - The guard was injured on a play in the first quarter of the Washington game. He went on to play a few more snaps before exiting the game. As usual, coach Caldwell did not give much insight to Warford's injury, only saying, "It's going to be a little while. I couldn't give you an exact time frame with any of those guys."
Warford is believed to have a high ankle sprain with a heal time of 4-6 weeks. The Lions are not in any rush to bring Warford back until he is completely healthy. They have depth at the previously thin guard position. The Lions also have first-round draft pick Laken Tomlinson, veteran Manny Ramirez, and Taylor Boggs. Boggs was their highest rated PFF offensive player in their first preseason game against the NY Jets.
Caraun Reid - Like Warford, defensive tackle Caraun Reid also left Thursday's game with an apparent ankle injury, also believed to be a high-ankle sprain. Throughout the offseason, players and coaches alike have been raving about the progress of the 2014 draft pick. Some have even went as far as to say that Reid was the defense's most improved player. Reid's recovery time is expected to be 4-6 weeks.
Jason Jones - Jason Jones was removed from the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. Jones is recovering from a minor knee procedure that was done earlier this summer. The versatile defensive end can play all four defensive line positions. Jones played all 16 games last season and finished with 22 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. Jones did individual drills at Sunday's practice. He is expected to be a starter as soon as he hits the field.
LeAdrian Waddle - Waddle was also removed from the PUP list. Waddle is expected to be the starting right tackle for the season opener. In his absence, Cornelius Lucas and converted tight end Michael Williams have been playing and taking snaps with the first unit. "I've definitely been champing at the bit to get back out here, and it felt good to actually come out and do stuff with the team again," Waddle to The Detroit News.
Alex Carter - Rookie cornerback Alex Carter saw his first practice action on Sunday. The 3rd-round pick out of Stanford has been dealing with an ankle sprain. Carter has not dressed for the preseason this year. Carter will have to hit the ground running to get playing time. He will help out a unit that struggled against Washington.
There were several players noticeably absent from Sunday's practice: Isa Abdul-Quddus, Ziggy Ansah, Crezdon Butler, Kyle Van Noy, Caraun Reid, Kevin Snyder, and Larry Warford did not attend Sunday's practice. Lance Moore also missed practice, but that was due to the birth of his daughter.