The Lions’ safety picture is shaping up as one of the clearest competitions in training camp, even if the position itself comes with plenty of uncertainty.
Detroit heads into camp with a secondary that needs close watching, and safety sits right in the middle of that conversation. The biggest issue is health. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph both begin the summer with question marks, and that alone makes the early days of camp worth tracking.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman pointed to the roster math as the key issue, noting that the number of safeties the team carries on the initial 53-man roster will hinge on Joseph’s knee and Branch’s status as he works back from a torn Achilles. He also pointed out that Chuck Clark and Christian Izien handled nearly all of the first-team work at the two safety spots during OTAs and minicamp, with both players cross-trained and positioned as the main backups heading into camp.
That setup gives Detroit some flexibility, and it also makes the competition feel pretty straightforward. The Lions have enough bodies at the spot, but the players most likely to stick are the ones who can handle multiple roles and bring some experience with them. A player like Dan Jackson could end up on the practice squad if the team wants another option available in case injuries pile up.
For now, the opportunity is there for someone to separate himself while Branch and Joseph work their way back. That’s not a bad place to be for a position carrying this many health concerns.
Clark, in particular, doesn’t sound like a player bothered by the temporary spotlight. Detroit didn’t make a splashy move in the secondary this offseason, but the additions they did make were practical ones, including Clark and Avonte Maddox. Clark has been in this kind of spot before, and he made it clear he doesn’t view the situation as pressure.
"Never been pressure. To me, it's football.
Regardless of how I go, who's up, who's down, you always got to be ready. I think for me (or) any player in this league, that's what you train for, for the moments, for your opportunity to come whenever (the) opportunity comes.
I just look at how I got my my start in this league. I wasn't a starter, but in a matter of a week, I became a starter, a green dot player, captain of a defense.
You got to be ready for whatever in this league."
That kind of mindset is exactly why Clark looks like such a steady fit while Detroit waits on its starters. If Izien wins the job next to him, the Lions could open the season with a dependable pair. And beyond that, the real intrigue will be whether anyone else can force their way into the conversation.
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