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One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

5/12/2013

Detroit Lions: Five things learned at rookie minicamp


 The Detroit Lions’ draft picks, along with undrafted signed free agents and try-outs completed a three-day rookie minicamp on Sunday.

  Here are five things learned:

 1. Ziggy Ansah is really quick off the edge. Yes, he was lined up against undrafted talent on the offensive line, but he was lightning fast — at the quarterback in a flash. No contact allowed, but he would have had several sacks. It’s early but the first look at the first-round pick was positive. Looks like the real deal. (Photo: Ansah during first day of camp by Vaughn Gurganian of The Oakland Press.)

 2. With no contact, it is way too difficult to judge offensive line talent. But guard Larry Warford (third-round out of Kentucky) is one solid big specimen. No belly fat . In fact, he said his body fat was down to 24 percent. He lined up at right guard until he was dinged late in Saturday’s session. He worked individual drills only on Sunday. He could have gone, but coach Jim Schwartz like to err on the side of caution.

3. Both tight ends could find themselves on the 53-man roster. Michael Williams (seventh-round out of Alabama) and undrafted rookie free agent Joe Fauria (UCLA) mixed and matched throughout the minicamp. Fauria is 6-foot-7 and Williams 6-foot-6 could create interesting matchup problems. Fauria said he has a permanent chip on his shoulder because he wasn’t drafted and will do anything to make the roster. These two will push Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler (both in the last year of their contracts). Williams is known as more of a blocking tight end, but he can catch. Fauria, who is thin, excels more at catching and, in fact, lined up in his senior season as a slot receiver.

4. Steven Miller, undrafted running back out of Appalachian State, was buzzing on the field. He’s tiny at 5-foot-7 and 172, but is slippery when he’s running the ball. Loved the fact that during one return drill on Sunday he was making his way back to the group after his attempt, when he noticed the next guy up wasn’t paying attention. So Miller stepped right in and got an extra repetition. Guarantee you the coaches saw that on the field and on film.

5. Wide receiver Corey Fuller (sixth round out of Virginia Tech) is light on football experience, but he was one of the standouts of the weekend. He has size (6-foot-2) and speed. Last season he averaged 18 yards per catch at Virgnia Tech. Long way to go, but Lions need help at wide receiver. Fuller is off to a good start.

(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Order her book,  “100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die’’ here. It’s also available at bookstores.)

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heard that Cory Fuller was running past DB's all weekend, but non of the QB's could hit him.

3:14 PM 

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