Here are some notes and observations from the Detroit Lions’ Sunday morning training camp practice.
● Much like it was last season, Detroit’s secondary has been something of a revolving door, with top options in and out of the lineup with minor injuries.
The team got back two key pieces on Sunday, with safety Kerby Joseph and starting slot cornerback Amik Robertson returning to action.
That was the good news. Unfortunately, Ennis Rakestraw — slotted for first-team reps with Terrion Arnold still nursing a sore hamstring — was removed after suffering a shoulder injury on the first rep of a one-on-one tackling drill.
It’s been a brutal start to camp for Rakestraw. After a strong showing in OTAs, injuries have prevented him from building on that momentum. He suffered a nasty chest contusion from a midfield collision, which sidelined him for four practices and has continued to be a lingering source of discomfort.
After whiffing while trying to bring down receiver Tom Kennedy on Sunday, Rakestraw was slow to get up. My initial thought was a reagitation of the chest contusion. However, the second-year defender was clutching the opposite arm as trainers looked him over.
The evaluation of the injury was ongoing after practice, and we should have a better understanding regarding the extent of the damage ahead of Monday’s practice.
With Rock-Ya Sin focused on practicing at safety for the first time, it was Dicaprio Bootle who took the majority of the first-team cornerback reps opposite DJ Reed. Bootle also briefly exited after he appeared to have the wind knocked out of him after a violent collision with Craig Reynolds, only to return a few minutes later.
