Latest News out of Detroit Lions' Training Camp

The Detroit Lions are attempting to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in 20 years.

The team surpassed expectations when it put together an 11-win campaign in 2014. As a result, fans’ enthusiasm is soaring.

This isn’t New England or Green Bay where making the playoffs is an annual expectation. Since 2000, the Lions have just three winning seasons, zero division titles and two playoff appearances.

Even though training camp is only a week old, there hasn’t been a season in recent memory with as much anticipation for Lions fans as 2015.

As camp continues, the team has plenty of questions to answer if it hopes to continue its ascension into NFL relevancy.

Can the defense remain dominant without Ndamukong Suh? Is Ameer Abdullah the spark the running game needs? Can Eric Ebron become a factor in the passing game?

Here’s a look at the latest news from Lions training camp.

Haloti Ngata injury woes

When Suh opted to sign with the Miami Dolphins, he left a gigantic hole in the middle of the Lions defense.

Still, the front office didn’t panic and took a big step toward patching that hole when the team traded for Ngata.

Talent wise, the Lions weren’t going to upgrade from Suh, but trading for Ngata was a no-brainer.

Known as a run-stuffer, Ngata is expected to play a prominent role in a defense that ranked No. 2 in the NFL last season.

Yet a week into camp, the veteran defensive tackle has yet to practice with his new team.

Due to a strained hamstring, the Lions put Ngata on the active non-football injury a week ago. There hasn’t been any indication that he’s nearing a return, and he hasn’t done any rehab work during practice, but head coach Jim Caldwell told Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com that Ngata heals fast:

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He’s coming along. He’s on schedule as the doctors have him, in terms of his pace of what he’s supposed to be doing, etc. They have him doing a few more things inside. It’s not necessarily because he’s not doing it out here doesn't mean he’s not doing anything. He’s moving and running and he’ll be back soon.

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If Ngata isn’t healthy to start the season, the Lions are forced to roll the dice with a group of young, unproven talent at defensive tackle.

With Suh, Nick Fairley and C.J Mosley all leaving the Lions via free agency, the club doesn’t have a veteran presence beyond Ngata.

Tyrunn Walker, Caraun Reid, Gabe Wright and Jerel Worthy have a total of five starts between them.

Luckily for fans, Caldwell told Rothstein he doesn’t expect Ngata to miss the start of the season.

“I think he’ll be back soon,” Caldwell said Monday. “And that means sooner than the opener.”

Abdullah turning heads

When Caldwell was hired before the 2014 season, he told reporters that creating a run game was an emphasis for his team.

Running the ball proved a major issue for the Lions in 2014. The team had the fifth fewest rushing yards in the league and averaged 3.6 yards per rush attempt. Since 2004, the Lions have had just two 1,000-yard rushers.

Joique Bell, who rushed for 860 yards last season, is a solid running back, but the Lions needed to add a complement. After cutting Reggie Bush in the offseason and with Theo Riddick being more of a passing threat, the position needed an upgrade.

The team selected Abdullah in the second round of the 2015 draft.

As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noted, Abdullah is a hard runner with “great lateral ability,” has “uncanny vision” and is excellent at catching passes. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told Birkett that the rookie’s been a thorn is his defense’s side during practice.

“We can’t even tackle that guy,” Austin said. “We can’t even touch him. He’s like grasping at air.”

With quarterback Matthew Stafford taking a career high in sacks last season, the Lions dedicated resources toward beefing up its pass protection this offseason. Abdullah told Birkett he expects to make an impact in that department.

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I feel like I’m pretty good (in pass protection). Really good, actually. Pass protections, the way they break things down (here), you got this if this happens, and it’s clear cut. And if this happens, you’ve got that. It’s clear cut. And it helps you make quicker decisions and be in position to strike your defender as effectively as possible.

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It’s been an impressive start to camp for the rookie, but running backs coach Curtis Modkins told Birkett that fans need to temper expectations this early.

“I just know that it’s real early, man, and right now he’s in a learning process and there’s a lot to learn,” Modkins said. “I’m excited about where he’s at, and I’m really excited about where he can be, but in this business you have to do it. And you got to do it when it counts.”

Even with a stellar preseason, it’s unlikely that Abdullah will leapfrog Bell to start the season. If Abdullah continues impressing and makes an impact early in the season, he could supplant himself as the starting running back midway through the year.

Ebron catching on

Drops and inconsistency plagued Ebron in 2014.

The second-year tight end’s struggles were magnified by a fan base angered that the Lions took Ebron over the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald and Kyle Fuller in the 2014 draft.

After a 25-catch rookie season, Ebron has shown an improved work ethic and is responding with a good camp. Tight ends coach Ron Prince told Birkett that Ebron’s development will be on display this season.

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He’s a very positive, energetic, upbeat personality who brings a lot of energy, and I think we all understand that we would like to have a lot of patience. We just don’t have a lot of time and that’s just the reality of our world. He’s going to get an opportunity to impact the game this fall, and the better he does, the better we’ll do.

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The Lions are hoping Ebron can become the significant contributor the team envisioned when it drafted him.

If Ebron takes a step forward, he can fill a role similar to the one Jimmy Graham had in the New Orleans Saints’ high-powered offense. In recent years, the Lions struggled to fill the No. 3 receiver role, but Ebron can solidify himself as one of Stafford’s top targets.

“I can be whatever he needs me to be,” Ebron said. “As long as he’s throwing the ball and I’m catching it we’ll always be happy.”

What do you think? Can the Lions defense take a step forward without Suh? Is Abdullah the solution to the running game? Can the offense count on contributions from Ebron?

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