Detroit Lions rookie fifth-round pick Keith Abney was in the mix on defense in Week 1, but was inactive in Week 2. Due to the injuries that the Lions suffered in Week 2, the Lions are expecting him to have a bigger role when the team hosts the New York Jets in Week 3.
Head coach Dan Campbell noted that while the injuries have to do with him having a bigger role this week, he also thinks Abney has shown that he deserves having more put on his plate.
“I’ll say this about Abney, man: for a rookie, he is a pretty dang smart, conscientious, aware football player that’s got a ton of room to really take off, so that’s a good sign,” Campbell admitted. “He’s young; he’s another one that just needs reps and reps.”
Campbell noted that the team might shift Abney to safety more if they need to. Abney played outside cornerback during his college career. However, he has been playing in the slot since being drafted. Now, he is sprinkling in work at safety, according to Campbell.
That is a lot to put on the plate of a fifth-round rookie and might speak to how they feel about his potential.
Detroit Lions Are High on CB Keith Abney
In Week 1, the team rotated Abney in with Roger McCreary in the slot. Abney ended up playing 25 snaps. However, the team got Christian Izien back from his illness in Week 2. So, they made Abney inactive.
Avonte Maddox got hurt in Week 2, though. So, the team is likely going to push Izien from a platoon in the slot into the safety role.
With Izien out of the picture in the slot, Detroit will likely have Abney and McCreary continue to rotate into the slot.
If the team has Izien and Abney on the field at the same time, they can try to interchange who is in the safety role and who plays in the slot.
Lions Have Too Much Changing in Secondary
It is nice that the Lions have so many options with versatility. At the same time, the team might be doing too much on the back end right now. They were platooning Thomas Harper and Chuck Clark in the first two weeks. With Harper likely out this week, they might tone down how often they rotate a third safety into the mix.
Still, between that and a rotation in the slot, the Lions had extra players coming on and off the field far too often. It was asking a shorthanded group to do more communication and have more understanding than a typical starter would.
So, the breakdowns have continued.
The Lions do not appear to think this is an issue, though. Their plan appears to be putting more on the plate of their rookie and asking him to do even more. They are also shifting their free agent addition Izien, from the role they had him playing in training camp.
It is starting to make sense why the secondary is such an issue through two weeks.
Dan Campbell Reveals Bigger Role for Lions Rookie