Yet there’s another positional battle shaping up, one which has been a recurring issue for several years: return specialist.
Other than sporadic greatness in a couple of seasons from Jeremy Ross and the occasional sizzler from Ameer Abdullah in his 2015 rookie campaign, the Lions return game has not been much of an asset. Now with Abdullah expected to take a more prominent role as the starting running back, the return role appears wide open once again.
That’s not to say the second-year runner from Nebraska won’t get the return gig. He did lead the league in both kick return yards (1077) and attempts (37), thanks in part to his freaky 104-yard return that did not result in a touchdown.