The Detroit Lions face a tough personnel choice before the players even report to Allen Park for training camp. It’s a decision that directly impacts the rookie class and its ability to participate and contribute to the team.
As part of the new agreement between the NFL and NFLPA cemented on Friday, all teams must either bring only 80 players to training camp or divide the camp into two groups that cannot work together. One of those groups would consist of veterans and the other would be comprised of rookies and first-year players only.
The Lions, like all NFL teams, need to choose their camp path by Tuesday. All Lions players are scheduled to take the first of two required COVID-19 tests Tuesday, with the second test on Friday. Players who test negative both times will begin taking their physicals on Saturday, Aug. 1.
It’s a difficult choice for the Lions. If they opt to split the team, players like Jeff Okudah, D’Andre Swift and the rest of the draft class will not be working with the regular starters. Okudah is expected to start right away, while Swift and several other rookies will be relied upon to play meaningful reps in 2020.
If Detroit opts to dump 10 players to get to the 80-man limit, it’s a huge blow to the undrafted free agents and younger veterans desperately hoping to make a name for themselves this summer. The split workouts would allow those players to remain with the team until at least August 17th, per the COVID-19 labor agreement.