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The Detroit Lions made a roster move on Tuesday, announcing the release of veteran defensive back Jalen Mills from the practice squad. Mills had been elevated three times this season, but the team has now parted ways with him.
Second-year safety Brian Branch has returned to practice, and if the front office determines that Mills has met his obligations, it could open the door for the former second-round pick to see game action again after rehabbing from an Achilles injury.
Additionally, with Rock Ya-Sin's hamstring injury potentially being a long-term issue, there remains a possibility for Mills to return if the Lions opt to place Ya-Sin on injured reserve. The team will practice throughout the upcoming week, giving the medical staff ample time to evaluate Branch's readiness and potential playing time against the Green Bay Packers.
Rookie Keith Abney Impresses at Safety
Lions rookie defensive back Keith Abney had not played safety since middle school, but he was thrust into the role alongside Chuck Clark against the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Dan Campbell was pleased with Abney's performance. "I thought he was solid," Campbell said. "The things that popped up for him were the, 'Hey, I haven't done this before,' which is what you want for a rookie. He's learning as he goes, but we feel very confident that he will learn from those and he won't make those mistakes again. So, I thought he played a good game. First start, first NFL start at safety, never played safety. He's banked some reps for us. We've been cross-training him. But, just man, there's meat on the bone there and he's got room to grow and we feel like he can continue to grow and get better."
Campbell also took a moment to praise the Lions' faithful who traveled to Carolina. "The other thing I want to mention before I got started, I should have said this, man, our fans were outstanding, man. They traveled well to Carolina," Campbell added. "We just didn't give them anything to cheer about. But, I mean, they took over that stadium and you could hear them. And by the end of it, it was good stuff, man. So man, we hear them. We hear you and we love it. We love it."
The former NFL tight end indicated that Abney has a natural feel for the safety position, which could lead to increased playing time as the season progresses. "I think that's a lot of it is, man, what is my responsibility? Some of this, we talk about quarter key. Depending on formation, three by one, two by two, am I getting too vertical to me? Well, if it does, then I stay engaged," Campbell explained when asked about the coaching staff's emphasis with the young defender. "If not and everything starts to go away, I quarter key, read the quarterback's eyes, then feel the pattern match or feel what's coming to me. So, it's different than corner because now you're seeing the whole big picture. And sometimes those guys, when you see the whole big picture, it's too much. But, he's kind of got a feel. He's got a feel for it. He's kind of crafty that way. And he's a little bit of jack of all trades and just a young growing player. And that was a step in the right direction yesterday. That was good to see. I mean, he's worth continuing to work with at safety."
John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013, bringing a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network, and has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland Press. Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!