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Third-year running back Kevin Smith could be cut by the Lions later this week, according to the Detroit Free Press. While the plan might have been all along to keep Smith as a complement to rookie Jahvid Best, Smith has not responded well to offseason knee surgery, averaging 2.4 yards per carry this preseason. Head coach Jim Schwartz thinks he needs to develop more confidence in his knee. “Kevin’s a very, very smart football player, and he’s going to do the right thing,” Schwartz said. “He’s got a lot of trust from those things. He just needs — and it’s not so much earning our trust — he just needs to get his own trust with his knee and everything else. I’ve known a lot of people to come back from knee injuries and they need to get to the point where it’s not even on their agenda anymore; they […]

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Cliff Avril, a third-round pick in 2008, has 10 1/2 sacks in his two seasons, but has struggled against the run and has never given Detroit a consistent pass rush. This season, the defensive end will have to improve his performance against the run in order to earn a regular role on the Lions’ revamped defensive line. “I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Avril said. “We’ve got a lot of new guys here, and I know I’ve got to get better.”

Detroit Lion - Cliff Avril - American football positions - NFL - Sports

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Lions rookie K Aaron Pettrey will see more work in practice and the first couple of preseason games after No. 1 K Jason Hanson underwent minor surgery on his knee Tuesday, according to MLive.com. In 2009, Hanson had a similar procedure performed during camp on his other knee, and is expected to be back by the regular season. “Last year, he had an outstanding rehab and was quick to get back,” coach Jim Schwartz said.

Jim Schwartz - Jason Hanson - Season - Surgery - Rookie

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Lions RBs Kevin Smith and Jahvid Best were featured in Sunday’s training camp practice. Smith received more first-team reps and showed improving speed. However, he skipped the afternoon practice because head coach Jim Schwartz said Smith will be limited to one practice per day as he rehabs from a torn ACL.

Jim Schwartz - Kevin Smith - Jahvid Best - Training camp - Head coach

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Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew was activated from the physically unable to perform list and took part in the morning practice on Sunday. Head coach Jim Schwartz said Pettigrew will be limited to one practice per day while he is still rehabbing his knee.

Brandon Pettigrew - Jim Schwartz - Head coach - Physically Unable to Perform - Detroit Lions

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The Detroit Lions placed the following players on the PUP list: S Louis Delmas (personal), S Ko Simpson (knee), TE Will Heller (unspecified), CB Jack Williams (unspecified), and DE Jared DeVries (Achilles’).

Detroit Lions - Louis Delmas - Ko Simpson - NFL - Sports

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The Lions have placed second-year TE Brandon Pettigrew on the PUP list. He is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November. Pettigrew started 11 games a rookie last season, hauling in 30 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns.

Brandon Pettigrew - Tight end - Anterior cruciate ligament - Rookie - Organizations

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According to mlive.com, Lions RB Aaron Brown will have to make the final roster as a return man, and he’s not expected to see much time on offense. The report says that Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is nowhere near the point where he feels he can trust Brown in the offense because Brown simply makes too many mental mistakes.

Aaron Brown - Scott Linehan - Running back - Detroit Lions - Service Clubs

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The Detroit News reports that the Lions are hoping rookie RB Jahvid Best can play like another former Detroit star rusher. The story says the Lions need some pep in their running game, and it looks like Best can provide it. The paper even compares Best to Barry Sanders by saying “not since Barry Sanders have the Lions possessed a back with Best’s speed and open-field running style. Best is actually faster than Sanders, and has shown flashes of being a big-time playmaker.”

Detroit Lion - Barry Sanders - Jahvid Best - NFL - Sport

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The Detroit News reports the Lions are hoping new WR Nate Burleson will do the job Bryant Johnson couldn’t do last year — take some pressure of WR Calvin Johnson. The Lions want to get the ball into Calvin Johnson’s hands more (67 receptions, 984 yards, four TDs), but the problem is that defenses create a large part of their scheme to stopping him. Enter Burleson. He’s shown he’s a great run-after-the-catch receiver, so expect offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to feature him early and often to make defenses aware of his potential.

Calvin Johnson - Detroit Lions - Nate Burleson - Scott Linehan - Bryant Johnson

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