Louis Delmas, Jahvid Best not at Lions' OTAs

The Detroit Lions continued their OTAs on Wednesday with another practice. Several players were unable to participate in the practice, but only safety Louis Delmas and running back Jahvid Best were completely absent, according to the Free Press.

Why exactly is Delmas not attending the Lions' OTAs? It turns out he is still rehabbing his knees from injuries that forced him to miss half of the 2012 season. It's worth noting that OTAs are voluntary, and Jim Schwartz doesn't seem to have an issue with Delmas not being at the Lions' facility since he would simply be watching from the sideline. From the Free Press:

"We’re in communication with Lou," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He’s not here right now going through this stuff, but there’s nothing that he can get out of this because he can’t physically do the stuff that we’re doing right now."

Schwartz also said that since Delmas isn't new to the system or anything, there's not a whole lot he can gain from being at the OTAs. Since getting him healthy is the No. 1 priority, he is off rehabbing his knees. The main thing for the Lions is to make sure he is ready to go for the regular season, and considering his new contract is filled with incentives, he obviously wants to make sure he's healthy as well.

As for Best, I guess there's no point in him attending the OTAs given that his situation hasn't changed. He still hasn't been cleared to return by doctors, and it's highly unlikely he will ever be able to return. As a result, there's really nothing to be gained by having him at the OTAs.