Jahvid Best not taking part in Lions' minicamp

Around this time a year ago, Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best was going through the team's mandatory minicamp. The Lions were expecting Best to be cleared for contact in time for training camp, and they were expecting him to be a big part of their offense in 2012.

Best never did end up getting cleared to return, and he missed the entire 2012 season as a result. With him still out from the concussion he suffered during the 2011 season, it seems unlikely that we will ever see Best play again in the NFL. His status has not changed, and just as was the case with the Lions' OTAs, he's not taking part in their mandatory minicamp this week.

Jahvid Best is not taking part in #Lions minicamp. Jim Schwartz declined comment on Best other than to say "he's still on our roster"

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) June 11, 2013

Best's absence is not unexpected, of course. This is why the Lions went out and signed running back Reggie Bush this offseason. Lions general manager Martin Mayhew admitted after the 2012 season that his biggest mistake was not having a backup plan for Best, and that presumably had a lot to do with Mayhew's desire to sign Bush this offseason.