Lions down another right tackle as minicamp begins

The Detroit Lions have dealt with a lot of injuries at the right tackle position over the last couple of years. The 2013 season saw Jason Fox, Corey Hilliard and LaAdrian Waddle start multiple games because of injuries, and Waddle, Garrett Reynolds and Cornelius Lucas made multiple starts at right tackle last season.

Unfortunately for the Lions, this trend of injuries at right tackle has carried over to 2015. Waddle is still recovering from a partially torn ACL, for example, and his status for the start of the regular season is up in the air as a result. Lucas is expected to start in Waddle's place at right tackle in the meantime, but now he is dealing with an injury as well.

Lucas said he felt like he had "a great offseason," said he doesn't need surgery on whatever's ailing him.

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) June 16, 2015

Not needing surgery is obviously good news, but Kyle Meinke reports that the Lions had to go to third-stringer Michael Williams at right tackle on Day 1 of their minicamp. I suppose first-team reps could be beneficial to Williams, but hopefully this is just a situation where the Lions are being extra careful with Lucas with the end of the offseason training program almost here.

In other injury news, running back Joique Bell and tight end Joseph Fauria joined Lucas and Waddle on the did-not-practice list. Bell is still recovering from offseason surgery, while Fauria is still trying to get back to 100 percent from the ankle injury that derailed his 2014 season.

Finally, Lions defensive ends Jason Jones and Corey Wootton were both absent from practice on Tuesday. Michael Rothstein reports that their absences were excused by Jim Caldwell, and we know that Wootton's wife just had a baby. It's unclear why Jones was absent, but again, he was excused by Caldwell.