Kerryon Johnson a threat of reception at RB

Later in the practice, Johnson caught another pass that allowed me to write down my notes, a simple check in a red zone drill when he hit the sideline before getting off the court.

The Lions have chosen Theo Riddick as the main receptive for a few seasons. This is the role for which he is best suited, assuming he is part of the team.

But I'm not sure that Riddick is a lock for the training of 53 players – he would make a good bait, like Michael Roberts, in my opinion – and if the Lions decide to go in another direction, they will not. Do not need to do it. take Johnson out of the field on the third descent.

Johnson captured 32 assists in 10 games as rookie last year and I could see him double that production if the opportunity arose this fall.

Lions coach Matt Patricia talks with halfback Kerryon Johnson after the minicamp on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at Allen Park. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

He's a slithery runner who always seems to have positive yards on the ground, and he has better hands as a receiver than most people who have credited him with the merit of being out of the crowd. university.

I still do not see Johnson being more than a player at 20 touches per game this fall while the Lions want to preserve his health. C.J. Anderson, Zach Zenner, Riddick and rookie Ty Johnson all have a chance to win shots with a backup ability.

But when the Lions need to play in their two-minute offense or the game is late, there's no reason Johnson is out on the pitch.

More comments from Thursday:

• Neither Riddick nor Anderson were on the field Thursday in a practice that looked a bit like the last day of school with players ready to go home for the summer. Damon Harrison and Darius Slay remain of course away from the team, and a handful of players have escaped the team (and in some cases) at the individual practices, including Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay Lewis Tommylee, Chris Lacy, Trey Flowers, Steve Longa. and Nick Bawden.

Lions receiver Marvin Jones after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Patriots on Sept. 23, 2018 at Ford Field. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

• I do not know what he's dealing with, but add Christian Jones to the group of Lions who deal with health issues. He did not practice on Thursday, but he briefly pulled out his head from the practice center and had a sleeve on his right leg. Rookie Jahlani Tavai accompanied representatives of the first team to the linebacker alongside Jarrad Davis and Devon Kennard.

• After juggling combinations at the mandatory minicamp last week, the Lions returned to their offensive lineup in the field on Thursday. That meant that Frank Ragnow was playing in the center, right guard Graham Glasgow and Kenny Wiggins left the guard with the first unit. Luke Bowanko, who signed as a free agent earlier this week, took the second team representatives to the center, with Joe Dahl on the left and Oday Aboushi on the right.

• Johnson's tight tackle, Logan Thomas, played the game of the day on Thursday when he jumped high on Tracy Walker in the bottom of the end zone. The Lions have a ton of size in their tight meeting room this year, with Thomas (6-foot-6), Jesse James (6-7) and TJ Hockenson (6-5) looking like a small basketball team university. Expect Stafford to use it in the red zone this fall.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford prepares to take the shot of offensive guard Frank Ragnow during training on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at Allen Park. (Photo: Raj Mehta USA TODAY Sports)

• Stafford also caught a pass on Thursday, when one of his throws was returned to his face at the line of scrimmage. I could not see which defensive player was putting his hand on the ball, but the whistle sounded long before Stafford could turn and return to the ground.

• Stafford has had contact with Marvin Jones and Golladay, although none of the Lions' top two receivers are actually running. The trio, along with quarterbacks Tom Savage and David Fales and receiver Jermaine Kearse, traced mostly stationary fading roads while most of the team members were on the far field doing special exercises. .

• Twice during Thursday's training session, Jeff Davidson, offensive line coach, reunited his group in front of one of two giant screens that Lions have on their home turf. drive to watch the previous period. Matt Patricia praised the educational value of having these signs on the field before, and we saw him in action on Thursday.

• Kicker Matt Prater is one of the least Lions minded, given the reliability of his career. I still had a kick – a play on words – on one of his goals on Thursday. While practicing on the Lions' lean posts, which are about half as wide as ordinary posts, he kicked right and left, before escaping. Give him a hundred chances and I'm not sure he can do it again.

• So much for the observations for the spring. The Lions will start the training camp around July 25 and I will come back with more comments at that time.