• The Lions' third day of training camp (on Saturday) featured a full pads practice in the morning and a special teams session in the afternoon in shells.
• Wide receiver Reggie Ball is likely done for the season after suffering a knee injury in practice on Friday.

  On WR Reggie Ball's injury: "He's out, no question about that. It's a knee (injury). I can't say exactly what it all is. The (doctor) I know came in this morning to look at it, but he's out."
  
  On whether Ball is out for the season: "He could be out - done."
  
  On whether Ball will need surgery: "Once the (doctor) sees - I want to see what he says today. But it doesn't look good."

  Ball was a long shot to make the team, but it's still disappointing to see any player get hurt, especially that seriously.  Ball was able to walk off the practice field on his own after lying on the ground for a bit, but it's obvious that he hurt his knee pretty badly based on Rod Marinelli's above comments.
  
• The first pair of practices open to the general public are on Tuesday.  Practice times for that day are 8:35 a.m., and either 3:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m.  I've seen both listed and will see if the Lions can clarify the exact time.  Gates open a half hour before each practice and only the first 700 fans there will be allowed in.  Here is some more info on all open practices:

  Re-entry is not permitted and children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Personal belongings are subject to inspection upon entry and items not permitted into open practices include: professional cameras (lenses over five inches long and/or 50mm or above), any video camera, food, beverage, coolers, lawn chairs, blankets, umbrellas, backpacks or large bags. The fan viewing area features: bleacher seating areas, additional standing areas, a shaded tent area, The Roar & More team store, offering items such as official 2008 Training Camp and Sideline apparel, and concessions. Though autographs are not guaranteed, it was common in 2007 for Lions' players and coaches to meet fans following practice sessions.

• Teddy Lehman's contract is for one year.
• After three days of being able to evaluate injured players, there are surprisingly still zero changes to the PUP list.  S Daniel Bullocks, TE Dan Campbell, WR Shaun McDonald, and OG Edwin Mulitalo are all still stuck on the PUP list, meaning they are not able to practice.  It was initially expected that at least one of the four would be back on the active roster by now, but obviously the Lions don't want to rush anyone back to practice too soon.
• Zero Lions were fined this year for being overweight.  That is a nice thing to hear for a change after having players like Mike Williams and Shaun Rogers face weight issues in the past.
• Jim Colletto has already installed most of the Lions' base offense in only three days of practice.
• According to Colletto, Dan Orlovsky is ahead of Drew Stanton so far when it comes to who will be Jon Kitna's backup.
• Jared DeVries is hungry for the left defensive end starting spot.
• Mike O'Hara caught up with Cory Redding.
• The Lions are learning about having discipline quickly as an officiating crew has been in attendance the last three days.
• Tom Kowalski has quite a few tidbits posted from yesterday.
• The Free Press has a photo gallery up of Friday's afternoon practice.
• MLive has audio of Caleb Campbell's interview on the Dan Patrick Show.
• Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers picked off a pass in practice that was similar to his INT he had that went back for a TD against Denver last year.

• Saturday?  Although I rarely post on the weekends in the offseason, I felt there was a need to today since so much is going on right now with the start of training camp.  I can't tell you for sure if there will be another post tomorrow or if weekend posts will continue in the future, but as long as there is a lot to talk about, I will keep you all updated regardless of the time of the week.
• Anyways, getting to the important stuff, the Lions' second day of practice was held outside for both sessions.  In the morning the Lions wore full pads and in the afternoon were in shells.
• Jordon Dizon was able to get out on the practice field in the afternoon after missing the morning session.  He also said that he regrets not telling the Lions about his drunk driving arrest that happened just days before the draft.  He only came clean with Rod Marinelli once the arrest became public knowledge, but at least he did admit his mistake.
  
• Cornerback Leigh Bodden has officially signed his four-year, $27 million contract extension.  Back on Thursday, Bodden picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown.  That was before he found out about his contract extension, too.  I bet he was pretty happy how his first day of Lions training camp went.
• On Friday, Bodden got another interception, and linebackers Paris Lenon and Buster Davis also got a couple of picks, although Davis was stripped by Calvin Johnson after the INT.  Is it just me, or are there way too many interceptions being thrown?  I know the Lions don't have the best QBs around, but man, it seems like a lot of passes are being picked off.
  
• Ernie Sims participated in team drills on Friday after not being a part of them on Thursday.  That's good news as it obviously means his injury isn't too big of a concern right now.
• There have been no changes to the PUP list despite some speculation that a player or two would be taken off and put on the active roster.
• Rookie running back Kevin Smith was treated like the rookie he is by a couple of veterans after his first practice.  He had to carry the shoulder pads and helmets of Tatum Bell and Aveion Cason.
• College quarterback turned NFL receiver Reggie Ball injured his knee yesterday in practice.
• An Army graduate and one-time Tigers draft pick thinks that Caleb Campbell would better serve the Army by playing for the Lions rather than possibly going to Iraq in the future.
• Speaking of Campbell, somebody needs to tell CNN he was a seventh-round pick, not a first-rounder.
• The Free Press has a partial transcript up of Matt Millen's recent interview on WDFN.
• MLive has a photo gallery of the Lions' second day of camp up.
• NBC will stream its Sunday night football games on the Internet for free.  This is the first time NFL games will be live on the Internet for free, and as expected, other networks aren't exactly thrilled about this development.
• Finally, in an unrelated note, I f***ing hate Todd Jones.  The Tigers went from being 4.5 games back to 6.5 as Jones served up a home run with only 1 more out needed for the win.  They don't call him Roller Coaster for nothing.

For the next 6 months at least, Caleb Campbell will be serving the Army by being a football coach.  That's much better than being over in Iraq or Afghanistan, but it really makes me wonder why he couldn't just play for the Lions instead.  I get that the ruling is what it is, but to take Campbell's shot at the NFL away to go make him coach just doesn't make sense.

Campbell said he will serve as a graduate assistant football coach for the next six months at West Point or the U.S. Military Academy’s prep school in New Jersey – an assignment he received before the NFL draft. After that, he could go through more military training and be deployed.

Even in times where I personally would be angry beyond belief, Campbell is keeping a good attitude about the whole situation, which just shows how high his character is. 

“It’s unfortunate that this happened, but there’s nothing I can do about it,” he said. “So I’m just going to drive on as I’ve been told and as I’ve been taught the last four years at the academy. …

“I would like to be angry in a sense, because it’s always been a dream of mine to play in the National Football League. But I also know that when I entered the academy that I was signing up to be an officer, so I’m more than excited to pursue this opportunity as well.”

Once Campbell does get done with 2 years of doing whatever for the Army, he will likely get a chance to pursue his NFL career once again.  I hope he is back on the Lions' roster in 2010, and Campbell hopes for the same.

Campbell, a seventh-round pick this year out of West Point, can apply for early release from active duty in May 2010. He said he spoke to team president Matt Millen and “the Lions would be ecstatic to have me back.”

“I’m going to work out every day like I’m training in training camp,” Campbell told “The Dan Patrick Radio Show” on Thursday, as he drove from Detroit back to West Point, N.Y. “It’s still a dream of mine, and if they’re going to give me that opportunity two years later, I’m definitely going to take it.”

I've said this before but it never can be said too many times.  I thank Campbell for what he will be doing in the coming 2 years with the Army, and should he get deployed overseas, I hope he stays safe.  Once his 2 years of service are up, I would love nothing more than to see him back in a Lions uniform.

(Photo courtesy DetroitLions.com)

• The Lions will take the practice field in Allen Park this morning for the first time to signify the beginning of training camp.  The offseason isn't technically over until the first regular season game kicks off, but for football fans, it is over.  Once training camp gets rolling, Pride of Detroit will post daily updates of the latest tidbits from each and every practice.  To some it may not seem like there will be a whole lot to talk about as all Detroit is doing is practicing, but trust me, there are a countless number of things to discuss throughout the next month or so.
• Aside from whether or not Jordon Dizon will be signed in time to practice this morning, the one thing I'm keeping my eye on is which players will be on the PUP list.  There were reports recently that said four players may be on the list, one of them being Ernie Sims, so it will be interesting to see who is held out of practice due to injury.
• To listen to Rod Marinelli's "state of the team" address from yesterday, click here.
• Nicholas Cotsonika believes the Army "mishandled" Caleb Campbell's situation, and I agree with him 100%.  The Army enacted the policy that allowed Campbell to play in the NFL as they figured it would create good PR for the Army.  And they were right up until yesterday.  Campbell was all over ESPN and the NFL Network, was featured in magazines, and was a familiar name on many sports websites.
  
  Despite all of that good PR generated since April, the Army now will likely be ridiculed by many for this sudden change that is forcing Campbell to put his NFL career on hold.  Changing the policy is one thing.  But forcing Campbell to suddenly leave the Lions after allowing him to play is just plain wrong.
• Brian VanOchten took a look at the legal issues many Lions are facing and how their actions are embarrassing the team.
• USA Today put together a list of the five most intriguing running backs for the 2008 season, and Detroit's Kevin Smith was included in the discussion.
• Fox Sports' power rankings have the Lions coming in at the 29th spot.
• Reminder: Lions practices are open to the general public on July 29, August 1, and August 4-5.  Practice times on those days will be announced 24 hours in advance, but generally the morning session starts at 8:35 a.m. and the afternoon session begins at 4:30 p.m.  Gates open a half hour before practice starts, and only the first 700 fans will be allowed in, so make sure to get there at an early enough time.
  
  If you happen to attend a practice, feel free to put up a FanPost reporting what you saw and what the general experience was like.  Also, if you take pictures make sure to share them as well.
  

Lions seventh-round pick and linebacker Caleb Campbell will not be practicing with the team as of today.  In fact, rather than reporting to Allen Park for training camp, he instead is headed back to West Point to find out where he will be serving active duty with the Army.

Back in April when the Lions drafted Campbell, a special policy allowed him to play in the NFL as long as he served as a recruiter in the Detroit area.  That way he would still be serving the Army, but could play football as well.  He was the talk of the second day of the draft as he was on both the NFL Network and ESPN, and in the seventh-round the Lions made his dream come true by selecting him.

Campbell has been with the Lions ever since and was ready to get on the practice field tomorrow.  However, a recent change in policy is preventing him from playing football for at least the next 2 years.  That means not only does Detroit lose a player they drafted, but Campbell also will have to put his NFL career on hold.

As it turns out, the Lions will definitely be without another rookie -- seventh-round draft pick Caleb Campbell. The Lions were informed on Wednesday that the Army policy of allowing cadets to play professional sports was recently superseded by a subsequent Department of Defense policy. As a result, Campbell must report back to West Point for further orders.

Marinelli talked to Campbell on Wednesday and said "Obviously, he's disappointed.''

"Caleb is no longer eligible to play for the Detroit Lions. Nobody likes surprises, but you've just got to salute and move on,'' Marinelli said at his press conference today. "We checked (with West Point) as recently as last week and we were assured everything was fine. But that's the deal and we'll move on. I feel bad for the player. He's a heckuva guy and he's going to follow orders and do what he's supposed to do.''

Campbell never officially signed a three-year contract that he agreed to as there was some concern this might happen.  The Lions still control his rights up until the 2009 draft, but if he still isn't signed by the time the draft starts (there is no reason to believe he will be signed), then he is eligible to be drafted again.  If no team decides to draft Campbell, then he becomes a free agent.

Since the Lions drafted Campbell when there were no signs that this policy allowing him to play would be changed, it would only be fair for Detroit to receive a compensatory selection in the 2009 draft.  It doesn't appear likely that that will happen, but it would be nice as the Lions drafted someone that at the time was expected to compete for a spot on the roster.  Instead, he will be serving our country for the next two years.

I wish Campbell the best of luck and hope he stays safe.  I also hope to see him back in a Lions uniform two years from now if he decides to come back to the NFL.

With training camp officially getting started Thursday, the Lions were beginning to run out of time to sign their rookies.  Third-round pick Cliff Avril already signed earlier this month, but he was the only Lions rookie to do so; that is, until today.  Six other Lions rookies were signed to contracts today, meaning all but two have officially joined the team.  The six rookies that signed today are listed below.

Third-rounders: HB Kevin Smith (Central Florida), DT Andre Fluellen (Florida State)
Fifth-rounders: WR Kenneth Moore (Wake Forest), FB Jerome Felton (Furman)
Seventh-rounders: DT Landon Cohen (Ohio), LB Caleb Campbell (Army)

Including Avril, seven of the Lions' nine draft picks now have contracts.  That leaves offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus and linebacker Jordon Dizon as the only Lions rookies without deals.  I hope talks progress over night and into tomorrow as it's important to get every single rookie signed by the time training camp starts.  That way nobody has to miss any practice, which is especially vital for Cherilus and Dizon as they will contend for starting jobs.  Even one day missed is big as every second on the field counts.

Pride of Detroit will have the latest on any signings that happen, so keep checking back to see if Cherilus and Dizon get a deal done.

• More details on Pride of Detroit's fantasy football league should be out shortly.  As of right now, I believe 9 people (including myself) have said they're interested in participating.  That leaves 3 spots open, so if you still want in, just leave a comment or send me an e-mail at SYBlogs@yahoo.com.
• Matt Millen was on WJR last night, and Tom Kowalski recapped the interview.  Nothing Millen said was earth-shattering, but he did shed some light on the Lions' QB situation and briefly discussed Brett Favre before realizing he better not say too much as he doesn't want to venture into tampering territory.
• Mike O'Hara wrote a great article on Lions seventh-round draft pick Caleb Campbell.
• ESPN released its training camp power rankings, and the Lions came in at 29th, only ahead of the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Falcons.  It's hard to disagree with that assessment given the Lions are expected to have a below average season, so ESPN seems accurate in that part of their rankings.

Linebacker Caleb Campbell is the most talked about Lions rookie despite being a seventh-round draft pick.  That's the case because he was the first player from Army to be drafted in 11 years, and because he is actually going to have a shot at playing in the NFL thanks to a new policy.

As long as Campbell is on an NFL team, he is allowed to serve the United States as an Army recruiter.  Should he be cut, though, he would likely be deployed soon after if he couldn't find another team.  That is what the Army's policy was understood to be all this time, but now things may be up in the air as the policy is under review.

According to a memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense last August, academy graduates can request early release from their active duty service obligations (ADSO) only after having served a minimum of 24 months of those obligations.

The Army's interpretation is that Campbell could serve those 24 months as a Detroit-area recruiter if he makes the Lions and remains on their roster those two seasons.

The interpretation by the Air Force and Navy is that their graduates must fulfill that two-year military commitment first before pursuing an early release. The Department of Defense informed the Army in late April, after the draft, that it must review its policy to make sure it's in compliance.

"That's where the rub is," said Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb. "What is 24 months of active service?"

Should something happen that causes Campbell to serve his two years of active service as something more than a recruiter, this really could become a sticky situation.  Not only would there be bad PR for the Army as Campbell, along with all of us, were under the impression that he could pursue a career in the NFL, but it would basically make one of the Lions' draft picks non-existent, at least until his two years of service are over.

Of course, all of this talk about what the future of the policy is may turn out to be all for naught should Campbell be cut, but there is a chance he will make the team.  It isn't a great chance, but he certainly has a shot.  For something to happen that could make that shot not matter at all would just be a shame.

• The city of Detroit is a finalist for ESPN's TitleTown USA.  The whole thing is a filler segment on SportsCenter since there aren't as many highlights to show with baseball being the only major sport going on, but it does give credence to the type of sports city Detroit is.  Of course, the Motor City is a finalist in spite of the Lions, but thankfully we do have the Red Wings, Tigers (six in a row!), and Pistons to make us feel better.  Ann Arbor is also a finalist.
  
• With Cedric Benson recently being released from the Bears, ex-Lion Kevin Jones is putting his name out there as a possible replacement in Chicago.  Jones hasn't signed with a team yet since leaving the Lions in March, and you can bet Chicago will be looking for some added depth at the running back position.  It'll take time to see if things work out for the Bears, but Jones definitely sounds like he would want to play there. 
  
  I don't blame him one bit.  After all, he could get revenge on the Lions twice a season since he would continue to play in the NFC North.  And former Lions always seem to do well when making return trips to Detroit.  Just ask Artose Pinner or Joey Harrington.  Could Jones be the next one to do that to the Lions?  I wouldn't be very surprised.
• Roy Williams doesn't want to be included in the conversation of players complaining about their contracts or team situations.  It hasn't been uncommon for players, especially receivers, to call for a trade (I'm looking at you, Ocho Cinco) or complain about their contract (hola, Plaxico Burress) lately, but Williams is saying all the right things.  Mind you, what he is saying may not be sincere, but hey, I'll take that over someone like Ocho Cinco any day.
• Calvin Johnson missed some practices recently as he was in his hometown of Atlanta for a heart surgery his father had.
• On a lighter note, Johnson scored a 243 in the Lions' annual bowling tournament, the highest of any game during the tourney.
• Rookie defensive tackle Landon Cohen finally was able to practice now that he is done with college.
• Former Lion Shaun Rogers is looking impressive at nose tackle for the Browns.
• Rod Marinelli invited 10 southeastern Michigan high schools to Allen Park to take in a day with the Lions.
• Lomas Brown worked with and will continue to work with rookie right tackle Gosder Cherilus.  Brown was honest in his current assessment of Cherilus, saying, "I don't think he's very far."  Obviously it takes time to learn the ropes of the NFL, but I think Cherilus will look better once he is able to hit some people.
• Compared to previous years, this team appears to have a more confident atmosphere surrounding them with more experienced players on defense and more control on offense.
• Rookie linebacker Jordon Dizon feels the Lions' defensive system is built for someone like him.
• Unlike Army rookie Caleb Campbell, a Navy pitcher just drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals will not get a chance to pursue his professional sports career in the near future.

• ESPN's John Clayton took a look at what teams would be fine and what teams would struggle in the event of an uncapped year in 2010.  That will only happen if a new CBA isn't agreed to by then, but it is a realistic possibility.  According to Clayton, the Lions would be one of five teams that would have "concerns" should an uncapped year become a reality.
  

  Teams with older starting quarterbacks could be in trouble in the next couple of years because no top quarterback will hit the free-agent market. Jon Kitna will be 37 and unsigned in 2010 and the Lions have done very little to find their long-term starter. Drew Stanton is the best hope for the future.

  Even if there isn't an uncapped year Detroit will be in trouble if they don't start planning ahead.  Nobody knows how much longer Kitna will be a starter, and even beyond that, nobody knows how much longer he should be a starter.  At the same time, Drew Stanton has never taken a snap in this league before, leaving a countless number of question marks around him.  My opinion on Stanton has been made many times before, and it is that he isn't an NFL-caliber starting QB.  That leaves the Lions without a starter, and if they want to even think about being decent in the coming years, some planning will have to go on.
  
  Getting back to Clayton's article really quickly, he goes on to talk about how many of the Lions' current starters will have their contracts expire in the near future.  It is scary to think about, but Detroit could have trouble finding a decent starting lineup if they lost all of the players mentioned.
• According to the Detroit Free Press, Roy Williams, Ernie Sims, George Foster, Artose Pinner, and Tatum Bell were not at a voluntary OTA last Thursday.  Why?  I have no idea.  Rod Marinelli said "he knew where everyone was," so I'm not too concerned.
• Rookie Army linebacker Caleb Campbell has been greatly (and in my opinion unfairly) criticized for his decision to try and make it in the NFL.
• Running back Kevin Smith, a rookie out of Central Florida, is already impressing Rod Marinelli.  He seems to have a great attitude and solid work ethic, which are two things Marinelli values very much.  I believe he will be the starter fairly early on next season as he seems to have so much more potential than Tatum Bell or any other RB on the Lions roster.
• Madden 09 seems to agree with that assessment of the Lions running back situation as Smith is rated a 79 and Bell is only a 78.  That is fairly accurate I guess.  What's not, though, is Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson being rated a 92. On top of that, Shaun McDonald got an 87 and Brian Calhoun a 95 as the third-down running back.  The defense isn't too bad as Ernie Sims got a 94.  Then again, they gave Chuck Darby an 83, weakening the credibility of the ratings even more.
• MLive's Philip Zaroo interviewed former Lion Lomas Brown.
• Former Lions bust Charles Rogers was supposed to make an attempt at resurrecting his football career in the CFL, but as of right now he still is unemployed.  He verbally agreed to a contract with the team in Montreal a few weeks back, making most assume he was getting ready to head north of the border.  For some reason, though, in true Charles Rogers form, he hasn't sent the contract back yet and his representatives haven't returned phone calls from the team.  That sounds about right for someone like Rogers.
• Speaking of former Lions busts, Mike Williams finally may be getting serious about losing weight.  Maybe he just needed a change of scenery.  And no, his stint in Oakland doesn't count.