Before Jahmyr Gibbs and the Detroit Lions came to terms on a 3-year, $67.5 million deal on Thursday, the team had been running out two main running backs in training camp to get their RB room some reps, and to test some looks against their first and second team offensive line.
The results have been stellar for their O-line, and that's amazing news for Gibbs as he ramps back up to action throughout the second week of Lions training camp. And, of course, it's fantastic news for players like Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small, who were reportedly looking spry in red-zone drills in training camp on Thursday.
It is not good news, though, for Sione Vaki, the Lions' 2024 draft pick who is out for a while thanks to a broken nose suffered earlier this week.
Vaki is missing out on valuable time on the field to show why he should be considered a contender to back Gibbs up in the regular season over players like Saylors, Small, and Isiah Pacheco. Instead, he is on the outside looking in, and that feels...not great, for his chances of a redemption story.
Vaki might be the odd man out following Gibbs' extension
With Gibbs coming back into the fold, players like Small and Saylors may begin to take less reps with the first team offense, and focus more on competing with the second team offense and on special teams. This still offers them a lane through which to impress enough to land a spot on the 53-man roster, and it's not something that Vaki can take advantage of right now.
As noted by Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman in his training camp observations from Thursday - before Gibbs signed his extension - both running backs really stood out, writing, "Saylors continues to impress with his speed and one-cut style of running. Meanwhile, I thought Small ran with impressive strength, particularly between the tackles during red zone drills."
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Vaki is already at risk with special teams, too, with the arrival of Greg Dortch creating even more competition for him to have to outshine. Dortch is another new arrival that is apparently starting out strong in camp, so that's another knock on Vaki's chances.
Back during minicamp, head coach Dan Campbell offered his own take on what Vaki would need to do in order to crack the Lions roster this season:
"...the running back position is a little raw. He hasn’t played it all that much. Protection, that’s something he can do, what else can he do out of the backfield, if he proves that, then, yeah. We want to move the football and find a way to win. If he helps us do that, we’re going to find a way to put him on the field."
Again, without live reps to show that he can block, and he can move the football, and he can help the Lions win football games, Vaki's shot at rebounding from a few underwhelming seasons with the Lions is quite low.
Adding Gibbs to the mix just emphasizes the importance for Vaki to come back to camp with a vengeance. If he doesn't, the team might be facing down an obvious roster bubble decision as it pertains to him.
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