4 players already tumbling down the depth chart at Detroit Lions training camp

1. RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai

Vaitai, after missing last season with a back injury and briefly considering retirement, came back to the Lions with revised contract this offseason. He has been easily put back in as the starter at right guard, with Graham Glasgow as competition for one of the most prominent position battles at Lions training camp.

Vaitai took what Campbell called a blow to the back, and not particularly serious, in the first few days of camp. He missed practice on Wednesday. He was back in a limited capacity on Friday, but he missed practice completely again on Saturday. Caution is always the word with injuries during training camp, especially early. Even a less serious back issue for Vaitai gets placed in its own category there, given last year's injury.

Glasgow has obviously gotten first-team reps at right guard. Via Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit, Campbell praised the former and current Lion.

"He’s a veteran guy that – he’s smart, he handles his business and he’s going to be reliable,” Campbell said. “He’s gone in there and done a nice job at guard.”"

"Tumbling" might be an aggressive way to describe Vaitai falling down the depth chart right now. Missed practices will cause that early in camp. But that it's a back issue again (even less severe) is a thing for "Big V." An early fast fall behind Glasgow for the starting job at right guard could become a full-on tumble in short order.