Lions' Van Noy looking at another lost season

Kyle Van Noy is getting a second opinion on an injury that is "increasingly getting a little bit worse," and the second-year Detroit Lions linebacker could be looking at another lost season.

Van Noy has not practiced since he struggled through 33 snaps in last week's exhibition loss to Washington, and Lions coach Jim Caldwell said today that the team's second-round pick from 2014 will miss extended time with his injury.

"It's going to be a little while," Caldwell said. "It's not one of those injuries that's going to take a couple weeks. It's going to be a little bit. He's still getting -- I haven't heard on a second opinion yet, but it's a bit of a problem on the opposite side from where he had it before. It's a little bit different area, so he's got a little issue he's got to come through."

Van Noy spent the first half of last season on injured reserve/designated for return after undergoing August hernia surgery, and he played sparingly and mostly on special teams in the second half of the year.

Caldwell said Van Noy does not need another surgery as of now, but he wouldn't rule out another trip to IR for the 25-year-old. Considering the limited role Van Noy is expected to play on defense this year, the Lions could opt to put him on IR for the entire season if he's not ready to go next week.

"It just kind of depends on what the final prognosis is and just, in terms of how long we think it's going to take, and then we have to make a decision from there," Caldwell said.

For now, Van Noy has been a major disappointment as injuries have limited both his effectiveness and development. He had six tackles last week against Washington but got beaten for one touchdown and looked lost at times with his assignments.

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said the team is "in a holding pattern" with Van Noy's assimilation to a new position.

"It's just a work in progress with him and it's always going to be that in a sense until he gets up to speed because, again, he was an on-the-ball player, almost a defensive end (in college), and so now we have to make him a stand-up, off-the-ball 'backer, and the development takes a little bit of time," Austin said. "But he's still developing. We were pleased with where he was. It's a shame that he's hurt right now, but we like where he is, developmentwise. Maybe not as fast as the public would like, but we think he's coming along to plan as we see it."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

Fantasy football expert Kevin Bull will answer your questions in a live chat at 11 a.m. Friday at freep.com/sports. Submit early questions here. Then come back for a live blog of the Lions-Jaguars exhibition Friday night. And check out our new Lions Xtra app on Apple and Android!