A Look At The Detroit Lions Claim Of Wide Receiver Chris Lacy Of Waivers

The Detroit Lions have added another athletic wide receiver claiming Chris Lacy off waivers. The New England Patriots were actually the first team to claim Lacy this off-season, as an undrafted rookie free agent. However, they decided to move on from him to shore up their offensive line. After going through the waiver wire, the Detroit Lions won their bid for Lacy.

During his time at Oklahoma State, Lacy really struggled to turn his athletic ability into production. His inability to get off press man or work underneath routes really hurt his ability to play in the lineup continuously. He managed just 63 receptions, 920 receiving yards, and five touchdowns over the course of 32 games. However, it was encouraging to see his production increase with each year he spent at Oklahoma State.

The likely reason both the Lions and the Patriots have added Lacy this off-season though is his upper end athletic ability. At 6’3″, 205 lbs, he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and can also soar for contested jump balls. However, this point is hurt again by his lack of ball skills. It really hindered his ability to make any use of his athletic gifts, as they are best suited for a field stretching deep-threat at wide receiver.

Chris Lacy’s Chances At Training Camp

Lacy, for whom the Lions waived cornerback Josh Okonye, is an interesting addition to the Lions considering how deep they already are at the wide receiver position. Arguably the deepest position on the team, it is unlikely a player of Lacy’s caliber is able to compete for one of the starting roster spots. However, his athletic abilities do give him some potential that not every wide receiver competing at the Lions training camp will have.

However, being young and athletic is not enough to be able to make even the practice squad with the competition the Lions have brought in at that position this off-season. He will need to show either a better ability to separate against tight coverage, or win more often in contested catching situations. If Lacy can do this, he has a real shot at the practice squad with this deep speed and jumping ability.

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