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Lions defensive end Jason Jones, shown during OTAs, did not show up for mandatory minicamp after undergoing an undisclosed procedure.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- LaAdrian Waddle, Joique Bell and Cornelius Lucas attended minicamp this week, despite dealing with injuries that prevented them from participating.

Jason Jones did not.

The Detroit Lions' starting defensive end was the only player to miss all three days of the mandatory camp. Coach Jim Caldwell revealed Thursday he is healing from an injury.

"He had a little bit of an injury that he got taken care of," Caldwell said. "So should be good."

Caldwell declined all follow-up questions about Jones, and would not say whether he had surgery.

Jones' situation mirrors the one Chris Houston faced last season.

Houston was sidelined during OTAs with a toe injury, then was the only player absent all three days of minicamp. Caldwell said at the time he was where he needed to be -- and then one day after camp concluded, Detroit cut him.

The cornerback ended up being sidelined by the toe for all last season, though he is attempting to resurrect his career this year with Carolina.

As for Jones, he participated early in OTAs before being sidelined in the later rounds that were open to the media. Then he was absent during minicamp, even though all the other injured players were on hand.

Caldwell, though, assured reporters that Jones' case is different than Houston's.

"He's out for the last couple days," Caldwell said, "but he should be back with us in the fall."

Jones played only three games in 2013 after rupturing his patellar tendon in a game against Washington. He started all 17 games last year, though, racking up 22 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles on Detroit's vaunted defensive line.

Veteran Darryl Tapp has taken most of Jones' first-team reps on the first team this offseason.

Everyone else was accounted for at Thursday's practice, though Waddle, Bell and Lucas were unable to participate because of their injuries. Stephen Tulloch, DeAndre Levy, Joseph Fauria, Nevin Lawson and Bill Bentley did individual stuff but no team drills.

Detroit Lions 2015 minicamp - June 18, 2015 35 Gallery: Detroit Lions 2015 minicamp - June 18, 2015

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