Cyrus Kouandjio joins Detroit Lions, remains silent on partly naked incident

Carlos Monarrez | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Analysis: Lions bolster their offensive line Free Press writers Dave Birkett and Carlos Monarrez discuss the Lions trading for Greg Robinson and signing Cyrus Kouandjio on June 15, 2017.

With two big questions hanging over his head, newly acquired Detroit Lions left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio answered one and sidestepped the other.

The first: When would he be ready to practice after having surgery in January on his hip that was injured at a fall at his home?

“I should be ready just in time for camp,” he said.

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The second: What happened in April, a month before the Buffalo Bills waived him, when he required medical attention after New York police found him undressed in a field?

“A few things were blown out of proportion and we just kept it in the past,” he said.

Pressed again about the incident, Kouandjio said: “We keep that in the past.”

Kouandjio didn’t practice but he was on the field today for the Lions’ final day of minicamp. The Lions made him available to reporters for only 1 minute, 15 seconds.

The Lions brought him in for a visit in early June after starting left tackle Taylor Decker suffered a potential season-ending shoulder injury during organized team activities. On his way to Detroit, Kouandjio tweeted: “to Detroit for a visit. On my best behavior.”

Coach Jim Caldwell also offered little explanation about Kouandjio’s April incident. He gave what seemed like a formulaic, almost-scripted answer about the April incident being in the past.

“I’m not going to go into details about it,” Caldwell said. “I think you’ve read enough about it and done your research on it and those kinds of things. Some of the information, obviously, has been inaccurate.

“I think it goes right in line with how we’ve always done and what I’ve always believed. Everybody certainly should have an opportunity to have a second chance. No one’s perfect, but I think those things are behind him and just like the situation you’re talking about with Greg (Robinson) and same thing with Cyrus, we’re looking forward. We’re not worried about what happened in the past at this point.”

Kouandjio, a Bills second-round pick in 2014, certainly was on his best behavior today, when he said very little, other than giving some basic reasons for where he fits with the Lions.

“Wherever I can,” he said. “Wherever I can help: left tackle, right tackle. It doesn’t matter.”

Caldwell made it clear Kouandjio is a left tackle, where he is expected to compete for the starting job with Robinson, whom the Lions acquired today in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams for a 2018 sixth-round draft pick.

Kouandjio said the decision to sign with the Lions was predicated on an overall good fit for him.

“Their offense style,” he said. “I thought there was a lot more opportunity here than other places. I like the area.”

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

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