Abracadabra: Detroit Lions' Jared Abbrederis a route-running magician

Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Watch: News from Day 1 of Lions OTAs Free Press sports writers Shawn Windsor and Carlos Monarrez break down Detroit Lions OTAs practice from Allen Park on Wednesday, May, 24, 2017.

Jared Abbrederis had the best game of his NFL career – four catches for 57 yards – two seasons ago against the Detroit Lions.

Now, Abbrederis is showing off some of what he did so well in that game – getting open by running crisp routes – daily in Lions practice.

“The guy’s a really good route runner, very, very good just in terms of his ability to find open areas,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell told reporters Wednesday. “He has good spatial awareness. You complement all those things that he can do from an offensive standpoint with his ability to play special teams as well. He’s really coming along and really doing well, so he’s just got to keep progressing.”

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Abbrederis is one of a handful of mostly unproven players vying for the Lions’ No. 4 receiving job behind starters Golden Tate and Marvin Jones and rookie third-round pick Kenny Golladay.

A fifth-round pick out of Wisconsin by the Green Bay Packers in 2014, Abbrederis has 10 career catches for 119 yards. He played sparingly and primarily on special teams before being released from injured reserve last October, and signed a futures deal with the Lions after the season.

Jace Billingsley, Keshawn Martin, TJ Jones and undrafted free agent Noel Thomas are some of the other receivers vying for one or two roster spots at receiver. Jones (five catches, 93 yards) and Abbrederis (one catch, 8 yards) are the only players among that group who had a reception last season.

Caldwell said “a good battle” is brewing for the final receiver spots, and the Lions will weigh heavily a player’s special-teams ability when making their decision at the position.

Abbrederis, who like Billingsley plays primarily slot receiver –- the spot left vacant by Anquan Boldin in free agency – has experience on coverage teams and as a kick returner in the NFL.

Martin has handled both kick and punt returns in his career, and both Jones and Billingsley worked as a returner for the Lions last preseason.

The Lions have yet to settle on a return man to replace Andre Roberts, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

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

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