Not there is much of any other choice, but Amani Oruwariye is not being given up on as someone who can be a key part of the Detroit Lions secondary.
It seemed, if they only could and turn to another viable option, that the Detroit Lions would bench cornerback Amani Oruwariye for Week 5 against the New England Patriots. Then he was indeed a healthy scratch for the last game before the bye week.
Oruwariye certainly needed a break, mentally if not also physically after struggling through three games on the field and missing one with an injury. The bye week should only have had extra benefit for him.
Oruwariye looked to be on the verge of becoming a lockdown corner, if he hadn’t become one, when he had six interceptions last season. But the early part of this season was a struggle, being burned in coverage (albeit by some very good receivers) and committing six penalties in a game.
Amani Oruwariye will have opportunity to re-establish himself
Lions head coach Dan Campbell, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, confirmed Oruwariye will have every chance to redeem and re-establish himself.
Amani’s going to get a chance to compete,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday. “I told him, he’s not out of the boat, so he’s going to get a chance to compete this week and see where he can help us.”
Campbell did note one reason for Oruwariye being a healthy scratch against the Patriots was a lack of special teams contribution, which he would need to do if his role on defense was going to be reduced. How that will go moving forward is unclear. But with Jerry Jacobs coming back into the fold after last season’s torn ACL, Oruwariye’s defensive snaps may go down from where they were.
Campbell said he envisions Jacobs playing outside corner when he gets on the field, perhaps this week against the Cowboys. That would be Oruwariye’s previous spot, opposite Jeff Okudah.
The first four weeks of the season really couldn’t have gone any worse for Oruwariye. Perhaps no Lions’ player needed the bye week, and then some after being inactive in Week 5, more to regroup/reset. We’ll see what happens from here, as the Lions try to find some answers defensively.