At this stage, Abdullah is the favorite to return kicks and punts for the Lions, the Detroit Free Press reports.

At this stage, Abdullah is the favorite to return kicks and punts for the Lions, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Analysis:

Moreover, Abdullah, whose pass-catching ability has caught the eye of coach Jim Caldwell, also appears destined to provide his share of contributions in the team's offense, though as a rookie, he will contend with Joique Bell and Theo Riddick for touches. For now, Bell presumably slots in as the team's top backfield option, though he's bouncing back from offseason clean-up procedures on his knee and Achilles. His health will be something to monitor in training camp, with Abdullah naturally a candidate to see an expanded workload, if/when injuries hit Bell in the coming months.