Options are plentiful for replacing Andre Roberts as Lions returner

Andre Roberts is gone, off to Atlanta on a one-year deal. What that does for the Detroit Lions is it once again reopens the franchise’s return game.

As they’ve had during the last few years, there are multiple options for Detroit to consider when replacing Roberts, who averaged 22.64 yards per kick return and 12.3 yards per punt return last season. What has typically been a wide open competition during training camp will likely be that again when the franchise begins real preparation for the 2017 season.

The most intriguing route the Lions could go would be to put Ameer Abdullah back on kick returns and use Golden Tate on punt returns. Abdullah led the league in return yardage (1,077) and was…