Knee injury sidelines Lions safety Bashir for end of year
— -- Six-year veteran Idrees Bashir, the top backup at both safety positions for the Detroit Lions, will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the New York Giants. Bashir, 28, was injured on the opening kickoff while attempting to make a tackle. The Lions placed him on injured reserve Monday afternoon, and he will undergo surgery in the next few weeks, when swelling in the knee subsides. The loss of Bashir, who missed the entire 2006 season because of a hand injury, is a key one for the Lions, because of his status as the No. 3 safety and his role in nickel packages, where he usually played in place of starting strong safety Kenoy Kennedy. He was also a standout special teams performer. In nine games, with one start, Bashir registered 21 tackles, one interception and two passes defensed. He also posted 14 tackles on the special teams coverage units. The former Memphis star was a second-round choice of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2001 draft. He played four seasons in Indianapolis (2001-2004), and was with Carolina for one year (2005) before signing with the Lions in 2006. Detroit released him from injured reserve during the 2006 season and then re-signed him early this year. For his career, Bashir, who has been a starter at both safety spots in the past, has recorded 253 tackles, six interceptions, and 11 passes defensed in 70 appearances. To replace Bashir on the roster, the Lions signed free agent safety Greg Blue, a second-year player. Blue was a fifth-round draft choice of Minnesota in 2006, and the former University of Georgia standout appeared in all 16 games, with two starts, and had 12 tackles.
Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
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