By Michael Stets
Training camp has arrived for the Detroit Lions, who will have their first practice of the summer on Sunday afternoon. The veterans will arrive in Allen Park today. The rookies reported to camp on Monday, July 24. Head coach Jim Caldwell is expected to speak to the media this afternoon, as are several Lions players.
The Lions will face the Indianapolis Colts in their first preseason game on August 13, which comes after two joint practices with coach Caldwell’s former team in Indianapolis. In the second game the Lions will be home to take on the New York Jets on Saturday, August 19. They will be home again on Friday August 25 to play the New England Patriots, before closing out the preseason on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, August 31.
Let’s take a closer look at three of the biggest storylines to pay attention to this summer:
Left Tackle
The Lions suffered a major blow when starting left tackle Taylor Decker injured his right shoulder during OTAs, which resulted in the 2016 first-round draft pick having surgery to repair a torn labrum. Decker, one of the team’s best lineman last season, will start the 2017 season on the PUP list, which means he’s out until at least Week 7.
Protecting quarterback Matthew Stafford’s blindside is of utmost importance, so the Lions acted fast and traded a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for Greg Robinson, a former No.2 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. And the team also signed tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, who previously played for the Buffalo Bills. Kouandjio will begin training camp on the NFI list as he is still recovering from off-season hip surgery. Reserve tackle Cornelius Lucas, now entering his fourth season with the team, will also be in the mix. Corey Robinson, a third-year backup, joins Decker on the PUP list to start the year.
We will have to see how this situation plays out during training camp, but Greg Robinson seems to be the front runner to win the spot at the moment. Obviously, a lot can change before the end of camp, but not having Decker for the first six games will be tough for the offense to overcome.
Fourth of Fifth Wide Receiver
With the departure of Anquan Boldin, who led the team with eight touchdown receptions in 2016, the Lions will certainly have a need for production from this position outside of Golden Tate, who has posted three consecutive 90-catch seasons, and Marvin Jones Jr., the team’s No.2 receiver.
The Lions drafted Kenny Golladay out of Northern Illinois in the third round of this year’s draft to help fill the void left by Boldin. Golladay looked great in Rookie Mini-camp and OTAs, showcasing a knack for making catches in traffic and using his height and reach to go up over defenders in jump-ball situations. Golladay, like Tate and Jones Jr., will assuredly have a roster spot, but after him it’s wide open heading into this year’s camp with several players vying for a spot on the 53-man roster. And the Lions may only keep four receivers, making it even tougher to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
Jace Billingsley, already a fan favorite, joined the Lions last season as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Oregon. Smaller in stature than the rest of the receivers at 5-foot-9, Billingsley is a sure-handed receiver, who led the team during last year’s preseason and can also handle punt and kick returns. Jarred Abbrederis, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, signed with the Lions in January. He turned some heads during OTAs and mini camp with a couple of great downfield catches. Abbrederis is a good route runner with good hands and like Billingsley, he too, can double as a return man. Also in the mix are T.J. Jones, the Lion’s sixth-round draft pick in 2014, who has spent time on the practice squad and active roster, and Keshawn Martin, who signed with the team in March.
This should be an intriguing battle, perhaps the fiercest of the summer. Having an impact on special teams as a returner should aid Jim Caldwell and GM Bob Quinn on who they will decide to keep on the final roster.
Nickel Cornerback
Darius Slay and Nevin Lawson will once again man the outside for the Lions’ defense, but as for who will man the slot, that’s not such a sure thing just yet. Quandre Diggs returns after a pectoral injury ended his season last December, but he’s far from a lock to earn back his starting role. The Lions signed D.J. Hayden in March to help bolster the secondary and provide some competition. Hayden, a former 2013 first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders, finished last season on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and has been plagued by injuries for most of his career.
The Lions also added two cornerbacks in this year’s draft: Second-round pick Teez Tabor and fifth-round pick Jamal Agnew. Tabor was a standout cornerback in the SEC while playing at Florida. He had a solid spring, but will begin the preseason on the NFI list. His playing time this year will likely be dependent on how quickly his development progresses. Agnew will have a roster spot, but in his first year he will likely earn most of his playing time as a returner, where his 4.4 40-yard-dash speed may end up becoming a weapon on special teams. The Lions have plenty of depth at the cornerback position overall with backups Johnson Bademosi, who plays on special teams, and Adarius Barnes, who made the final roster after last year’s training camp after going undrafted.
This will be a fun and intense battle to watch as well. With NFL teams now throwing more than ever, the nickel cornerback is arguably just as important as the other two starting cornerback positions. And with the addition of Hayden, Tabor and Agnew, the pressure to perform at a high level to earn this spot–as well as a spot on the team–will ratchet up among the entire group.