It is actually happening. Sports are really coming back. More importantly, soccer is coming back.
Next Tuesday, Detroit Lions rookies will perform at training camp and kick off the 2020 season. Needless to say, this will be very different from average training camp. Due to the pandemic, Lions fans will not be able to attend this year. This, of course, will make the burning questions fans have had much more difficult.
Here at Pride Of Detroit we have our set of burning questions to ask too. Here are our biggest questions.
It is Matthew Stafford Ready to go?
Matthew Stafford hasn’t played a game since November 2019. Since then, fans have been looking forward to seeing if his quarterback would return. There have been many indications that Stafford should be ready. To begin with, he said it on more than one occasion. Oh yes, and the Lions actually removed it too.
Still, this is all only on paper. Will Stafford be able to return to his full form once it’s time to play ball? We’ve seen some videos here and there of Stafford and the Lions catchers doing some drills in Georgia. But how will your body react to full-time work?
We’ll see part of this question answered from the start, but the real answers will come in Week 1 when it comes to live soccer.
Will D’Andre Swift start a new hype train?
I feel like we’ve done this before, right? First it was Jahvid Best, then it was Mikel Leshoure, Ameer Abdullah and finally Kerryon Johnson. Every summer, fans, and the media too, see a young racer show a lot of promise and get on the exaggerated train.
It seems that the Swift train left the tracks a little earlier than others. Believe me, I’m on it. Lions fans are excited about the possibility that Swift is finally the answer to their runner prayers. So naturally a big question for everyone is what this summer will look like and how quickly it will join the rest of the offense.
What will the offensive line be like?
The Lions have acted … let’s say strangely when it comes to their offensive line. The biggest example is his unwillingness to bring Graham Glasgow back even though the guard is arguably the strongest member of the line. Instead, they opted to stick with Kenny Wiggins, who has sometimes struggled in Detroit.
The answer to his offensive line plans may have been hinted at in 2019. What if guard rotations are here to stay? Joe Dahl, Glasgow and Wiggins shared time throughout the season.
Then there is Halapoulivaati Vaitai. The belief at the moment is that he will play right tackle, but is also capable of playing as a guard. Will the Lions flex him in certain situations and let another reserve, like Dan Skipper or Tyrell Crosby, play the tackle position on that drive?
Of course, we have to talk about rookies Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg. My personal belief at the moment is that Jackson is his initial starting guard Week 1. We still have plenty of time to go and plenty of time to prove that opinion is wrong.
It should be interesting to see what Matt Patricia and company have up their sleeve in August. Right now it is almost a complete mystery.
Will Kenny Golladay get a new deal before the season?
This can become a really scary situation here. Golladay certainly deserves the money, and it shouldn’t be obvious that the Lions block one of the game’s best receivers. But with this reception you never know. They tend to suffer from the smartest guy syndrome in the room. By this I mean that they could fool themselves into thinking that they don’t need Golladay like they did Glasgow.
Obviously these are two different situations. Glasgow was very good, but Golladay has the potential to be the best in the league someday. That day could be sooner than later too. So what do lions do? Do they do it now or wait until after the season?
They certainly have the money. Currently, the Lions have the seventh largest slot in the league. They definitely can. And Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press believes a deal can be reached soon. According to Birkett, that deal could make Golladay one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
Will we really make it to the season?
Do you remember that global pandemic? Yes, that continues to happen. The NFL is doing a lot to try and fight its sick players, but the fact is, it’s still a possibility. This week alone, 59 players tested positive for the virus.
You have to ask yourself if things get out of control, at what point will the NFL cut its losses and close it? Of all the questions we asked today, this is the most important. There is much to consider here.
What if more players get sick and teammates decide it’s not safe and they don’t want to go back? What happens if an infected player infects many other players? This is a contact sport. They all touch each other constantly. What is the NFL plan if something crazy like a team’s entire offensive line gets COVID-19? It’s crazy, but you never know.
The fact is, we still don’t know everything about this virus, and it won’t go away. Will the NFL season affect before football begins?
