We still don’t definitely know what the training camp will look like, or even when it will start due to the coronavirus pandemic. But as Detroit Lions players are expected to arrive at Allen Park in the coming days, MLive is kicking off its annual advance of camp. Today: offensive line. Previously: Runners The | Receivers
List locks: LT Taylor Decker, LG Joe Dahl, C Frank Ragnow, RT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, G Jonah Jackson, G Logan Stenberg, T Tyrell Crosby
To compete: G Kenny Wiggins, G Oday Aboushi, G Josh Garnett, G Beau Benzschawel, G Caleb Benenoch, G Russell Bodine, T Matt Nelson, T Dan Skipper
Notable outputs: RG Graham Glasgow, RT Rick Wagner
Decomposition: Matthew Stafford returns this season. So is every receiver who caught a pass from him, and his first two tight ends, his top three runners and even his fullback as a measure. In skill positions, Lions are loaded with depth and experience. But in advance, there is a jolt and uncertainty.
Detroit opted not to chase top guard Graham Glasgow in free agency, then also kicked offensive tackle Rick Wagner. That’s the entire right side of the offensive line that is out, entering a season where the club will have less time to gel than ever.
That is not hyperbole. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lions canceled their rookie mini-camp, organized team activities, and a mandatory mini-camp. They now have to spend at least the first four days of training camp taking COVID-19 tests and quarantining, according to the proposal that is expected to be ratified by the league and the players’ association. And when players finally walk through the doors of their own training facility, they’ll be limited to strength and conditioning for an as yet undetermined period of time.
It may be up to 20 days before these guys are allowed to put on a shoulder pad for the first time since 2019, and it might not happen until the last week before the season’s first game against Chicago. Of course, all other teams also have the same limitations. But not all positions are created equal, and the challenge of rebuilding an offensive line through thousands of practice snapshots is unmistakable.
These guys talk every year about how much their success is about cohesion more than anything else. All five boys have to line up and see a defense the same way, and that takes time to develop. Movie studios and Zoom meetings help, of course, but players must spend shoulder-to-shoulder time in the trenches to build the interconnectedness required for success, and there’s never been a time when they’ve had less time on the field than in 2020
To complicate matters, the Lions just spent two of their first four draft picks on guards, a historic investment inside their offensive line. But the reduced offseason could make it difficult for them to contribute in Year 1. Jonah Jackson, a third-round pick from Ohio State, was expected to be an immediate contender to replace Glasgow as a right guard. He delivered a polished final season for the Buckeyes in 2019, and the Buckeyes run as offensive as professional style as they will see in the college game. Then, who knows? Maybe he will be fine. But holding firm in an NFL trench is always difficult for first-year players, and now Jackson will have to try to do it with only a fraction of the time to develop. At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Detroit turn to veteran Kenny Wiggins instead of Jackson, though Wiggins has spent much of his offseason rehabilitating from a torn bicep.
Logan Stenberg, a Kentucky fourth-round pick, could also be in the discussion with the right guard. But like Jackson, his development has been slowed by the coronavirus. In fact, Stenberg could be more hurt by lost practice time since he comes from a less conventional crime and his pass blocking technique requires work.
No matter which direction Detroit is heading to the right guard, it is almost certain that he will get Glasgow down in that position. That is a difficult notion to dispute.
There are also questions about the right tackle. Halapoulivaati Vaitai is already marked as a starter after signing a $ 45 million contract in the offseason, more money Detroit gave to any other free agent, but even he is a bit unknown. He played well as a swing tackle in Philadelphia, but he was rarely more than that in four seasons playing behind Jason Peters and Lane Johnson. He started four games in the past two years combined, and has never been a full-time starter. Now with Detroit’s contract, that’s exactly what is expected of him right away.
Vaitai surely looks like it could be a factor in the running game, and that will help Detroit’s continued efforts to kick-start that dirt game. But his pass blocking is an important question mark, and in case you haven’t noticed, the Lions’ offense is still alive and dying by the right arm of a quarterback who just broke his back for the second season in a row. . Therefore, suspicious pass blocking could be a small problem.
The good news is that the Lions return three headlines, led by Frank Ragnow. The Arkansas American center moved to the left guard for his rookie season in 2018, before returning to the center last year. And instantly he proved to be one of the best in the game in that position. Ragnow allowed just two sacks and 18 pressures in 996 offensive snapshots in total last season, a spectacular consistency when you consider the merry-go-round of quarterbacks who lined up under him. Ragnow was very good, and he should be even better in 2020 now that he has Matthew Stafford back and the experience of a season.
Taylor Decker and Joe Dahl return from the left side of the line. Decker got off to a slow start behind him last season to deliver his best season since he was a rookie, and he could be online to get a contract extension this summer because of that. Dahl is coming off his first season as a starter, and he was fine, rarely more than that. He would be pushed for the opening gig under better circumstances, but Glasgow’s departure along with the shortened offseason will likely propel Dahl to the starting lineup for the second year in a row.
As for reserves, Kenny Wiggins is the best player on the inside, and again, he could push rookies to the right guard. But he’s rarely been more than mediocre in his career, and now he’s coming off a nasty bicep injury. Oday Aboushi is another veteran inside, while Tyrell Crosby leads the way from the bench at tackle.
It’s also worth noting that the Lions have undergone a leadership change in the post, with Jeff Davidson moving away from football this offseason. Hank Fraley replaced him, who has served as Davidson’s assistant the past four seasons.
List projection: LT Taylor Decker, LG Joe Dahl, C Frank Ragnow, RG Jonah Jackson, RT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, G Logan Stenberg, G Kenny Wiggins, T Tyrell Crosby, T Dan Skipper
