Detroit Lions: 6 Questions the Lions Still Must Answer in Training Camp

The Detroit Lions will not qualify for the 2012 NFL playoffs unless they answer some big questions in training camp. This team is facing multiple problems, from character concerns to roster issues, and they need to be resolved. Without a resolution to these questions, the Lions will enter the 2012 season with significant holes, and huge problems.

Under the direction of general manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions have made improvements in a multitude of areas. They took a team that went winless and put it in the playoffs in three years. It is an incredible accomplishment to take a team as bad as the Lions were in 2008 and make them this competitive in three years.

The Lions have brought on their share of controversy this offseason, and there are holes in their lineup as well. They are a very talented football team, but a team that has to answer a couple of big questions before they enter the 2012 NFL season.

If the answers come in training camp, the Lions will enter the season as a contender. If the questions linger, the Lions will face adversity early and often during the 2012 NFL season.

The Offensive Line

The Lions offensive line has one very big job to do, and that is to keep quarterback Matt Stafford upright, and healthy. It would be an understatement to say it is priority No. 1, from an offensive line’s perspective. The future is in No. 9’s right arm, and the Lions must protect him.

The Lions added Iowa tackle Riley Reiff in Round 1 of the 2012 NFL draft. It was great value, as Reiff was the best of both worlds. He addressed a major need, and he happened to be the best player available for the Lions. The addition of Reiff sets the left tackle position up nicely in the long term.

The Lions offensive line is known to be a finesse group. They are not going to overpower the opposition, and the running game suffers from their lack of push at the point of attack. It would be a bonus if the Lions were to get more out of their offensive line. It would be great if the line were to help out more in the running game.

The offensive line gave up 36 sacks during the 2011 season, putting them squarely in the middle of the pack. They finished No. 16 out of 32 teams. When you consider that the Lions led the NFL in pass attempts, the impression is that the offensive line played well in 2011.

Veteran left tackle Jeff Backus is set to return in 2012, after having surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. He has been a mainstay at left tackle for the Lions since he was drafted in 2001.

Entering the 2012 season, the Lions have to address a few things relating to their offensive line. Backus needs to get healthy and ready to go. It is critical that Backus returns to form, as he is responsible for the protection of Stafford’s blind side.

They also need better play out of the right side of the line, and perhaps Reiff can step in here. The Lions need stability out of this group, anything else is just icing on the cake.

Character Concerns/Discipline Issues

The 2012 offseason has been a nightmare for the Detroit Lions. They have had multiple players get arrested, multiple times. Lawyers for certain Lions players are getting rich, and that is not a good thing. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has reported that several young Lions are facing legal issues.

Four out of the five draft picks from the Lions’ 2011 draft class have had a significant issue during the offseason. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley, running back Mikel Leshoure (twice) and offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath have been arrested for marijuana related offenses.

Phil Zaroo of mlive.com reported that Johnny Culbreath was arrested for a marijuana related offense. Culbreath was arrested at a hotel in South Carolina. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Nick Fairley was arrested in early April for marijuana possession.

Julie Mack of mlive.com has reported that Leshoure was arrested twice within a month. Both arrests were for marijuana related offenses.

According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, Fairley was also arrested for drunk driving and eluding police. This is not a good start to a career. Fairley, Leshoure and Culbreath need to understand that the opportunity to play professional football is not always going to be so available.

The window will start to shrink; as the Lions can’t afford to keep players on the roster who are one bad decision away from missing a large chunk of time.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Leshoure has been suspended for the first two games of the 2012 season, and he has been docked an additional two games' checks. The NFL has not disciplined Fairley yet.

Anwar Richardson of mlive.com reported that second-year wide receiver Titus Young sucker-punched teammate Louis Delmas and was asked to stay away from organized team activities on May 21.

Young is known to have off-the-field issues, and the latest dust-up is just another example of a team that has players that look to be out of control. Will Young's teammates be able to trust the wideout after sucker-punching Louis Delmas?

The Lions got almost nothing on the field from their first two picks in the 2011 draft, but they sure have received a lot off of it. Training camp would be a great time for the younger players to show the team that it is important, and that they are reliable men who will not make these mistakes again.

The Lions were accused of not having any discipline last year. In primetime games, they looked very bad. Personal foul penalties to Brandon Pettigrew and Titus Young made the Lions look like they were not ready for the spotlight.

There is a growing concern that the Lions have a big discipline problem. Head coach Jim Schwartz needs to get control of this group, and he will. Schwartz is a very competent football coach, and he will get it straightened out. 

If Fairley, Leshoure and Young can play well and put these issues behind them, the Lions will be in a nice position entering the 2012 season.

The Second Option in the Passing Game

NFL defenses double-team wide receiver Calvin Johnson on almost every play. It is imperative that the Lions find a second option to Johnson; they must make defenses pay for rolling coverage to him all the time. The Lions have several players that could become a secondary weapon in the passing game.

In 2012, wide receiver Titus Young should be the player that emerges to punish defenses for single covering him. Rookie wide receiver Ryan Broyles might eventually be the player that does the most damage in the passing game, other than Johnson.

The best passing teams in the NFL always have multiple options, as they force teams to decide what they want to take away from an offense. When a defense decides that it wants to take a certain player out of a play using multiple players, an elite NFL offense has already won.

These offenses will hammer the defense with another player. Look at the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers offenses, as examples. If a defense takes away wide receiver Greg Jennings, quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to the other side and throws it to wide receiver Jordy Nelson.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady does it all day with receiver Wes Welker, and tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Elite offenses find a way to abuse defenses because of mismatches. Titus Young has the potential to be a mismatch for NFL defenses, and he could be in store for a big year.

If Young can emerge from training camp in sync with quarterback Matt Stafford, this offense could be in for great things. Young’s big-play ability will open up the defense, and it will allow tight end Brandon Pettigrew to roam free underneath and in the seam of the defense.

If a secondary target can emerge, it will also give the running backs more room to operate. It will give a player like running back Jahvid Best the little window that he needs to break long runs, or to make plays catching the ball out of the backfield.

Finding a second option to compliment Calvin Johnson will complete this offense. It will take the Lions from being competitive and put them among the elite offenses in the NFL.

The Secondary Play

The Detroit Lions are remembered for getting torched via the pass by the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, and again in their wild-card playoff game at New Orleans in the first week of the playoffs. In a “what have you done for me lately” league, this is what everyone thinks the Lions are.

In reality, their secondary issues are a little overblown. The Lions were in the middle of the pack against the pass all year, until the injuries became too much for the Lions to overcome. Entering the Thanksgiving Day game versus the Green Bay Packers in Week 12, the Detroit Lions were having a great season defending the pass.

The Lions ranked No. 5 in the NFL, allowing 193 yards per game. They also ranked No. 3 in the NFL, allowing only 10 touchdown passes through 10 games. This doesn’t sound like a passing defense that was about to get lit up like a Christmas tree.

So, what are they? Are they a team that can defend the pass or are they among the league’s worst?

The truth is that the Lions were respectable until the injuries became too big for them to handle. Cornerback Chris Houston and safety Louis Delmas were injured and the pass defense fell apart, and the wheels totally came off. If the Lions can be accused of anything, it is that they had very little NFL-quality secondary depth on their roster, after their starters, that is.

Another reality is that the Lions don’t prioritize their secondary play. The Lions scheme calls for as much pressure as they can get on an opposing quarterback from their defensive line. This pressure reduces the amount of time that the cornerbacks actually have to cover the wide receiver. When the Lions get pressure on the quarterback, their secondary play is really good.

Entering the 2012 season, the Lions need a few things to happen. They need to replace cornerback Eric Wright, who departed in free agency for Tampa Bay. Cornerbacks Aaron Berry and Jacob Lacey are currently fighting to start opposite Chris Houston in Week 1.

They also need to develop the three cornerbacks they drafted in the 2012 NFL draft. The Lions added Bill Bentley, Chris Greenwood and Jonte Green in the draft. All of them have great speed, and the potential to emerge as quality NFL players with some development. The issue of their lack of NFL-quality depth players will have gone away.

In summary, the Lions need to find a capable starter to pair with Houston. They also need to quickly develop their younger players, so that injuries won’t completely crush them like it did in 2011. If the Lions can exit camp with a starter, and a group of developing younger players, they should be in good shape.

A Defensive End Must Emerge

Defensive end Cliff Avril was tagged with the non-exclusive franchise tag. He is going to make $10.6 million for the 2012 NFL season. Currently, Avril has yet to sign the one-year deal, as he is seeking a long-term deal.

According to Anwar Richardson of mlive.com, Avril has missed all mandatory organized team activities and minicamps. Avril is unhappy and is talking about the possibility of being a holdout during training camp.

A possible hold out by Avril presents several problems. First, if Avril holds out, who replaces him and the production he brings? Avril has a knack for getting to the quarterback, and he is great at stripping the ball from the quarterback.

Avril had 11 sacks and six forced fumbles during the 2011 season. The production that he brings is vital to the Lions defensive success. Avril is one of the players that make the secondary look good, simply because of the pressure he brings. Can the Lions replace what Avril gave them in 2012?

Is there a player that is currently on the roster that can fill Avril’s shoes? Willie Young has looked great in limited time, and Lawrence Jackson is also a candidate. This begs a few questions. Is Avril as productive as he is because of the pressure the tackles put on the interior of the offensive line?

Does he take advantage of the single-team because tackles Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Corey Williams are always commanding double-teams? If Avril is a product of the system, then his production can be replaced by another player, the next guy in line.

If the Lions get Avril into the fold at some point in training camp, then this issue is resolved. If not, then another Lions player needs to step up and deliver consistent pressure from the defensive end position.

This will be a hole for the Lions, and it will become a big issue. It is a question that must be answered if the Lions want to take another step forward in 2012.

 

Stability in the Running Game

The Detroit Lions offense was electric in 2011. They finished No. 4 in the NFL, scoring 29.6 points per game. The Lions did this by throwing the football, as injuries hit the running back position and they were forced to abandon it. The leading rusher for the Lions in 2011 was Best, who had 390 yards rushing.

The only team that ran the ball less in 2011 than the Lions was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions were efficient, as they finished tied for No. 12 in yards per attempt, with a 4.3 yard average. After Best went out, the Lions struggled to make big plays in the running game.

As exciting as their offense was, it could have been even better. Their offense could have had more balance, and the Lions could have used a running game to control the ball more in 2011. In games late in the season, they would have been better served if they could have taken some time off of the clock while scoring, not just going 80 yards in five plays.

They have some real talent at the running back position. Jahvid Best is as good as it gets when he has time and space. He can make even the best defender look silly, and he can realistically run away from anyone.

Best is a player who needs a limited amount of touches every game. He is not a running back that can handle a full workload. As contrary as it sounds, the less he touches the ball, the better. If Best’s touches are limited, it will keep him fresh, maintain his explosiveness and avoid the costly injury. Best should touch the ball 10 to 12 times per game.

Mikel Leshoure is a player who is being counted on to be a finisher. Leshoure is going to be the running back that gets the call in the fourth quarter, when the Lions are up. He is the guy who will get the call when the Lions need a first down, to end a game. Leshoure is a player that can be counted on to carry a full workload.

The combination of Best and Leshoure is dynamic, but both have to be healthy and stay on the field. This is perhaps the biggest question that the Lions must answer coming out of training camp. Do they have an elite group of running backs that can be counted on or will they struggle again like they did in 2011?

The Lions can’t afford to go back to Maurice Morris or Kevin Smith again in 2012. That is simply not good enough, and the running back position presents questions that must be answered coming out of training camp.