Examining Detroit Lions' Offseason and Key Preseason Positional Battles

Resilience is the mark of any good team, and if the Detroit Lions are to rebound from a 4-12 record in 2012, they’ll have to show more than a little of it.

In 2011, the Lions broke free of mediocrity with a 10-6 record and a playoff berth—a welcomed change for a team that hadn’t sniffed the postseason since going 9-7 in 2000. What followed was proof that in the NFL, things can get out of hand all too quickly.

Detroit struggled to maintain any momentum last season, starting 4-4 before dropping each of its last eight contests. And just like that, memories of progress in the 2011 season were nothing more than ancient history.

But many of the Lions’ shortcomings last season weren’t a result of long-term issues. It may seem cliché, but any team can win on any given Sunday. Unfortunately for the Lions, they just weren’t that team on enough occasions to stay close in the NFC North.

Jim Schwartz, who many believed would carve out a long and successful career in Detroit following the team’s 2011 success, found himself on the hot seat following last season’s disappointments. Detroit may not have been open about replacing the 47-year-old, but his job certainly wasn’t guaranteed entering this offseason.

But despite a bevy of disciplinary issues, Schwartz has done a tremendous job in turning around a team that went winless in 2008. For a fanbase desperate for a winning team, Schwartz was reason enough to be hopeful.

Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson are pretty good additions to that list as well.

After battling shoulder issues throughout his formative years, Stafford pieced together a tremendous 2011 season and entered the 2012 campaign with lofty expectations. While he didn’t meet those expectations, the signal-caller isn’t wholly to blame for the team’s disappointment last year. Much of Detroit’s struggles can be traced back to a mediocre running game and sloppy play on both defense and special teams.

This offseason, general manager Martin Mayhew went to work on fixing some of those issues, starting with adding a missing piece to the running game and shoring up a pass rush that ranked 20th in the league with just 34 sacks.

Mayhew’s biggest offseason acquisition came in the form of a running back who can fill the void many believed Jahvid Best would have locked down prior to his concussion issues. In adding Reggie Bush on a four-year deal, the Lions now have an electric rusher who can create yards after the catch and give defenses a reason to put an extra safety in the box.

Detroit wasn’t without a pair of talented runners in Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell, but with Bush in the fold, its offense now boasts a complement of versatile backs capable of augmenting an already impressive passing attack.

Apart from losing defensive end Cliff Avril to the Seattle Seahawks in free agency and Jason Hanson and Jeff Backus to retirement, however, the offseason wasn’t all that eventful for the Lions.

And considering the team’s recent history of off-field issues in the offseason, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Mayhew and Schwartz teamed up to make the most of their opportunities. With a few strong selections at the top of the draft, the Lions added some tremendous talent with the potential to make an immediate impact in 2013.

With offensive tackles Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson already off the board by the fifth selection, Detroit opted for BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah—a coveted pass-rusher who, although extremely raw, has the potential to be an elite player in the NFL.

Ansah and free-agent addition Jason Jones fill the void left by Avril, but there was still a matter of shoring up a secondary all too often exploited in 2012.

Mayhew brought back cornerback Chris Houston on a five-year deal, but his biggest move to boost the secondary was adding Mississippi State cornerback Darius Slay with the 36th pick in the draft.

While the Lions fielded the league’s No. 14 passing defense in 2012, they also afforded opposing passers an average rating of 91.7 (24th) and notched just 11 interceptions (tied for 23rd). With a 2013 schedule featuring Robert Griffin III, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco and Eli Manning (among others), there was no denying Detroit’s need for an infusion of young talent in its defensive backfield.

Detroit’s offseason didn’t end at the draft, though. In the following slideshow, we’ll take a closer look at some of the team’s offseason dealings and also break down a few positions to keep an eye on as the season draws near.

2013 NFL Draft

Round 1 (Pick 5): DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

Round 2 (Pick 36): CB Darius Slay, Mississippi State

Round 3 (Pick 65): OG Larry Warford, Kentucky

Round 4 (Pick 132): DE Devin Taylor, South Carolina

Round 5 (Pick 165): P Sam Martin, Appalachian State

Round 6 (Pick 171): WR Corey Fuller, Virginia Tech

Round 6 (Pick 199): RB Theo Riddick, Notre Dame

Round 7 (Pick 211): TE Michael Williams, Alabama

Round 7 (Pick 245): ILB Brandon Hepburn, Florida A&M

Grade: B

Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz did a terrific job keying in on areas of need with their top picks in the draft. Jeff Backus’ retirement left a noticeable hole at left tackle, but with the top three offensive linemen already off the board, the tandem opted to take advantage of value instead of reaching for a player of lesser talent.

With the No. 5 pick, the Lions selected defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, giving them a dominant pass-rusher who should make a smooth transition to the position at the NFL level.

Coming into the draft, Ansah’s biggest question mark involved his raw skill set and relative inexperience playing organized football. He spent most of his time on the line at BYU, and many wondered how he would transition to a stand-up role in a 3-4 defense.

Luckily for Ansah, that won’t be an issue with the Lions. He’ll remain at defensive end in their 4-3 scheme as a primary pass-rusher, able to utilize his impressive athleticism to get after opposing quarterbacks without having to worry much about coverage responsibilities.

In the second round, Detroit also shored up the cornerback position in selecting Darius Slay. The Mississippi State product was considered by some a first-round talent, but with a bevy of intriguing corners available in the first round, he slipped to No. 36—and the Lions probably couldn’t be any happier.

Detroit’s secondary has been one of its weakest units in recent years, and it came as no surprise Mayhew and Schwartz addressed the position early in the draft. Value and need lined up, and the duo nailed the pick.

While Detroit failed to address the offensive tackle position, it did manage to acquire a run-blocking specialist at the guard position who can add to a running game that should be much improved in 2013.

At 6’3” and 332 pounds, Kentucky’s Larry Warford will be a terrific fit on the interior of Detroit’s offensive line. Just like Slay, Warford was expected to be off the board before the Lions’ selection, and like a round prior, Mayhew and Schwartz took advantage of the value.

Fourth-round defensive end Devin Taylor and sixth-round wide receiver Corey Fuller were nice additions as well, and given the limited depth at both positions, each player stands to contribute in his formative years with the team—how much remains to be seen.

The biggest surprise of Detroit’s draft, however, was selecting punter Sam Martin in the fifth round. While the pick wasn’t exactly conventional, the Lions did finish the 2012 season ranked dead last in average yards per punt. It’s hard to fault a team for identifying a player it wants and pulling the trigger, especially if there was perhaps another team willing to do the same before their sixth-round selection.

In all, Detroit did a good job of filling some holes and adding depth at key positions, but it’s hard to ignore the team’s unwillingness to add an offensive tackle after losing Backus and right tackle Gosder Cherilus, especially after leaving the position largely unaddressed in free agency.

The End of the Line

Many viewed the Lions’ offensive line as a big question mark heading into the 2012 season. All the unit did was go on to provide the best pass protection in the league for Matthew Stafford.

Ranked the No. 1 pass-blocking unit in the league by Football Outsiders, Detroit’s offensive line posted a 3.7 percent adjusted sack rate, despite being asked to block on 740 total pass attempts—by far the highest volume in the league last season.

But with Backus retiring and Cherilus joining the Indianapolis Colts in free agency, many of those questions will again creep up this offseason. If Stafford is to stay healthy and the offense to continue moving forward, Detroit is going to have to find a way to fill those holes.    

Second-year tackle Riley Reiff will be transitioning to left tackle in replacement of Backus this season, and while the 2012 first-round pick only started one game at the position in 2012, Jim Schwartz is confident he’ll make a smooth transition this season, as quoted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required):

"

We drafted him as a left tackle. Probably with the way things ended up here, we’ll probably start him off there. We have a lot of confidence in him. I mean, that’s why we drafted him last year.

"

Backus was a terrific cornerstone to the offensive line for several years, but adding some youth at the position isn’t a bad idea. With Reiff starting at left tackle, the Lions will at least get a better idea of what they have in him going forward.

At the other bookend position, Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard will be battling for the starting role, though it remains to be seen who will line up at right tackle in Week 1.

According to offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, the position will be up for grabs as the players take turns in offseason workouts, as quoted by Birkett:

"

We’ll keep them as equal as we can and let guys work with different groups. We don’t really talk in terms of the depth chart. Even during training camp we have groups and rotate those guys as we see fit and try to keep it to where their rotation seems to be similar from Day 1. You might do something different, then maybe flip it the next day. We get plenty of reps. We don’t hold back in training camp so that we’re going to get a lot of snaps to evaluate that position as time goes on during camp.

"

If the Lions go all-in with their youth movement along the line, Fox presents a little more upside as a 25-year-old fourth-round pick, but this will be a true positional battle this offseason. Regardless of the outcome, the better player is going to line up opposite Reiff as Detroit holds on to some added depth at the position.

Larry Warford is likely to start at right guard, and given his size and run-blocking ability, Detroit won’t be looking for a better option. Next to veteran center Dominic Raiola and left guard Rob Sims, there aren’t many question marks on the interior of the offensive line.

Provided Reiff can make a smooth transition to left tackle, there’s little reason to expect the Lions’ offensive line to struggle in 2013—as long as injuries don’t pile up.

Losing Backus and Cherilus without replacing them may result in limited depth along the offensive line this year, especially with so much inexperience lined up behind the starting five. Passing on a tackle this offseason won’t make or break the Lions, but it certainly didn’t give them a safety net entering the 2013 season.

Linebacker Tracker

Linebacker was another concern for the Lions entering the offseason. Although they didn’t address the position in the draft, they do have some intriguing options to consider.

Justin Durant left in free agency, leaving DeAndre Levy and Stephen Tulloch the only established veterans in the team’s linebacking corps. Levy will remain at right outside linebacker and Tulloch in the middle of the defense, but the other outside linebacker spot is up for grabs.

2012 seventh-round pick Travis Lewis could see some action at the position this year—as well as 2012 fifth-round pick Tahir Whitehead—but as noted by Dave Birkett, special teams standout Ashlee Palmer looks like the leading candidate to lock down the position this season.

Palmer, the recipient of a new two-year contract this offseason, has played tremendously on special teams in his time with Detroit, and now may be the time for him to step up to fill an even more important role.

According to Birkett, Palmer was the first player Jim Schwartz mentioned when discussing the linebacker vacancy. Given his experience starting in place of the injured Levy last season, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

Nothing has been decided, but Palmer appears to be the best option at this point. Unless Lewis or Whitehead really stand out in offseason workouts, look for Palmer to secure the starting role in 2013.

Back at Cornerback

While Chris Houston isn’t in any danger of losing out on the No. 1 corner spot, the starter opposite him remains undecided.

Darius Slay is the obvious choice given his second-round selection in this year’s draft, but the Lions aren’t without options—among them, cornerback Ron Bartell.

The 31-year-old brings plenty of experience to the group having started 72 games in his eight-year career. He saw limited action with the Lions last season, but at 6’1” and 210 pounds, he’s the type of big, physical corner Jim Schwartz covets.

As quoted by Dave Birkett, Schwartz believes big pass defenders add an extra element to his defense:

"

We’ve always sort of had that in our profile, but the opportunity to get those guys, there’s not many of them out there. There’s probably a lot more 5-9 and 5-10 guys out there than there are 6-foot, 6-foot-1 guys. But all things equal, when you do have more size, it’s beneficial for you. You don’t want to end up sacrificing speed, you don’t want to end up sacrificing toughness and change of direction. I think that’s the balance that you have to play there.

"

Unfortunately, Bartell doesn’t have the wheels he once did as a younger cornerback in St. Louis. If Schwartz is looking for a blend of both size and speed and is willing to sacrifice some experience, Slay is the best option.

Bartell has run with the first team during OTAs, but Slay is just coming off knee surgery in May and still has time to earn the role. He did get off to a good start with two interceptions in the first day of Lions minicamp, though, as noted by Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.

Jonte Green and Chris Greenwood will also be battling for the starting role opposite Houston, but given Bartell’s experience and Slay’s tremendous upside, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which either player usurps the pair short of injuries.

Look for Houston to remain the team’s No. 1 starter with Slay eventually earning the No. 2 role on the other side of the field. Bartell’s experience makes him a terrific fit as the team’s nickel corner, while Green and Greenwood will likely battle for a sub-package role behind the trio.

Megatron and the Recepticons

It’s strange to consider wide receiver a question mark this season given the presence of the league’s most dominant wideout, but behind Calvin Johnson, the position isn’t all that stable.

With Titus Young no longer in the picture, the Lions are left with Nate Burleson and Ryan Broyles as their No. 2 and No. 3 options, respectively, though Broyles is still recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL. Burleson is a consistent option across from Johnson, but Broyles needs to prove he can get healthy—and stay healthy—if the Lions are to feel confident about the position heading into the season.

According to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, Broyles could be back to fill the slot receiver role by Week 1, but Detroit still doesn’t know what it can expect from the former second-round pick after seeing limited action last year as a result of the injury.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas and incumbent backup Brian Robiskie will also be vying for playing time, as well as the 6’6” Kris Durham. All three saw action with the Lions last season when Broyles and Young were on the shelf, but none of the three make for a particularly exciting option behind Burleson.

Depth won’t be an issue in 2013, but the quality of that depth isn’t reassuring. For Detroit’s passing attack to keep pace this season, Broyles has to stay on the field and produce as the team would expect from a second-round selection.

But the bottom line of the receiving corps is this: As long as Johnson continues producing at a record-breaking pace, the Lions' passing offense will continue to thrive. Opposing defenses can't afford to slack on coverage to his side, and the rest of the field is going to open up as a result.

As long as Detroit can establish some continuity with its receivers, the position shouldn't be a major problem this season.

Projected WR Depth Chart

No. 1	Calvin Johnson
No. 2	Nate Burleson
No. 3	Ryan Broyles
No. 4	Mike Thomas
No. 5	Brian Robiskie
No. 6	Kris Durham

2013 Schedule

2013 Detroit Lions Schedule
Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 8	vs. Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	FOX
2	Sept. 15	at Arizona Cardinals	4:05 p.m.	FOX
3	Sept. 22	at Washington Redskins	1 p.m.	FOX
4	Sept. 29	vs. Chicago Bears	1 p.m.	FOX
5	Oct. 6	at Green Bay Packers	1 p.m.	FOX
6	Oct. 13	at Cleveland Browns	1 p.m.	FOX
7	Oct. 20	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	1 p.m.	CBS
8	Oct. 27	vs. Dallas Cowboys	1 p.m.	FOX
9	Nov. 3	BYE WEEK	—	—
10	Nov. 10	at Chicago Bears	1 p.m.	FOX
11	Nov. 17	at Pittsburgh Steelers	1 p.m.	FOX
12	Nov. 24	vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1 p.m.	FOX
13	Dec. 1	vs. Green Bay Packers	12:30 p.m.	FOX
14	Dec. 8	at Philadelphia Eagles	1 p.m.	FOX
15	Dec. 15	vs. Baltimore Ravens	8:40 p.m.	ESPN
16	Dec. 22	vs. New York Giants	4:05 p.m.	FOX
17	Dec. 29	at Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	FOX

*For a complete look at Detroit's 2013 schedule, check out NFL.com.

Season Outlook

For as bad as the 2012 season turned out, there’s little reason to believe the Lions’ woes will continue in 2013. Martin Mayhew put together a successful offseason with some solid acquisitions, and while questions remain, last year is looking more and more like a fluke.

Yes, that’s been said many times before in reference to the Lions. But this time, there’s enough talent in place to justify that stance.

Detroit’s offense won’t struggle to put up points this season, and its defense is slowly improving—as will continue to be the case as youthful standouts like Nick Fairley, Ndamukong Suh and Louis Delmas continue to develop. With the additions of Ezekiel Ansah and Darius Slay, Detroit should feel a lot more confident in its defense going forward.

The NFC North gave Detroit plenty of trouble last season, though. The Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings went a combined 6-0 against their divisional opponent, and none of the three got any weaker this offseason. In fact, Detroit may have done less to improve than all three NFC North foes.

That’s not to suggest Detroit will continue to struggle in the division, however. The Lions had the talent in place to perform much better than they did in 2012, and a complete overhaul wasn’t necessary to compete this season.

It just won’t be any easier.

But outside the division, the Lions don’t have much to worry about. Apart from non-divisional matchups with the AFC North, Washington Redskins and New York Giants, the rest of the schedule is laden with contests in which the Lions should be favored.

Prediction: 10-6, Third in NFC North

Preseason predictions went out the window with a terrible season in 2012, and the same is always possible in 2013. But given the talent on Detroit’s roster and a 2011 campaign that renewed hope for continued success in Detroit, it’s more likely the Lions rebound this season en route to a respectable regular-season mark.

Realistically, there isn’t a defined number of wins to expect from the team this year. Seven wins seems to be an accurate floor considering its struggles last season, but Detroit is fully capable of posting 10 or more wins this year as well.

The bottom line is this: The Lions play in one of the toughest divisions in football, and in order to make the playoffs and a potential run at the NFC North title, they’ll need to have a huge season.