Detroit Lions Veterans Who Have Been Put on Notice This Offseason
Good teams deal with major upheaval from season to season. They churn the bottom of the roster in search of better talent, but the core will generally stay the same through the years.
It appears the Detroit Lions are trying to follow that model.
The draft and free agency didn't bring in a lot of competition for older players. Travis Swanson, 24, will have to beat out 32-year-old Manny Ramirez for the starting center gig, but the second-year player hasn't exactly earned the veteran moniker yet. Plus, even if Swanson doesn't win the job, the coaching staff will continue grooming him for the future.
Therefore, you won't find him on this list. We're looking for those older players who have subtly received messages that their futures aren't secure or those who suddenly have a fight to remain on the roster.
RB George Winn
1 of 5
The splashier backfield acquisition will be addressed later, but there was a post-draft move that could alter the roster.
Zach Zenner is quite literally going to give George Winn a run for his money. The loser will probably be out of a job in Detroit, although either could be stashed on the practice squad provided he cleared waivers.
Winn flashed a few traits that endeared him to the Lions. In 56 snaps last season, he proved he has a power streak to pair with his mean one, averaging 3.8 yards per carry on 19 attempts. But his hold on a spot is a tenuous one now that Zenner is in the fold.
The former Jackrabbit put together three consecutive 2,000-yard seasons, impressing Bleacher Report's Scott Carasik enough to make this comparison:
"Zach Zenner = Fred Jackson...
— Scott Carasik (@ScottCarasik) April 23, 2015"
He's an explosive athlete (41" vertical) who proved he was more than just an FCS-level stud by punishing Nebraska for 202 yards and adding 103 against Missouri the next year.
This is a perfect example of trying to upgrade an OK talent with a better one. Zenner still has to prove he belongs in the league, but his presence should put Winn on notice.
RB Theo Riddick
2 of 5
The backfield volatility won't be limited to the bottom of the depth chart. Ameer Abdullah's second-day selection wasn't a direct shot at Theo Riddick, but it will likely put a ceiling on any potential role growth.
Riddick carved out a niche as the team's two-minute-drill back. He didn't quite reach full-blown third-down status because of Joique Bell's and Reggie Bush's receiving prowess, yet he did see his receptions jump to 34 from four.
His rushing attempts doubled as well, although his total (20) won't impress too many football followers, especially when he only averaged 2.6 yards per carry.
In short, he isn't the complete back Abdullah can be.
Abdullah is a fast-twitch runner with just enough power to run through weak tackling attempts. There won't be many rushing attempts for Riddick without injuries because the Nebraska product will prove to be a better ground threat despite all the overblown concern about ball security:
"Ameer Abdullah's fumble issue: He fumbled 9 times in 613 touches as a junior/senior. Once every 68 touches, not near the problem some think.
— Scott Bischoff (@Bischoff_Scott) May 4, 2015"
The real battle here will center on receptions. While Riddick has proved to be an explosive threat in space, Abdullah is just as quick and hasn't dropped a pass in two years, per NFL.com. Riddick may need to find another way to get his hands involved in the passing game (slot?) because the rookie will be coming for his carries and receptions. And the youngster might be better in both areas.
CB Bill Bentley
3 of 5
The strife doesn't lessen when we switch from one backfield to another.
Bill Bentley and Nevin Lawson both suffered season-ending injuries by Week 2 of last season. They have flashed potential to be long-term solutions to a decade-long problem. But the former has played 18 games in three years, and the latter suffered a particularly nasty injury.
And that's why both need to be concerned about Detroit's sixth-round pick, Quandre Diggs.
Diggs might have been a late pick, but it's one that provided an incredible amount of value. The only knock on him is his 5'9" height, which Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks is being overvalued:
"I always find it funny when a small CB like Ronald Darby is projected as a 2nd rd pick & Quandre Diggs, who is 1 inch short, is a late rder
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) April 21, 2015"
The former Longhorn is a perfect fit for the slot. He's quick enough to stay with NFL-level receivers, as evidenced by his solid day against Kevin White (seventh overall pick). The raw numbers don't back up his potential, much like his outing against White, but the tape shows a physical cornerback who could show one of the above the door this offseason.
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S James Ihedigbo
4 of 5
It wasn't a draft pick that gave James Ihedigbo cause for concern. There was an undrafted free agent Detroit deeply coveted, but the aggressive act toward the veteran's livelihood occurred earlier.
"One more contract note: Isa Abdul-Quddus' deal is for one year and $1.5 million. Valuable backup S and special teamed.
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) March 11, 2015"
Isa Abdul-Quddus probably won't overtake Ihedigbo on the depth chart this year. There could be more benchings (like the one against Dallas) for Ihedigbo, however, since Detroit has a high level of comfort with Abdul-Quddus manning the position.
Furthermore, the fact that Abdul-Quddus would be making darn near as much money as the 14th-highest-graded safety from 2014, per Pro Football Focus, was too much to bear. And now Detroit has doubled down on its efforts to send a message to the team's only current holdout:
"Lions signed Georgia Tech S Isaiah Johnson to a three-year contract that includes a $12,000 signing bonus.
— StrongArmSports (@StrgArmSportsYT) May 9, 2015"
The Lions won't be shipping Ihedigbo out. They also won't be capitulating to his contract demands, and any hopes for an extension seem to have been dashed.
KR/WR Jeremy Ross
5 of 5
Jeremy Ross was a ballyhooed returning special teamer with receiving potential this time last year. Now, he's public enemy No. 1 on the Lions Twitter hashtag and message boards.
His raw numbers don't look terrible, but it's the decisions that were dumbfounding. Ross seemed to force the issue when he didn't break a big return, fielding punts inside the 5 and putting the offense in disadvantageous situations.
Detroit didn't rest on its laurels, though. Ameer Abdullah is already getting work returning punts, per DetroitLions.com's Tim Twentyman, and undrafted free agent Vernon Johnson will be sure to get a look at both return jobs. Bill Carroll of HBCU Scouting breaks down the UDFA here:
"WR Vernon Johnson of TX A&M-Commerce is #AllUnderAppreciated 6' 3/8" 196, 4.45&4.51 40, 37" VL, and smooth, think USC Steve Smith.
— Bill Carroll (@elevenbravo138) March 20, 2015"
The explosive Johnson might not be the man who ends Ross' tenure, and Abdullah might prove too valuable to the offense to take on a heavy special teams role. But both are options, and that's enough for Ross to land on this list.
All combine statistics are sourced from NFL.com. All advanced stats, grades and rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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