Complete Detroit Lions Training Camp Preview

The Detroit Lions love to make their fans wait.

It's been 14 years since the franchise last recorded a playoff win. And the team has technically never won the NFC North, with its last divisional title coming in 1993 when it was known as the NFC Central.

Now that Detroit is looking for consecutive playoff berths for the first time since the mid-'90s, head coach Jim Caldwell has pushed out the start of training camp. In fact, his team is the last to report.

The Lions faithful has suffered through so much that it seemed cruel. However, if those extra days of rest keep his veterans fresh and happy, here's betting the fans give him a pass.

Besides, let's move on to actual football again, starting with a training camp primer to ensure everyone is working with the proper knowledge once things kick off. 

Free Agency's Effect

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

Notable Arrivals: DT Haloti Ngata, DT Tyrunn Walker and maybe G Manny Ramirez or WR Lance Moore

Notable Departures: DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Nick Fairley, DT C.J. Mosley, DE George Johnson and maybe G Rob Sims or C Dominic Raiola

Obviously, both Ngata and Ramirez were technically acquired via trade, but both fit better here.

Ngata was brought in from Baltimore for two mid-round picks to help offset the loss of Suh. He'll have no problems taking over the latter's run-stuffing duties, but it remains to be seen how many snaps the 31-year-old defensive tackle can handle as a penetrator.

Regardless, it won't be enough to replicate Suh's 57 quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus.

Detroit's hoping it can replace the occasionally explosive Nick Fairley—explosive when injuries or effort weren't holding him back—with Walker. It's not a total stretch since Walker has a quick first step. However, Fairley averaged a quarterback pressure every 8.2 plays, while it took Walker 12.8 plays.

The rest of the players are more or less a wash, with Mosley being a slightly above-average defensive tackle. The rest of the departed Lions are still looking for jobs, while Ramirez and Moore will likely be nothing more than backups.

Potential Impact Rookies

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

G Laken Tomlinson

The Lions have shifted to a more power-centric running game and invested heavily via the draft to support it. Tomlinson will give the Lions two guards capable of running people off the ball. If he shows enough agility and intelligence to handle stunts and twists, Detroit's offensive line will take a huge step forward.

RB Ameer Abdullah

General manager Martin Mayhew added the sizzle to Tomlinson's steak in the second round, giving the offense the home run threat out of the backfield that it was missing. Abdullah is quick with a strong burst that will let him exploit creases on stretch plays as well as pick up the tougher yards on the interior.

DT Gabe Wright

Wright brings hope that Detroit won't need so much from its top-of-the-rotation defensive tackles. He has a great first step that fits defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's scheme well. The Lions will primarily use him on passing downs in relief until he proves capable of handling more.

CB Quandre Diggs

The early darling of this year's draft class hails from Texas, and he came to town with a large chip on his shoulder. His physical measurements caused him to drop in the draft and keep expectations in check. However, all of the glowing reports from minicamp have him squarely in the nickelback race, with fans praying the tough cornerback has the quickness to mirror NFL receivers.

Position Battles

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

There won't be many position battles of any real note.

The third wide receiver's role will be even more diminished than last year given the hopes pinned on tight end Eric Ebron. And if third-string right tackle becomes a position of importance, this team is in a world of hurt.

Backup QB

The same, however, could be said for Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore. There is indeed a competition for this spot, but it's unlikely either player could play competently on Sundays, much less competitively enough to lead the Lions to victory.

Outside LB

The present thought is that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will start the proven Tahir Whitehead and give Kyle Van Noy more passing-game responsibilities. It would play to the strength of each player's game. However, if Van Noy has used the offseason to become a better run defender, he'll give Whitehead a run for his early-down snaps.

Starting DT

It likely won't matter whether Caraun Reid or Tyrunn Walker gets the starting nod. Both will play often enough to make an impact given Detroit's love of a defensive line rotation. Still, the next month will give both a chance to make their case for more opportunities.

Kick/Punt Returner

Jeremy Ross' bandwagon is tiny. Everyone remembers the mental mistakes—especially when he was tackled inside the 10 during the playoffs—and the five fumbles. Yet he's still the front-runner heading into camp. T.J. Jones, Ryan Broyles and even Quandre Diggs are considered his main competitors thus far.

Former Draftee Roster Bubble

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Every year, a graph highlighting how many players have been retained from each draft class makes the rounds. It happens to every general manager, and Martin Mayhew has been no exception, taking heat for his 2010 and 2011 classes.

There are three players currently highlighted on the squad that might not make the cut next year. Each needs to make an impression to justify a continued investment via a roster spot.

WR Ryan Broyles

Broyles had 22 receptions in his rookie year. He has 10 in the two years since and suffered two more season-ending injuries after an ACL tear capped off his college career. He made the 53-man roster last year, but saw only five games and as many targets.

WR. T.J. Jones

Last year's sixth-round pick will likely be placed on the practice squad if he doesn't survive August and early September. He might need to show something in the return game to beat out Corey Fuller, Lance Moore and Jeremy Ross.

OT Michael Williams

The former tight end finds himself in a bottom-of-the-roster battle with this year's seventh-round pick, Corey Robinson. Williams has bulked up and should hold an athletic advantage. It's possible that he could beat out a career tackle considering he's always been a strong blocker, but now is the time to show he's adapted to his fairly new position.

Breakout Candidates

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

To make up for the loss of a future Hall of Famer, Detroit is looking for a few good men to become good players.

None of these guys find themselves in trouble of being left off the roster like those just discussed. They all, however, didn't get off to fast starts in their careers and need to take a step forward to keep the angry mob at bay.

TE Eric Ebron

His name has been on everyone's lips and fingertips. Golden Tate couldn't help gushing about him after minicamp, calling him "phenomenal catching the ball and after the catch," per Justin Rogers of MLive.com.

Ebron has also been the subject of heavy debate on Twitter and in comments sections. He has the athleticism and body to be a terrifying matchup problem, but now his knowledge and understanding needs to measure up to his stunning physical attributes.

OLB Kyle Van Noy

Last year's second-rounder is even more enigmatic. Van Noy missed the first half of the season on the PUP list and looked lost when he finally hit the field. However, it's too early to overlook him due to the reasons Detroit drafted him: athleticism and intelligence. 

DT Caraun Reid

Despite Van Noy's superior draft status, it's been Reid that has grabbed the defensive headlines. He spent the summer working out and studying with Ndamukong Suh, soaking up workouts and mental notes to help him progress. If his improvement translates to padded practices, he should play a prominent role in this year's defense.

What to Watch

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Last season was exciting for Detroit. The fanbase was buzzing the entire time, living with the dramatic comeback victories and dying with a picked-up flag.

This year's team returns an overwhelming majority of its starters and the main bulk of its coaching staff. The stars could be aligned for another successful season, but there are three things that we need to see over the next month before anyone starts laying crazy bets. 

The Offensive Line

The defense was largely responsible for last year's turnaround. The unit should be good again, but it will need some help from the offense.

That means the offensive line will need to rebuild on the fly. Injuries and a suspension required every starter other than Rob Sims to miss a game last season, and even those times when everyone was together didn't yield wide rushing lanes and solid pass protection.

The new blood up front—Laken Tomlinson and Travis Swanson—must blend well with Riley Reiff and Larry Warford. And hopefully a healthy LaAdrian Waddle will rejoin the mix sooner rather than later.

Matthew Stafford

Stafford didn't make the same mistakes last year that cost Detroit wins in previous seasons. His 12 interceptions in 2014 were the lowest total for his career when playing at least 10 games.

But the offense was partially held back by his occasional inaccuracy and caution. If a better running game and more protection (45 sacks in 2014) can give Stafford time and opportunities, he needs to take the next step in his progression for Detroit to get over the hump.

The Pass Rush

The pass rush will revolve around Ziggy Ansah now. Detroit didn't just lose Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, but also reserve defensive end George Johnson, who had six sacks in a reserve role. Ansah will be counted on among the starters to provide the bulk of the quarterback pressures.

Detroit will also need to see something from Devin Taylor and Larry Webster. Ansah can't do it all on his own, and Jason Jones, even when healthy, won't add much to this area of the game.

All advanced stats, grades and positional 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.