Detroit Lions' Offensive Line Transition Going Better Than Expected

An offensive line can be a quarterback's best friend.

It can also be that friend who always needs to borrow a couple of bucks or says something inappropriate in front of your other friends, which makes you question the friendship.

Last year brought a lot of apologies from the Detroit Lions' offensive line to quarterback Matthew Stafford. To wit, there were 45 sacks, unstable pockets with nowhere to step into and the inept rushing attack that had to be atoned for.

General manager Martin Mayhew made the line a priority in the past two offseasons, laying the foundation for a transition that is going better than expected:

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Top 10 Offensive Lines: 1. Cowboys 2. Ravens 3. Browns 4. Packers 5. Bengals 6. Eagles 7. Texans 8. Steelers 9. Lions 10. Saints

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 30, 2015"

PFF rankings don't count toward the win column. However, they do show that Detroit's approach may be reaping some early rewards.

Youth Must Be Served

Three-fifths—Riley Reiff, Larry Warford and LaAdrian Waddle—of the offensive line was already in place at least two years prior to this season. Mayhew supplemented this trio with a third-round center in 2014 (Travis Swanson) and first-round guard (Laken Tomlinson) this year to drop the average age to 24 years old.

That youth has brought the athletic upgrade the front needed to handle offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's scheme.

Here, you can see second-year center Swanson complete his checklist on an inside run, via Brandon Thorn of The FootballEducator.com:

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Really nice piece of blocking here by Travis Swanson holding the NT & peeling off to pick up Posluszny pic.twitter.com/dgY9vq4Xnz

— Brandon Thorn (@VeteranScout) August 29, 2015"

Tomlinson kicked off training camp playing alongside rookie Corey Robinson and now-Patriot Michael Williams. There were some growing pains in the first game (ex. chasing a defensive tackle around in the backfield), but he ultimately overtook Manny Ramirez prior to the dress rehearsal against Jacksonville.

At least Denny Kapp of Detroit Sports 105.1 came away impressed:

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Laken Tomlinson battle with DT (on Tate TD) was tremendous. Laken is holding his own in this game.

— Denny Kapp (@DennyKapp) August 29, 2015"

He still has plenty of learning to do, but he has shown enough to warrant a starting spot.

Space to Operate

Those new friends help set a different standard on passing downs. Stafford has enjoyed the type of time rarely afforded to him last season, and the results have been a smooth offense that has operated with precision in its limited appearances.

The most memorable play was Stafford's 62-yard connection with Golden Tate when the Jaguars cornerback had solid coverage. It didn't matter, however, because the line gave Stafford the room needed to properly step into the throw.

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What a throw by Stafford there. Dropped it right into the arms of Golden Tate for a 62-yard TD. #DETvsJAX

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) August 29, 2015"

Another great example came at the expense of the Washington Redskins:

Credit: NFL Game Pass

On 3rd-and-12 with the Lions in an obvious passing situation, the line again created enough territory for Stafford to roam when the coverage held for a few seconds. He then used that space to step in front of Reiff as his tackle ushered the defensive end around the back.

First down, Tate.

These occurrences were rare in 2014. If the line can welcome back Waddle to a game soon and translate this success to the regular season, it might not matter which receivers and tight ends the Lions keep or cut.

Uneven Ground Gains

The ride hasn't been without its bumps.

Before Detroit's first preseason game, Lombardi told reporters that the team doesn't spend much time studying the strengths and weaknesses of opponents, which can lend itself to spotty statistics:

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You're not game-planning very hard for it. I think we want to see how the individuals are doing, get a look at what we're getting out of our running backs and see some of these new offensive linemen. So I think once you see how the individuals are doing, it will tell you a lot about how it's going to be overall.

"

That's led to a running game with exciting moments but that lacks consistency.

It's hard to include Zach Zenner's gaudy numbers since the vast majority weren't the product of the first-team offensive line. However, Ameer Abdullah is averaging 6.8 yards per carry, and the second-rounder had some help up front along the way.

The real test won't start until mid-September when the Lions try out their new look against the San Diego Chargers. Waddle will have been freed from the PUP list for three weeks, although Warford's status is a bigger unknown.

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Good sign for the Lions on the injury front: Both Caraun Reid & Larry Warford were out watching practice today. Didn't do that last week

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) August 31, 2015"

Regardless, depth piece Ramirez could provide enough of a Band-Aid to get through a week or two.

This unit was brought together with a purpose in mind. The last month has been mostly encouraging. Now we'll find out if that optimism was validated.

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.