Detroit Lions: What We've Learned Through Week 4 of Preseason

The NFL offseason didn't bring much change for the Detroit Lions. While the defections were highly publicized (and costly in one instance), the majority of last year's team has returned with an eye toward building on last season's successes.

That's the biggest takeaway from the last four weeks of preseason football. However, if you dig a little deeper, there are a few morsels of information tucked away.

So click through to peel away five more layers of observation.

Tight Ends Getting Tested

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Not every released player was given a pink slip. Kicker Kyle Brindza was instead given a ride to Tampa Bay after being traded for Buccaneers tight end Tim Wright.

Wright is a 6'4", 235-pound third-year player with 80 catches for 830 yards and 11 touchdowns. Yes, those numbers are currently better than doubling Eric Ebron's rookie season, but rest assured Wright wasn't brought in to push the former first-rounder.

Actually, he wasn't brought in to push either of them. Brandon Pettigrew looks reinvigorated in the trenches, helping to seal off ends and kick out linebackers on screens.

The now-twice Buc was acquired to give Joseph Fauria a run for his job. Wright is capable of lining up at a few different positions and obviously knows his way around an end zone too.

Fauria only played seven games last year. He famously hurt himself chasing down his peeing puppy, although general manager Martin Mayhew used some rather odd words when answering a question about the story's validity.

That episode could have been part of the reason for this trade. Or maybe that was the best player Mayhew could get in return for Brindza, so he pulled the trigger. Regardless, don't expect anyone inside Allen Park to clue us in.

The Offensive Line Is Thin

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The one concern all over #Lions Twitter after the Michael Williams trade was offensive tackle depth. Williams had looked solid—at least when he played on the right side—so fans and pundits wondered whether a seventh-round pick was an adequate return.

The other cause has been the play of Cornelius Lucas.

Granted, the second-year offensive tackle has been playing against the other team's first team, so it's an apples-to-iPhones comparison, but Lucas is supposed to be the top reserve. He needs to be able to stand in during regular-season action.

Too often, he's played the part of an offensive Kyle Van Noy. He doesn't look assured of his responsibility and lacks the functional strength to handle it. Nick Pursel of SideLion Report drove that point home with vines, once showing him going after the wrong guy and another where he's bull-rushed into the quarterback.

LaAdrian Waddle is back and practicing. Detroit had better handle him properly, because the drop-off between the two players is deep and full of jagged edges.

Running Back Committee Is Unpredictable

The Lions, much like the New Orleans Saints of the last couple of years, have three or four viable running backs that can contribute in a multitude of ways.

And the reports regarding their usage have been just as varied.

First, head coach Jim Caldwell was reassuring about the role presumed starter Joique Bell would play, telling Michael Rothstein of ESPN that the Wayne State graduate would be the "bell cow." That made sense. Bell is an experienced back who can pound defenses and is shifty enough to move the chains.

However, Bleacher Report's Jason Cole is now reporting that Ameer Abdullah will be the main backfield threat. He specifically said Abdullah will receive "16-18 touches per game." He also added that Theo Riddick would handle most third-down responsibilities and Bell would be the short-yardage back.

The answer likely lies somewhere in between the two scenarios. Detroit will ride the hot hand when necessary and also have certain game plans that call for more of a certain type of back.

In short, expect nothing and everything. And good luck with your fantasy teams.

Communication Is Key

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If you have ever had a relationship with any living creature, whether it's your girlfriend, husband or the family pet, you know how important communication is.

It's how you stay out of trouble and work through difficult problems. It can also be the downfall of the whole thing. It's cool that you're with your friends, but you had darn well return that text and maybe even post a group picture to Facebook just to be safe.

Football isn't any different, except instead of break ups, you end up with opposing first downs and touchdowns. There were two particular examples of communication breakdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The first was a 3rd-and-6 where Stephen Tulloch's man turned him inside out. He thought he had support from Glover Quin over the top, but somebody didn't understand their role and the pass was easily completed between the two.

The next happened later that drive when Rashean Mathis played an outside technique expecting James Ihedigbo to handle anything inside. However, Ihedigbo bit on the play-action fake hard, leaving Mathis exposed inside for the easy touchdown pass.

Over half of the starters weren't playing, so there isn't a great cause for concern. Yet these are the types of issues that you see in the preseason that must be addressed once the games start to count.

Defensive Line Can Be Special Again

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As was alluded to at the outset, there was a major loss along the defensive line. It's been the chief reason cited for negative projections or bets on Detroit's presumed mediocrity.

But those feelings aren't shared by most who cover the team regularly. Kyle Meinke of Mlive Media Group recently Tweeted something more positive: Just finished [m]y game-by-game predictions for next week. Spoiler: I have the Lions with a winning record.

Perhaps it was the result of Haloti Ngata's return to practice, where he knocked Darryl Tapp on his behind, prompting Tyrunn Walker to say the following to Meinke:

"

"Ngata is just such a powerful guy, he makes all the difference. Very smart, very crafty. Future Hall of Famer right there. We get him with a couple guys — get Caraun [Reid] healthy — and we're going to be really good. I can promise you, the defensive tackles won't be a liability of the defense," Walker said. "We'll be good. We're going to be good, man."

"

Those are strong words that have been backed up by some of the tape we've seen thus far. Walker has looked every bit the powerful penetrator Detroit signed with five quarterback pressures in just 41 pass-rushing opportunities this preseason.

He and Ngata—who is admittedly playing with a chip on his shoulder this season—can be the front wall of an excellent defense. Now the theory just needs to be tested and proven.

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.