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The Detroit Lions did not plan on spending August reshuffling the middle of their offensive line, but Cade Mays’ wrist injury has forced Dan Campbell and his staff into exactly that situation.
Mays had been putting together a strong training camp before suffering the injury during pass protection. Campbell said the play itself was simply bad luck.
“It happened in protection,” Campbell said on Monday. “A defensive lineman was rushing, made an arm-over move and chopped at it. It was one of those freak things.”
Now comes the harder part for Detroit: figuring out who snaps the football to Jared Goff while Mays recovers.
Campbell made it clear Monday that Detroit is not short on possibilities.
“Those are the guys who are here for this. Juice is dealing with a little soft-tissue injury, so he won’t be out there today. It’ll still be a few more days before he’s back. Juice is certainly a candidate. McLaughlin is going to get looks. He’ll probably work mostly with the ones today. Niese has done it. Ratledge is also going to work. I don’t see him doing team work there, but we have to get him back up to speed with some snapping just in case. We have options. It’s the hand you’re dealt, and you move on.”
That gives Detroit several internal paths before Brad Holmes decides whether an outside addition is necessary.
The immediate name to watch is McLaughlin, who Campbell indicated would receive most of the first-team work. Juice remains part of the conversation once his soft-tissue issue clears up, while Niese has experience at the position.
Then there is Tate Ratledge.
Campbell does not sound ready to throw Ratledge into full team work at center yet, but getting his snapping refreshed gives Detroit another emergency option if the situation demands it.
The timing is particularly frustrating because Campbell believed Mays was progressing exactly the way Detroit hoped.
“You hate it. I hate it for him because I felt like he was having a good camp. He had grown so much in our system just since the spring. You hate it for him, and you hate it for us, too.”
That matters.
Mays was not merely filling a roster spot. Detroit brought him in with a legitimate chance to become the answer in the middle of an offensive line that needed improvement.
Campbell’s comments suggest Mays was earning that opportunity before one awkward play changed the plan.
Campbell has never been shy about turning injuries into opportunities for other players, and that is exactly how he is approaching this one.
“There’s a reason we have Juice here and some of these other guys. They’re going to get a look. McLaughlin is going to get an opportunity. That’s the best way to find out about some of these guys. That’s all you can ask for. It’s, ‘Man, this is your shot. Let’s see where we can go with it.’”
That may be the most important part of this story over the next several practices.
Detroit does not necessarily need to make an immediate move.
The Lions first need to find out whether one of the players already in the building can handle the job.
If McLaughlin settles in with the first unit and looks comfortable, Detroit’s urgency to add a veteran could drop quickly. If the protection calls, snaps or interior blocking become inconsistent, Holmes may have to reconsider.
Mays’ injury also creates the possibility of a larger offensive line shuffle.
Campbell said the coaching staff is not locked into one configuration.
“We have options. Bartch took some reps yesterday and is getting a little better at guard. We know what Mahogany is doing and what Frazier is doing. We’re going to find the best five. We will find the best five. We were trying to find that before camp started. If this goes into the season, it does. At some point, we will find the best five, where they belong, and they’ll be ready.”
That last part is important for Lions fans.
Campbell is not promising the offensive line will be settled tomorrow. He is telling everyone Detroit is willing to experiment until the right combination emerges.
That could mean changing centers. It could mean shifting guards. It could mean Ratledge becoming part of the equation in a way the Lions did not initially envision.
Campbell cares less about labels than getting the best five blockers on the field together.
Campbell also confirmed that Detroit should prepare for an extended absence.
“Yeah, this is going to be a while. I’m not going to give you a timeline. He’ll be ready for the playoffs. I do feel good about that.”
Later reporting put Mays’ expected recovery at roughly 8 to 10 weeks, which offers a considerably more optimistic outlook and could put him back before the midpoint of the regular season.
That makes Detroit’s center search feel more like a temporary problem than a season-long one.
Still, temporary problems can become big ones quickly when they involve the player responsible for getting Goff the football on every snap.
The Lions did not want to lose Cade Mays, especially after Campbell watched him make significant progress throughout the offseason and early training camp.
Now Detroit gets to learn something about the rest of its offensive line room.
McLaughlin appears positioned for the first opportunity. Juice, Niese and Ratledge remain options, and Campbell is willing to shuffle pieces until the Lions identify their best five.
Detroit may eventually decide it needs outside help.
For now, Campbell wants to see whether the answer is already standing on the practice field.
Continue reading...
Mays had been putting together a strong training camp before suffering the injury during pass protection. Campbell said the play itself was simply bad luck.
“It happened in protection,” Campbell said on Monday. “A defensive lineman was rushing, made an arm-over move and chopped at it. It was one of those freak things.”
Now comes the harder part for Detroit: figuring out who snaps the football to Jared Goff while Mays recovers.
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Lions Have Several Options at Center
Campbell made it clear Monday that Detroit is not short on possibilities.
“Those are the guys who are here for this. Juice is dealing with a little soft-tissue injury, so he won’t be out there today. It’ll still be a few more days before he’s back. Juice is certainly a candidate. McLaughlin is going to get looks. He’ll probably work mostly with the ones today. Niese has done it. Ratledge is also going to work. I don’t see him doing team work there, but we have to get him back up to speed with some snapping just in case. We have options. It’s the hand you’re dealt, and you move on.”
That gives Detroit several internal paths before Brad Holmes decides whether an outside addition is necessary.
The immediate name to watch is McLaughlin, who Campbell indicated would receive most of the first-team work. Juice remains part of the conversation once his soft-tissue issue clears up, while Niese has experience at the position.
Then there is Tate Ratledge.
Campbell does not sound ready to throw Ratledge into full team work at center yet, but getting his snapping refreshed gives Detroit another emergency option if the situation demands it.
Mays Was Building Momentum Before the Injury
The timing is particularly frustrating because Campbell believed Mays was progressing exactly the way Detroit hoped.
“You hate it. I hate it for him because I felt like he was having a good camp. He had grown so much in our system just since the spring. You hate it for him, and you hate it for us, too.”
That matters.
Mays was not merely filling a roster spot. Detroit brought him in with a legitimate chance to become the answer in the middle of an offensive line that needed improvement.
Campbell’s comments suggest Mays was earning that opportunity before one awkward play changed the plan.
Detroit Will Use This as an Audition
Campbell has never been shy about turning injuries into opportunities for other players, and that is exactly how he is approaching this one.
“There’s a reason we have Juice here and some of these other guys. They’re going to get a look. McLaughlin is going to get an opportunity. That’s the best way to find out about some of these guys. That’s all you can ask for. It’s, ‘Man, this is your shot. Let’s see where we can go with it.’”
That may be the most important part of this story over the next several practices.
Detroit does not necessarily need to make an immediate move.
The Lions first need to find out whether one of the players already in the building can handle the job.
If McLaughlin settles in with the first unit and looks comfortable, Detroit’s urgency to add a veteran could drop quickly. If the protection calls, snaps or interior blocking become inconsistent, Holmes may have to reconsider.
Campbell Still Searching for Detroit’s Best Five
Mays’ injury also creates the possibility of a larger offensive line shuffle.
Campbell said the coaching staff is not locked into one configuration.
“We have options. Bartch took some reps yesterday and is getting a little better at guard. We know what Mahogany is doing and what Frazier is doing. We’re going to find the best five. We will find the best five. We were trying to find that before camp started. If this goes into the season, it does. At some point, we will find the best five, where they belong, and they’ll be ready.”
That last part is important for Lions fans.
Campbell is not promising the offensive line will be settled tomorrow. He is telling everyone Detroit is willing to experiment until the right combination emerges.
That could mean changing centers. It could mean shifting guards. It could mean Ratledge becoming part of the equation in a way the Lions did not initially envision.
Campbell cares less about labels than getting the best five blockers on the field together.
You must be registered for see images attach
Mays Will Be Out for a While
Campbell also confirmed that Detroit should prepare for an extended absence.
“Yeah, this is going to be a while. I’m not going to give you a timeline. He’ll be ready for the playoffs. I do feel good about that.”
Later reporting put Mays’ expected recovery at roughly 8 to 10 weeks, which offers a considerably more optimistic outlook and could put him back before the midpoint of the regular season.
That makes Detroit’s center search feel more like a temporary problem than a season-long one.
Still, temporary problems can become big ones quickly when they involve the player responsible for getting Goff the football on every snap.
Bottom Line
The Lions did not want to lose Cade Mays, especially after Campbell watched him make significant progress throughout the offseason and early training camp.
Now Detroit gets to learn something about the rest of its offensive line room.
McLaughlin appears positioned for the first opportunity. Juice, Niese and Ratledge remain options, and Campbell is willing to shuffle pieces until the Lions identify their best five.
Detroit may eventually decide it needs outside help.
For now, Campbell wants to see whether the answer is already standing on the practice field.
Continue reading...
