During the bye week that conveniently comes at the midway point of the season, we’ll review each Detroit Lions position group.
Major moves in the first half: Released Kevin Ogletree (later signed with the New York Giants).
What has worked: The Lions made one of the top signings of the free-agent period last season in bringing in Golden Tate as a No. 2 receiver to essentially replace Nate Burleson. At the time, it appeared to be a good signing.
It has become better than the Lions could have imagined. With Calvin Johnson hobbled most of the first half of the season with a high right ankle sprain, Tate has taken over the top receiver spot for the Lions and has become a safety valve for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Tate is second in the NFL in receptions (55) and third in the league in receiving yards (800) halfway through the season.
Tate is nine receptions and 98 yards away from matching his career highs in Seattle, set last year. Not bad for a player who was signed to be a second option at best.
The Lions also made a smart decision in keeping Corey Fuller on the roster. He hasn’t made a ton of plays yet, but he is clearly an improving receiver who has started to make bigger plays for Detroit as the season continues. He is still extremely raw as a receiver but might end up being a find eventually.
What has not: Johnson.
Johnson has missed three games and hobbled through two more during the first half of the year, health-wise the most difficult stretch of his All-Pro career. It has been frustrating for the Lions and for the receiver.
Jeremy Ross has been decent in the slot but is clearly a tertiary receiver for Detroit. He has caught 15 of the 20 targets thrown to him and has big-play capability -- evidenced by his return skills -- but has made only one real big play at receiver.
Ryan Broyles, kept on the roster as the fifth receiver initially, has been a non-factor. He has barely played except during extreme injury situations and does not have much of a role.
Prognosis: It will be interesting to see what happens when Johnson returns in Week 10 against Miami.
The Lions have found a dependable option in Tate and while the two should have no problem coexisting in the offense, it’ll be interesting to see how the Lions divide targets between Johnson and Tate. Combined, they might be one of the top receiver duos in the NFL when they are both healthy.
They played together in only the first two games of the season. The opener against the New York Giants, though, gave some indication of how explosive they could be. It's the only game this season in which the Lions scored more than 30 points.
A side note for Johnson’s return: Broyles probably would head back to the inactive list, especially if the tight ends are healthy as well.