From now until the draft, we’re going to look at each Detroit Lions position group and where things stand as offseason workouts begin this month.
We continue the series with interior offensive linemen.
Starters: Rodney Austin (LG); Travis Swanson (Center); Larry Warford (RG)
Backups: Taylor Boggs; Darren Keyton; Braxston Cave
What the status of the position group is: Young and still in flux. Warford is locked in at a starting spot, most likely right guard. Swanson is also another likely starter, probably at center as the replacement for Dominic Raiola.
The biggest question comes at left guard. The Lions brought in Justin Blalock for a visit last month, but he remains unsigned. The team also has expressed some interest in bringing back Rob Sims for another season at left guard, but like Blalock, he remains unsigned and appears to be waiting for something to happen. Regardless of who comes in, Austin at left guard is merely a placeholder right now until the team signs a veteran or drafts a rookie to take the spot.
Austin will have a chance to compete for a roster spot, but the franchise can’t rely on him to be a starter at this juncture. Detroit will likely draft an interior lineman for whatever veteran the team brings in to groom for a season before eventually taking over. This is similar to the Swanson/Raiola situation last season. Cave, Boggs and Keyton all have minimal experience.
There was a thought left tackle Riley Reiff could move to guard, but Lions coach Jim Caldwell essentially dismissed those thoughts at the league meetings last month.
What needs to happen: It’s pretty simple. Sign a veteran. Draft a rookie. Let the two compete during camp and if the rookie wins the job – like Warford two seasons ago – go with that. If not, have him learn everything he can as the fourth interior lineman and be prepared to have him take over in 2016.
The Lions, for all of their offensive line woes last season, have the nucleus of a young, talented offensive line with Warford and Swanson on the interior and Reiff, LaAdrian Waddle and Cornelius Lucas at the tackles. They need one more player, though, and finding another young guard would be necessary in this draft.
Detroit has done a good job here with third-round picks the past two seasons – taking Warford in 2013 and Swanson in 2014. The team could go there again in 2015, meaning Detroit would have the interior of its line set for the foreseeable future.
Draft priority: High to fairly high. The Lions are taking an offensive lineman in the draft, probably fairly high. The bigger question is if it is a tackle or a guard.