Don't worry, Detroit Lions fans, training camp is a little over a month away. But until then, the team's players and coaches will get one final break before the long grind of a season that the franchise hopes culminates in a second straight playoff berth.
Even though there is a break, it doesn't mean you don't have questions. We'll tackle those in this Sunday's mailbag, the final Lions Mailbag until mid-July.
Let's get to it.
@mikerothstein chances Gabe Wright starts this season? And could he be a franchise player? #LionsMailbag
— Andrew Lamers (@AndrewLamers) June 23, 2015@mikerothstein: Sure, there's a chance, but I wouldn't say it is a high one right now. The Lions seem to like Caraun Reid here -- although until pads are on in camp, it's tough to truly tell what will happen. The franchise also signed Tyrunn Walker in free agency. Between Reid and Walker, one of those two guys will win the starting job next to Haloti Ngata. Expect Gabe Wright to be part of the defensive line rotation, though, and more so than Reid was as a rookie. There are a lot of snaps to be had and if Wright is not in the rotation, then that's a larger problem for both him and Detroit. A franchise player? That might be pushing it, but until I see him actually play an NFL snap, I'm never going to say never. I do think he could eventually become an NFL starter, though, possibly as early as 2016.
@mikerothstein How many compensatory draft picks are the Lions expecting next draft? Suh? Bush-cut? Fairley? #LionsMailBag
— Justine (@therealliq) June 24, 2015@mikerothstein:Â I hate trying to really predict this, because the formula isn't public so there could be some discrepancies here. However, the Lions are pretty much guaranteed to get compensatory picks for Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. They could end up with another one for the other free agents lost during the compensatory period of free agency (Jed Collins, Garrett Reynolds). The Lions will not get one for Reggie Bush because the team cut Bush and compensatory picks are not available for players who are cut. It's why Detroit did not receive one for Louis Delmas last season.
@mikerothstein What would it take this season to put the Lions in the NFC Championship (or beyond)? #LionsMailbag
— Mike Hodges (@Lionsfan1960) June 24, 2015@mikerothstein:Â It will start with winning the NFC North. If Detroit does that, it ensures there would be no trip to Green Bay in the postseason. Depending on the seed, it could also mean no trip to Seattle. Those are the two toughest places to win in the NFC, and if the Lions could avoid those for as long as possible, they have a shot if they make the playoffs. For the Lions to make a run, they need to see massive jumps from their offense this season. They need more of a run game than they had last season and a consistent third pass-catching option at receiver. They also need Matthew Stafford to continue with smart decision-making while also converting more chances downfield. Defensively, they need the revamped defensive line to be somewhat close to what Detroit had last season. They need Rashean Mathis to continue to defy age and another step forward taken by Darius Slay. And let's face it, the Lions had some luck last season -- think the Atlanta game, specifically -- and could use it again.
Michael from Troy, Michigan, asks: Taylor Mays has clearly struggled at safety in the NFL. I know the Bengals were kind of playing around with him in a safety/OLB hybrid role for a bit. Do you see the Lions utilizing him at OLB at all? With his size, speed and strength, I feel like he is an excellent fit for the position.
Rothstein: The Lions clearly envision something for Mays considering they decided to sign him, but they haven't indicated what yet. It is going to start with a special teams role and he'll need to beat out some guys there to even have a shot at a roster spot. If he is able to solidify a special teams role, the Lions can figure out where they would use him on defense if necessary. My guess is as an in-the-box safety -- probably as a backup to James Ihedigbo. Detroit has a ton of options at linebacker, and most of them seem better than Mays would be there. But he has talent, so he is worth taking a chance on. Worst case for the Lions? He doesn't pan out and they cut him early in camp. Nothing to lose for Detroit.
