DETROIT – Training camp is in full swing and already, the practices available for public viewing in Michigan are over (there are two Lions practices in Pennsylvania that will be open to watch).
But there are a lot of questions with these Detroit Lions, from big questions about the future to contract extensions and position battles. And there’s more than a month until the Lions kick off for real on Sept. 11 against Jim Caldwell’s old team, the Indianapolis Colts.
So let’s get into your questions in the first mailbag of the season. To ask questions, use the hashtag #LionsMailbag on Twitter, check out (and follow) my Facebook page or email me at michael.rothstein@espn.com.
@mikerothstein: Well, the biggest thing that would prevent that would be losing. If the Lions have a poor season and it is not mitigated by injuries or something unforeseen, general manager Bob Quinn might want to get his own coach in there. The thing with the NFL - and it will always, always be most important - is it comes down to winning. If the Lions win, all three are likely in place as long as they want to be. If they aren't winning, then changes will probably be made. Realistically, it is too early to truly get into that discussion because regular-season games haven't been played yet.@mikerothstein stability is king in the NFL. I want Quinn/Caldwell/Stafford to get a few years. What would prevent that? #LionsMailbag
— ptsawyer (@patricktsawyer) August 4, 2016
@mikerothstein: Unless something drastic changes, it's Rafael Bush. This ended up being a competition that never quite materialized. Bush has taken almost every snap with the first team and appears to be close to locking down the job. Miles Killebrew is a guy to watch in the future. He's just not quite there yet.@mikerothstein Who wins the other starting safety spot? #Lionsmailbag
— Posa(1-3 1g 1a) (@JustPosa) August 4, 2016
@mikerothstein: Punter Sam Martin is the guy to watch here. He has one of the best young legs in the league, is extremely consistent on kickoffs and gives the position stability. Other than that, it would seem to be a wait-and-see with a lot of guys. The Lions need to know what Devin Taylor can do as a starter before truly extending him. Larry Warford has to have more consistency. Ezekiel Ansah has a fifth year and then theoretically a franchise-tag year, so that isn't as urgent. The next big deal to get done could be Matthew Stafford after the season. Like Ndamukong Suh after the 2014 season and Calvin Johnson after last season, Stafford's future will be a major storyline in the early part of the 2017 calendar year.@mikerothstein aside from Theo Riddick, who could be next up for contract extensions? #LionsMailbag
— Kyle (@YourUncleKyle) August 4, 2016
@mikerothstein: I'll get into this more as the week progresses, but if you're the Lions, you want to see good-sized holes early in the game and a pocket for Stafford to work with. While there likely won't be much tackling during the two practices with the Steelers in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, how Taylor Decker and the interior of the line fares during those practices with Pittsburgh - and then during the game - could give an indication of what type of season it will be for the offensive line. So far in Lions practices, it hasn't always been too good.@mikerothstein The Pittsburgh game will be the first test of the revamped O-line. What should we be looking for? #LionsMailbag
— Mike Hodges (@Lionsfan1960) August 4, 2016
@mikerothstein: At this point, yes. The No. 5 spot seems to be wide open and there are four major candidates for it. If the Lions want another slot receiver - or if Jeremy Kerley wins the punt returner job - it'll be Kerley. If Detroit wants a veteran outside presence, Andre Caldwell could be the guy. But Caldwell has missed a couple of practices now and Jay Lee is forcing himself into the conversation. Lee, an undrafted rookie from Baylor, has good speed, good height and showed Saturday in the mock game that he has the capability of making the tough catch. Quinshad Davis, an undrafted rookie from North Carolina, has been catching essentially everything thrown to him in practices. He doesn't have the speed Lee does, but his frame makes him an intriguing prospect. The preseason games might matter here.@mikerothstein #LionsMailbag Does Lee have a legitimate chance for the number five WR?
— Jamie Johnson (@TripleOGJamie) August 5, 2016
@mikerothstein: To quote Carl Cheffers when he was talking with the Detroit media on Friday, "It's 2016, dude." At this point, you really can't be bitter over that call. Yes, it was a poor call by that officiating crew in the Detroit playoff game in Dallas, but the Lions had several opportunities to still win the game, from some questionable coaching decisions to Sam Martin 's shanked punt to the defense committing penalties and having one of their worst drives of the season on Dallas' game-winning drive. So to blame that one call, well ... it's two seasons later at this point.@mikerothstein should the refs have picked up the P.I. flag in Jerry World? #LionsMailbag
— Tarek Tlais (@TarekTlais81) August 5, 2016
