Detroit Lions: 5 Returning Players With Roster Spots in Doubt

Sep 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions strong safety Don Carey (26) leads the team onto the field before a preseason NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Lions beat the Bills 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions strong safety Don Carey (26) leads the team onto the field before a preseason NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field. Lions beat the Bills 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Detroit Lions tackle Cornelius Lucas (77) blocks Washington Redskins defensive tackle Stephen Paea (90) during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Detroit Lions tackle Cornelius Lucas (77) blocks Washington Redskins defensive tackle Stephen Paea (90) during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Cornelius Lucas

The Lions’ decision to draft three offensive linemen should have put the returning starters on notice and made returning reserves very nervous. It’s a big numbers game now and that’s a problem for the likes of Cornelius Lucas.

Shown to not be an answer last season, Lucas returns in 2016 as no higher than fourth on the tackle depth chart behind Riley Reiff, Taylor Decker and Michael Ola. Those three have the capacity to cover the starting and backup spots at both tackle positions with the loser of the Reiff-Decker battle for the left tackle spot able to shift over in case of injury to the other.

While keeping four offensive tackles on the roster would be conventional, the Lions have great versatility in their offensive line group that makes positional labels superfluous. Guard Geoff Schwartz has experience at tackle and even though many projected rookie Joe Dahl as a guard in the NFL, he played tackle in college and got work at left tackle in OTAs.

With Reiff, Decker, Ola at tackle, Laken Tomlinson and Larry Warford at guard, Dahl and Schwartz at guard with tackle experience and Travis Swanson and Graham Glasgow at center, it’s hard to see a need for Lucas, or any tenth offensive lineman on the 53-man roster.

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