If there is a theme regarding the Detroit Lions’ offseason so far, it’s the trenches. The Lions have made multiple changes across the offensive line since free agency began last month; however, the defensive line has also needed some attention after the departure of Roy Lopez.
Lopez wasn’t in a starting role for Detroit last season, but he was a player able to do the dirty work, especially when it came to stopping the run. With his 68.9 run defense grade ranking first and 12 run stops ranking second among Lions interior defenders last season, his departure to the Arizona Cardinals leaves a big hole in the defensive line that needs to be replaced.
The Lions had to be planning for this, and they could re-sign D.J. Reader or take a defensive tackle in the upcoming draft to solve the problem. But it appears they’re at least doing their homework as they hosted defensive tackle Jay Tufele on Tuesday, according to MLive's Benjamin Raven.
While Tufele has five years of experience in the league, he hasn’t done much with it. And his visit could also show the Lions will miss Lopez more than originally thought.
Lions Can’t Afford to Rely on Jay Tufele to Fix Run Defense Issues
Tufele isn’t a signing that will get many people excited, logging 56 total tackles with three tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks during stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, and New York Jets. But one thing he has done is stop the run.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tufele posted the highest grade against the run last season at 55.8. While it came in a limited sample size of 100 snaps, it also included seven run stops, which could also provide some similarities to Lopez.
Lopez hasn’t been a dynamic player in his career, but he was also solid against the run. Last year’s run defense grade was a career high (68.9), and he posted double-digit run stops in each of his first five seasons, which is something lacking on Detroit's roster.
No Lions interior defender had a PFF grade over 60.0 against the run last season, which was an issue that Mike Payton of A to Z Sports pointed out as Detroit allowed 140.8 rushing yards per game and went 3-5 in an eight-game stretch (Weeks 9-17) to fall out of playoff contention after the bye.
“This has to be the understanding right now,” Payton wrote. “The Lions want to make teams one-dimensional. It is the very basis of their defense. They want you to pass on them. Because three things can happen when you pass the ball, and two of them are bad.
“This is not a bad way to go about building a defense. .You want pressure, and you want sacks. They’re both awesome. But they mean nothing if a team can just gash you on the run. You need to find the balance between those two things, and that is what the Lions are attempting to do. That is what the (Seattle) Seahawks did, and they didn’t do it by spending the most money in the league. It’s what the (Kansas City) Chiefs have been doing for years, and they didn’t buy the most expensive edge rusher to do it.”
While the Lions' plan is clear, the process is still a little blurry. They haven’t made a signing to replace Lopez yet, and Tufele’s resume cannot get the job done. Even if Detroit plans on coaching him up, it’s hubris that could sabotage their plans and leave the same giant hole in their run defense they had last season.
Perhaps it’s as simple as adding a defensive tackle in the draft instead. Or having Tyleik Williams live up to his potential as a player who posted an 88.6 grade with 23 run stops on 261 snaps in his final year at Ohio State.
Whatever the plan is, the Lions should only be looking at Tufele as training camp competition, and hopefully, it will be a house of cards that won’t make the Week 1 roster.