Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2016 regular season. Today, the Detroit Lions.
2015 in a nutshell: They start 0-5 but gain partial redemption by winning seven of their next 11 games. Still, they miss the playoffs for the 14th time in the last 16 years.
Why 2016 could be different: Potential Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson is gone.
Major additions: Veteran receiver Marvin Jones will immediately become a starter after signing as a free agent, while No. 16 overall selection Taylor Decker should start from the get-go at left tackle.
Major losses: Johnson retired. He’s essentially irreplaceable, but they’ll try to fill his shoes with Jones and veteran Golden Tate.
Breakout watch: Jones has just 21 career starts under his belt, but the 26-year-old Cal product went over 700 yards in each of his last two seasons with Cincinnati. He caught a career-high 65 passes last season and scored 10 touchdowns in 2015, but now he’s expected to play a major role while finally hitting the 1,000-yard mark. How else can he live up to that five-year, $40 million contract?
Position to watch: That young offensive line has a lot of potential. All five players slated to start were selected in the top three rounds of drafts that took place in the last five years. There’s a lot of pressure on Decker, as well as 2015 first-round guard Laken Tomlinson.
Prediction: I’m yet to mention a defense that really took a hit without Ndamukong Suh in 2015. They didn’t do much to improve that unit in the offseason, and DeAndre Levy can’t stay healthy. I’m worried about this team because of the loss of Johnson, but also because I’m not sure this D will be good enough to mask offensive shortcomings. They’ll struggle to stay out of the basement in the strong NFC North.
