No Depth Chart

With Training camp underway, the thoughts on who will be starting the first preseason game are a concern. Coach Schwartz has stated numerous times that the Lions have no depth chart. So I guess all of our questions will be answered on August 15 against Atlanta. The roster during the preseason probably will be adjusted before the regular season starts, however this should give us a good idea of who the coaches are expecting to make an impact.

As the preseason opener approaches there is going to be a lot of speculation on which Quarterback is going to get the nod during the preseason. If Culpepper starts, does that mean he is ahead of Stafford in the depth chart and vise versa. You will hear many different philosophies on how it is a good decision that Stafford gets more time to learn and develop and also how Stafford is not ready yet. But, this is just reading into it more than the situation really calls for. Coach Schwartz has stated that this team has no depth chart since he took over the job back in January, and he is not going to change that now. I believe that who ever has the better week of practice going into the preseason games is going to get the start that week. The player with the most starts during preseason might give us an indication of who is going to be the starter. This will work itself out heading into the regular season. That is when the starter for the Lions will be named and talks about if Stafford is ready or not will be in full force. The Quarterback competition is going to help Stafford’s development either way. I say look for Stafford to start the season.

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Offensively there are a few positions that everyone knows has a true starter. But the competition of earning a job in the next two weeks is going to be exciting. The most interesting position battles for me will be the Offensive line. This is going to be a huge part of Detroit’s success this year. The center position is almost certainly going to Dominic Raiola, mostly based on the contract extension he received a few weeks ago. The rest of the O-line is just going to be speculation for now. I think that it is fair to say that Jeff Backus is going to be playing left tackle. We all hope that he will return to pro-bowl status. The addition of Jon Jansen will help Backus get his drive and focus together. They already have a bond dating back to their days at Michigan. The left guard position has questions due to the lack of talent that last couple of years. My prediction is that Daniel Loper or possibly Jon Jansen could see sometime at this position. Both have the talent to play here, but Loper is my guess at getting the job. This is an important position for the Lions if Stafford gets the start. They are really going to need to protect his blind side. At the other end of the line, right tackle should be second year man Gosder Cherilus. I see him winning the spot and showing why he was drafted in the first round a year ago. Look for him to have a very productive year with all the leadership that’s been added in the off-season. The right guard position will end up being either Stephen Peterman or again Jon Jansen. I think that Jansen would be a great fit just to help Cherilus in his development as a right tackle, the position that Jansen has owned for the past 10 seasons. Jansen could play any position on the line and be productive, so he might just end up a reserve waiting for an injury.

-Look for my picks for the rest of the offense tomorrow.

By: Patrick Stone
ProFootball-fans.com Detroit Lions Correspondent