The Detroit Lions are, on the surface, a clear-cut contender. They won 15 games last season and put together one of the best offensive campaigns in recent memory. Dan Campbell is the easiest coach to believe in. Jared Goff is a fringe MVP candidate every year now. This is a good team. But are they a truly great team? There's reason for some skepticism as training camp approaches.
First up, the Lions lost Ben Johnson to Chicago. The NFC Central is an absolute bloodbath now. Johnson was hailed as the best play-caller in football and staved off multiple head coaching offers in 2023 to stick around for another Lions run. The Bears offer was too good to pass up, though, which leaves a far less accomplished John Morton in charge of the offense.
This is not Morton's first rodeo. He's significantly older than Johnson and actually has more cumulative experience, including a brief stint as Jets OC in 2017. But the Lions are moving on from the young prodigy to an NFL journeyman with very few lasting stints in an assistant role, which raises concerns. Especially when there are mounting personnel issues, starting in the middle of it all (literally) at center.
Lions are working through uncertainty at center after Frank Ragnow retirement
Frank Ragnow, Detroit's four-time Pro Bowl center, unexpectedly announced his retirement at 29 years old, after seven seasons as a full-time Lions starter. That leaves a gaping hole at the position, one Detroit will attempt to fill with an unproven rookie.
The Lions selected Georgia Bulldogs lineman Tate Ratledge in the second round of April's NFL Draft. It was a great pick in the moment. Ratledge anchored an elite offensive line at UGA and figures to pick up on things quickly in the NFL. How quickly, however, remains to be seen.
It can be tough to rely heavily on rookies, especially for a team attempting to win the Super Bowl. Detroit is viewed as the primary NFC challenger to the reigning champs in Philadelphia. What makes the Eagles so dangerous in particular is their pass rush. If it comes down to a win-or-go home showdown with Philly in the postseason, Ratledge will need to get to a point where he can adequately contain pressure and keep Goff clean in the pocket. Either that, or Detroit will need to pull a more dependable solution out of thin air.
Is Tate Ratledge a lock to start at center for the Lions?
Trystan Colon-Castillo, who appeared in 17 games (seven starts) for Arizona last season, is currently slated as the backup. He is sure to get a crack at winning the job in camp, although Detroit has incentive to elevate and prioritize their day-two draft pick if Ratledge looks competent in camp. Coming from a program like UGA, with a sustained track record of developing NFL-ready pros, will surely help his cause.
But, lest we forget, Ratledge hasn't actually signed his rookie contract. There's real potential for a holdout, which would only complicate things further. Losing Ragnow was bad enough. If Ratledge begins his career at an experiential disadvantage because he misses a portion of camp, Detroit's offensive line becomes even more vulnerable.
Jared Goff processes the field quickly and can operate comfortably in a well-trafficked pocket. Even so, the Lions cannot afford substantial regression from the O-line. This is a talented bunch, but a leaky O-line will impact Jahmyr Gibbs and the run game just as much as it impacts Goff. The uncertainty of a new play-caller and a rookie's inherent instability puts the Lions in quite the pickle.
This isn't to say the Lions are "in trouble" or a non-threat in the NFC. But with so little margin for error, as we learned last season, Detroit is walking a thin and dangerous line.