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Lions Make Risky Offensive Line Decision Before Week 1
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- Lions Make Risky Offensive Line Decision Before Week 1
The Detroit Lions had an opportunity Saturday to give themselves another natural center for Sunday's season opener.
They passed.
Detroit used its Week 1 practice-squad elevation on defensive lineman Ben Stille and did notelevate center Seth McLaughlin, leaving Juice Scruggs as the only true center expected to be available against the New Orleans Saints.
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That does not mean Detroit has no emergency plan. Starting right guard Tate Ratledge has been cross-trained at center, something Dan Campbell began preparing for after Cade Mays fractured his wrist during training camp. Campbell said at the time that Detroit needed to get Ratledge comfortable snapping again "just in case."
Apparently, the Lions are comfortable enough with that contingency to enter Week 1 without McLaughlin on the game-day roster.
It may work perfectly.
It also introduces a little more risk than Detroit needed to carry into an offensive line already undergoing significant change.
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Detroit Is Betting Heavily on Juice Scruggs
Scruggs has earned the starting opportunity.
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When Detroit acquired him from Houston in the David Montgomery trade, the former second-round pick brought NFL starting experience at all three interior positions. He had already logged eight starts at center, along with substantial work at both guard spots.
Mays' injury accelerated the plan. Scruggs moved into the starting lineup, while Ratledge received additional center work and McLaughlin competed for a reserve role.
Campbell made clear after Mays went down that Detroit would evaluate every option rather than simply handing the position to the next man.
Scruggs ultimately won.
We already examined how the overlooked piece of the David Montgomery trade suddenly became Detroit's Week 1 starting center , and there is nothing particularly alarming about Scruggs himself starting Sunday.
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The gamble is what happens if he cannot finish.
Ratledge Becomes Detroit's Emergency Answer
Detroit could have elevated McLaughlin and carried another player whose natural position is center.
Instead, the Lions will apparently rely on Ratledge if Scruggs has to leave the game.
That creates a domino effect.
Ratledge moving from right guard to center would force Detroit to change two offensive-line positions instead of one. Someone such as Ben Bartch or Miles Frazier would then need to enter at guard while Ratledge takes over the snapping responsibilities.
That is not necessarily disastrous. Versatility is one of the traits Detroit values most in its offensive linemen, and Ratledge has previous center experience.
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Still, continuity matters.
Campbell spent training camp emphasizing the need to identify Detroit's best five linemen as quickly as possible so they could accumulate repetitions together. Injuries made that difficult enough before Week 1 arrived.
The Lions are now voluntarily accepting another layer of potential reshuffling.
McLaughlin Was a Legitimate Backup Option
McLaughlin was not simply a warm body Detroit could have elevated.
The former Rimington Award winner showed enough during the preseason to receive serious consideration as Scruggs' backup. Campbell praised his quickness, intelligence and ability to reach the second level, while acknowledging that his pass-protection anchor remained an area that needed improvement.
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Before final cuts, there was a legitimate case for Detroit carrying McLaughlin on the 53 specifically because of the uncertainty created by Mays' injury.
Instead, he landed on the practice squad.
That decision was understandable if the Lions intended to use standard elevations when necessary. Choosing not to do so in Week 1 tells us Detroit views Ratledge as a sufficient emergency option.
It also reinforces how much confidence the organization has in Scruggs.
Detroit already showed that confidence when it allowed him to become the Week 1 starter. Saturday took it another step.
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It's a Calculated Risk, Not Recklessness
Calling the move risky does not mean it is foolish.
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NFL teams cannot carry a specialist for every conceivable injury. Game-day roster spots are limited, and Detroit clearly believed the additional defensive-line help provided by Stille was more important than carrying another center against New Orleans.
That is roster construction.
The Lions also know Ratledge can snap the football if necessary.
But there is no escaping the tradeoff. Detroit opens the season with a new starting center, a young right guard, a rookie right tackle and a left-guard competition that only recently tilted toward Christian Mahogany. We previously detailed how Mahogany emerged as the likely Week 1 starter at left guard .
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For an offensive line still developing chemistry, changing two positions because of one in-game injury would be less than ideal.
Detroit is betting that scenario never arrives.
If Scruggs plays 60-plus clean snaps Sunday, nobody will spend five seconds thinking about Seth McLaughlin.
If he goes down?
Things get interesting very quickly.
