Detroit Lions Stock Report: Week 7

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Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Stock Down: Rashean Mathis

As bad as the stat sheet looked for the offensive line, no player on either side of the ball played as badly as starting cornerback Rashean Mathis. The once ageless corner was terrible against the Vikings, who started picking on him early and never let up once they saw how easy it was going to be. It eventually looked like he was their only target, as he couldn’t defend a single pass that wasn’t a screen.

This isn’t the first bad game Mathis has had and I doubt it will be his last. It was never the plan to keep Mathis beyond 2015 and his present state of play signals an early introduction to rookie 3rd round pick Alex Carter. The Detroit Lions had not planned to use Carter much this season and indications were that the intelligent rookie was headed for a redshirt season even before his injury.

With Mathis still reeling from his stumble off the talent cliff, it’s possible the Detroit Lions inject Alex Carter into the defense with a “Hey, couldn’t be worse!” mentality. My concern with that is that it could stunt his development and force him into bad habits, though it’s tempered somewhat with the coaching he has likely been getting in his time off. It could end poorly, but there’s a decent enough chance it won’t fail to be worth a look.

Next: Ebron's Arrival

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