CORNERBACK
- Starter – Darius Slay
- Starter opposite of Slay – Nevin Lawson or DeShawn Shead
- Depth – Teez Tabor, Jamal Agnew
Hard to imagine cornerback Malcolm Butler in a Detroit Lions uniform. At least not at $12 million per year. Cornerback Nevin Lawson is a decent corner, and was worth resigning.
Quinn’s best signing might be former Seattle Seahawk cornerback DeShawn Shead. It is a distinct possibility that he wins the job opposite Slay. Also, Shead played both corner and safety in Seattle. So, he adds depth to the entire secondary.
No matter what Lawson and Shead do in 2018, Quinn clearly thinks a lot of cornerbacks Teez Tabor and Jamal Agnew. They are the hopeful future starters in this secondary.
OFFENSIVE LINE
- Left Tackle – Taylor Decker
- Center – Graham Glasgow (from Left Guard)
- Right Guard – T.J. Lang
- Right Tackle – Rick Wagner
Center Travis Swanson is unlikely to return because guard Graham Glasgow looks much better in that position. That leaves a hole at left guard. And there should be enough on the roster to fill it.
People laugh at the acquisition of guard Kenny Wiggins. Mostly because no one has heard of him. But most offensive lineman are anonymous, at least until they make a big mistake.
Wiggins gives the Detroit Lions another legitimate option at guard, along with Joe Dahl. Wiggins started all 16 games last year for the Los Angeles Chargers, and that experience is invaluable. Meanwhile, Dahl is entering his third year, and he has the versatility to play along the entire line.
The offensive line is far from perfect. Last year’s acquisitions of guard T.J. Lang and tackle Rick Wagner should look much better in 2018. The key to this line: left tackle Taylor Decker stays healthy.
Meanwhile, one position actually looks much worse: