The Detroit Lions are coming off a Week 5 bye and getting geared up for a visit from the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. The good news is that there have not been nearly as many catastrophic injuries to rehab as last season.
One of the bigger problems the Lions have had is at linebacker. Last season's standout Jack Campbell has not enjoyed an elite start. Devin White, whom Detroit signed this offseason to provide some punch, has recently gone down for the season with a forearm injury. That puts pressure on everyone else to step up and stand out.
Derrick Barnes, Trevor Nowaske and Malcolm Rodriguez have played well in spurts, but naturally, they can't do it alone from a depth standpoint. Enter rookie Jimmy Rolder, who hasn't played a significant role early this season given a training camp injury and the rehab that came as a result.
Now, there is no longer anywhere for Rolder to hide. Without White, he's going to have to step up and provide something, and it's likely to happen starting now. Rolder saw his role increase since Week 3, and has contributed five total tackles to the cause. He's been getting his feet wet and learning the ropes.
Coming into Week 6, Rolder could see his most important action thus far in his career. The Lions need athleticism and coverage in the middle of the field against the Packers, and Rolder has shown speed and ability to cover plenty of ground. The Lions need him to not only try and snuff out the pass, but hold up well against the run.
Truthfully, Rolder's abilities could be a big tipping point for the Lions. Detroit has craved more consistent playmaking at linebacker all season long, and Rolder's range and abilities finally showing up could give the Lions a strong bonus as a tough season wears on.
Shaun Dion Hamilton is working to ease Rolder into a role for Lions
How much can anyone expect to see Rolder in the weeks ahead? While it's likely to be far more than during the start of the season, it's still a tough question considering the lack of experience he has and the setback from training camp costing him valuable time when it comes to learning on the job.
As the Lions have done with Keith Abney II, Rolder is picking up more assignments in practice and continuing to see snaps in games. As the experience comes and the knowledge grows, Detroit could be expected to turn Rolder loose a bit more. The experiment has worked well with Abney, and could pay dividends here as well.
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Hamilton, Detroit's linebacker coach, said a few weeks back that he isn't dwelling on the lack of experience from the past, but rather working hard trying to catch Rolder up as he cuts him loose on the field.
"I'd probably say after you miss the countless days of training camp (and) practices, you don't know what you don't know. So it's kind of like, 'Hey, let's see what he's got.' You don't know until that person gets (on the field). So when you're talking about Week 4 of the season, we can't go back to training camp and wish he got this (or that). That's my job as a coach to make sure he's ready to go come Sunday."
This year, Detroit's rookie class has been strong the more time they have received. It could take Rolder a full season before he looks like an effective pro thanks to the time he already missed, but the opportunity is knocking for a big emergence in a short amount of time.
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