It doesn't feel hyperbolic to say the Detroit Lions' offensive line play, specifically at center, was one of the top reasons for their downfall last season. The desperation reached a point where they lured Frank Ragnow out of retirement, albeit to no avail.
Enter Cade Mays, whom the Lions signed to a three-year, $25 million deal in free agency in March. The contract vaulted the ex-Carolina Panther among the NFL's highest-paid centers, so there are evidently big plans for him. He'll assume the spot the club frantically tried to refill with Ragnow.
Given the circumstances, there will be plenty of eyes on Mays. His name might not be ringing through the streets of Detroit, but he's certainly among their most important players. Don't just take our word for it, though; hear what Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated had to say.
Breer suggested that Mays could be the skeleton key to the Lions' Super Bowl hopes, with this summer marking a pivotal moment.
"... mark me down as having Lions center Cade Mays as a key under-the-radar guy for training camp," Breer wrote. "If the import from the Panthers delivers on his promise, and Detroit gets its [offensive] line back closer to where it was pre-2025, then [head coach] Dan Campbell has a very real contender again."
Cade Mays could quietly be the linchpin to the Lions' Super Bowl hopes
Detroit's O-line has been "at the center of the team's DNA" throughout their rise from bottom-feeder to championship-caliber in the Dan Campbell era, as Breer highlighted. Ragnow was the straw that stirred the drink before shockingly hanging up the cleats last June, which immediately gives Mays massive shoes to fill.
How quickly Mays gets integrated into the offense will be critical. He quite literally touches the ball on every snap and relays the quarterback's signals to the rest of the starting five. The 2022 sixth-round pick can single-handedly sink the ship if he doesn't pick up the playbook fast, putting increased emphasis on the offseason and practice.
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Mays may not be the three-time All-Pro Ragnow blossomed into before health issues got in the way. However, the former has developed into a formidable option along the trenches and has more room for growth.
An ankle injury limited Mays to 14 games this past campaign, yet he remained effective when available. His 69.4 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade ranked 13th out of 40 qualified centers.
With Ragnow virtually shutting the door on another attempt to make a return, Mays must carry the torch.
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