Detroit Lions center Cade Mays is one of two notable returning players from the IR, with safety Brian Branch also returning to practice on Wednesday ahead of the Lions' Week 5 game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Mays was one of the Lions' top free agent acquisitions this offseason, with the former Carolina Panthers lineman set to be Detroit's actual solution to replacing Frank Ragnow, one year removed from his retirement (and un-retirement, and then retirement again).
Unfortunately, he broke his wrist in training camp, leaving the Lions to play Juice Scruggs at center. And, of course, accidentally discovering that Scruggs is an excellent center (sorry, Houston Texans fans). Thankfully, the team has not lost a step in Mays' absence, but his return could help out an already-thriving Lions offense even more.
What to expect from Mays' return against Cardinals or Packers
Detroit has a great schedule ahead of them for returning one of Mays or Branch, or both. Week 5 is against the struggling Cardinals, then they get a bye week, and then they play the struggling Green Bay Packers. Both need to come back within the next 21 days, which means either by this game or their Week 7 bout against the Packers.
Mays can bolster a struggling run game for the Lions. They rank 20th overall in rushing success, with their current linemen being far stronger as pass blockers. They've struggled to create gaps for Jahmyr Gibbs to work with, although that hasn't prevented him from piecing together some great performances so far. Now imagine him playing behind a proficient run blocker in Mays.
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Mays' return should also garner even greater pass blocking for Jared Goff. Detroit's line is already a top-5 unit in the league at the moment, but inserting him into the lineup could jumpstart a Lions offense that continues to struggle to score touchdowns in the first frame.
The Cardinals and Packers are both struggling against the run this season, with the Cardinals a far better pass rushing unit this year. It might make more sense, then, for the Lions to hold off on debuting Mays until their Packers game. It gives him another week to practice, and allows him to debut against a far weaker defensive line.
Most importantly, Mays' return shouldn't immediately mean that Scruggs is banished to be a valuable depth piece for the Lions. Mays is going to need some time to acclimate back to NFL speed, and having Scruggs in your holster means that he should be rotating in with Mays in his debut. After he's acclimated, though, it'll be quite the luxury to have Scruggs as a backup center and guard.
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