DFN Lions Mailbag: Rookie contributions, lineup and schedule predictions, plus more

Welcome to an offseason, post-draft edition of the mailbag.

As usual, you folks stuffed the inbox with an overwhelming number of quality questions, so I’m going to file this in two parts. Check back for the second wave on Tuesday morning.

Enjoy.

Q: Is the Isaac TeSlaa pick by Brad Holmes closer to his Kerby Joseph and Amon-Ra St. Brown picks or Brodric Martin and Giovanni Manu? — Brandon L. Thornton

Justin: It’s difficult to predict the future, but that challenge is significantly steeper before I see a player share the field with their new teammates for a handful of practices.

In terms of using college experience as a tool for that projection, it’s closer to the All-Pros. Like Joseph and St. Brown, TeSlaa is coming on board from a major conference program with extensive film against high-caliber opponents.

St. Brown was the most polished prospect coming into the league from that list. Still, TeSlaa has the best overall athleticism relative to his position compared to the other four.

Q: Does Ahmed Hassanein realistically have a chance to contribute this year besides special teams? — Jon Annett

Justin: Of course. Presently, he'll enter the offseason program as the fifth defensive end on the depth chart, behind some guys with notable durability issues.

In the unlikely event that everyone stays healthy, it will muddy Hassanein's path to significant defensive snaps, which is hardly a negative. Also, that would have been the case with almost any edge rusher the Lions selected in this draft, including the group that came off the board between the team's first and second-round selections: JT Tuimoloau, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Nic Scourton and Oluwafemi Oladejo.

Given Hassanein's background, it will be better to have a season to develop behind the scenes, with controlled tastes of playing time instead of a forced reliance.

Q: Does playing in the Hall of Fame game mean we will see some of the starters playing? — Cindy Norlin-Thompson

Q: To piggyback on this, can you talk about how the game impacts our preseason schedule? — Dave C

Q: I think having the Hall of Fame game will especially benefit our young offensive linemen. Will the extra game be of benefit to any other position groups? — Scott Flegel

Justin: A lot of your questions were built around Detroit being selected as one of the two participants in the league’s preseason opener. I decided it would be best to lump them together.

First, the biggest impacts of being involved in the game are that training camp will start a few days earlier, and the Lions and Chargers will play an extra preseason game. That offers a slightly expanded window to evaluate the roster. Combined with the team intending to conduct two sets of joint practices, Holmes will have a lot of data to make the best decisions.

Does that mean starters will see more playing time in the preseason? No, I don’t anticipate that. Coach Dan Campbell has been consistent about keeping that group in bubble wrap for those games. If there’s a shift in philosophy, I don’t think it can be attributed to taking part in the Hall of Fame game.

As for which position groups might benefit, I look at the extra game as being valuable to any young, inexperienced player on the roster. Those are extra reps for TeSlaa and Hassanein, who aren’t likely to see them early in the regular season. That also extends to backup quarterback Hendon Hooker, who develops with every snap he takes.

Q: The Kerby Joseph extension was structured in a similar way to how the Eagles structure their contracts, with lots of annual option bonuses. The 49ers just did this with the Kittle extension, as well. Do you favor the Lions using this same approach to make sure they can re-sign all six of Hutch, Jamo, Gibbs, Branch, LaPorta and Campbell? — Brian

Justin: Those three teams are all battling the same issue, trying to keep together as much of a talented core as possible. At some point, you have to borrow from the future to maintain the present.

The 49ers benefited from having a low-cost QB the past few years. However, we’re now seeing them having to recalibrate their cap situation with the bill on Brock Purdy coming due. They traded Deebo Samuel and Jordan Mason, released several veterans, and were unable to re-sign several key contributors from recent seasons.

Philadelphia has also had to weather some departures this offseason, including two key pieces of a defensive line that fueled the team’s Super Bowl win, Milton Williams and Josh Sweat. Even with their use of option bonuses, they haven’t been able to retain everyone.

The Lions almost certainly won’t be able to retain all six of those players you listed, even if they keep kicking the can down the road with some of these contracts.

I’m in favor of a level of fiscal responsibility that doesn’t put you in cap hell three, four, or five years down the road. Otherwise, you become the Saints, running on the hamster wheel of mediocrity seemingly without an off-ramp.

Q: What do free agency and the draft tell you about the likely tendencies of the new coordinators? — Brian B

Justin: At his season-ending press conference in January, I asked Holmes how much the still-to-be-named coordinators would influence the roster-building strategy. The GM explained that it would have almost no impact, and he drafts talent and culture fit more than scheme-specific players.

It makes more sense when you consider how frequently coordinators and position coaches change.

Obviously, there are some qualities the Lions currently prefer, including big, physical edge defenders, athletically mobile offensive linemen, and cornerbacks comfortable playing press-man coverage. But those are holdover traits from last season.

The Lions intentionally hired coordinators who share the philosophical views of the men they replaced. Heck, new offensive coordinator John Morton was on staff and played a role in the construction of the team’s offensive scheme that has resulted in top-five finishes in scoring the past three seasons. Why rip that up and start new?

Q: What do you envision Tyleik Williams' role will be once Alim McNeill is back? Do they split snaps, or will he be on the field in lieu of Reader/Lopez in more obvious passing downs? — Justin Khami

Justin: This goes back to the earlier answer on TeSlaa. Without seeing a few practices, I'd be blindly projecting.

What we know is that Williams has the size of a nose tackle but possesses the athleticism of a penetrating 3-technique, which is the role McNeill plays in Detroit's scheme. It's also the role Williams filled for Ohio State.

My best guess, given the investment, is that the Lions cross-train Williams for both roles, setting it up for the best players to find ways to share the field when the time comes that everyone is healthy.

Q: What are you hearing about how Jameson Williams has developed this offseason, on and off the field? — Julian Swearengin

Justin: I include this question to provide a little insight into how I handle the offseason. When players take off after the season, my focus shifts to free agency and the draft. There’s so much work to do during that stretch that I lose touch with the current roster until they come back for OTAs in May, outside of little clips some might post on social media.

The next couple of months will be spent gathering information on what players have been doing during their time away from the building.

Q: Will Brodric Martin or Corby Sorsdal be on the roster by the start of the season? — Simon Platford

Justin: Who knows? They may not be rookies, but shouldn't we wait and see what kind of development both of those players have made since we last saw them?

With the roster additions this offseason, it sure feels like both have been pushed even further down the depth chart, but I haven't seen Sorsdal practice since last August. I'd rather make an assessment with my eyes vs. my feelings.

In my "admittedly too early" roster projection I posted last week, I had Sorsdal in and Martin out. Both are on the bubble entering the offseason program and wouldn't be surprised by any of the three outcomes: Both make it, one makes it, or both are cut.

Q: Now that we know who’s been drafted, along with (the reported) UDFAs, do you think there’s still a good chance that ZaDarius Smith will come back at the start of training camp or maybe a little after? —Brandon Kerr

Q: Not that any of us are expecting it, but if the Lions lost Hutchinson again due to a long-term injury, do they have enough pass rush to overcome it? — Mike A.

Justin: Good chance? No. A chance? Sure, anything is possible.

If the group remains healthy, there's really not a glaring need. Hutchinson, Davenport, Paschal and Muhammad are a capable collective at the top of the depth chart, supplemented by the developmental addition of Hassanein via the draft.

Why would you spend however many millions Smith might cost if there aren't significant snaps available? Now, if one of those four veterans suffers a substantial injury between now and camp, yeah, the Lions should pick up the phone.

Regarding the hypothetical of losing Hutchinson to injury again, it's like asking how well any NFL team is equipped to lose a superstar. There's going to be a drop-off, and there's no reasonable way to replace that kind of production. Even re-signing Smith would only backfill a fraction of Hutchinson's impact.

Q: What is your projection for who starts the season opener at LG and RG? Assuming good health, who starts at each position in the second half of the year? — Brent Nelson

Justin: Until I see Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier on the field, I’m going to lean toward the incumbents, Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany, as your Week 1 starters. That said, I’m writing that prediction in pencil, and I’m not pressing hard on the paper, so it’s easier to erase.

Longer-term, I’d lean toward Ratledge taking over one of those jobs. As for Frazier, I’ll readily admit that the small sample size of Mahogany’s spot starts in 2024 is the foundation of my strong opinions regarding his starting potential. It’s entirely possible he’s not nearly as consistent on the practice field, opening the door for Frazier to push for a starting job this season or next.

Q: The NFL schedule is released on May 14. Call it: What are the SNF games? What last-week-of-the-season division matchup will they pick for the most drama? How will they creatively punish your sleep and travel schedule? —Cory Harris

Q: Do you believe the Lions will have any primetime home games? — Michael Moore

Justin: The road slate is definitely more compelling for primetime matchups, with showdowns against Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Rams. Any of those games could get the bump. As for the home games, the best primetime candidates are Chicago, Green Bay and Pittsburgh, strictly because the Steelers are always a national draw.

I’m guessing the Lions get five primetime games on top of their annual Thanksgiving contest.

Here are some blind guesses.

Primetime: Washington (SNF), Philadelphia (SNF), Kansas City (SNF), Baltimore (TNF), Pittsburgh (MNF)

Thanksgiving: Chicago

End season: At Green Bay

I hope I’m wrong, and they’re all on Sunday at 1 p.m. outside of Thanksgiving.

Q: Are you getting another pet to help you with the loss? — Jason Oehmke

Justin: For those of you who don't participate in the Detroit Football Network's chat feature, you probably didn't know we made the difficult decision to say goodbye to our 15-year-old cat a few days before the draft.

Obviously, 15 years is a good run. Still, we mistakenly thought we had more time before she got sick and declined pretty rapidly. Pet owners know the toll that comes with losing one.

We picked up Pixel — like many of our pets over the years — off the street. My wife and I were walking through the neighborhood when we saw a couple of kids playing with a kitten in their front yard. After briefly stopping to pet the cat, one of the girls asked if we wanted it. She said it was a stray living in their garage, and her mom didn't want it.

After a brief conversation, we decided, yes, we'd take the kitten. We had lost another to kidney failure a few months earlier and had an open spot on our roster. I went to pick the cat up to carry it home, but the girl said, "Just call her and she'll follow you."

The kitten did, trotting alongside us on the sidewalk for the final 10 minutes of the walk. When I opened the front door, she walked in like she owned the place, jumped on the couch, curled up, and went to sleep.

I had her longer than any pet in my life. My two daughters, 14 and 11, haven't known life without her. So, yeah, the whole thing sucks.

Obligatory photo of Pixel from earlier this year.

Will we get another pet? Yeah, probably in the not-so-distant future. We have a three-year-old Abyssinian who is highly active and could use a new sparring partner.

I'd love to add a dog to the mix, but an honest assessment is we're not home enough to give one the attention it deserves. It's the same reason we'll get another cat; our remaining one would benefit from the companionship.

When we take that plunge, you know I'll drop an update in the chat.

With that, don’t forget to come back for Part II of the mailbag tomorrow. Or better yet, subscribe and get every update to your email inbox. Mailbags are always free posts.