2 months ago
The Detroit Lions were back in pads on Sunday, slowly ramping things back up in their 13th training camp practice of the 2026 preseason.
A couple of unexpected absences popped up at Sunday's practice, but we also saw some injured players return, like Juice Scruggs and Derrick Moore. The pair took to the field in pads for the first time as they continue to build back up after soft-tissue injuries.
Because this was Scruggs' first practice in pads, the Lions appear like they want to keep his acclimation tempered a bit. He started most "team" series—save the final few—but at the halfway point, Scruggs went to the sidelines. That decision let the offensive line adjust its interior combination and test other options.
When Scruggs exited, Tate Ratledge stepped in at center with Christian Mahogany shifting from left to right guard to accommodate for Ben Bartch at left guard. With this combination, they could see where Ratledge is at in his development at center, make room for Bartch to get reps with the first team, and give Mahogany some looks from the right side.
The difference between the two combinations was drastic. When Scruggs was at center, the offensive line looked solid, but when they shifted to Ratledge inside, they appeared more vulnerable to blitzes, and Ratledge botched at least two snaps. While the second combination arguably puts the Lions' five most talented linemen on the field at the same time, the cohesion was clearly absent, illustrating how important it is to find the "right" combination and "fit."
#ratledge
A couple of unexpected absences popped up at Sunday's practice, but we also saw some injured players return, like Juice Scruggs and Derrick Moore. The pair took to the field in pads for the first time as they continue to build back up after soft-tissue injuries.
Because this was Scruggs' first practice in pads, the Lions appear like they want to keep his acclimation tempered a bit. He started most "team" series—save the final few—but at the halfway point, Scruggs went to the sidelines. That decision let the offensive line adjust its interior combination and test other options.
When Scruggs exited, Tate Ratledge stepped in at center with Christian Mahogany shifting from left to right guard to accommodate for Ben Bartch at left guard. With this combination, they could see where Ratledge is at in his development at center, make room for Bartch to get reps with the first team, and give Mahogany some looks from the right side.
The difference between the two combinations was drastic. When Scruggs was at center, the offensive line looked solid, but when they shifted to Ratledge inside, they appeared more vulnerable to blitzes, and Ratledge botched at least two snaps. While the second combination arguably puts the Lions' five most talented linemen on the field at the same time, the cohesion was clearly absent, illustrating how important it is to find the "right" combination and "fit."
#ratledge
2 months ago
Here are some observations from Day 13 of Lions training camp in Allen Park on Sunday.
▶ The most notable development out of Sunday's practice was Tate Ratledge's move to the first-team center position. While Ratledge wasn't at center for the full practice — Juice Scruggs also took reps at center — he took a healthy majority. When Ratledge was at center, the team deployed Ben Bartch at left guard and Christian Mahogany at right guard. When Scruggs was in at center, Mahogany and Ratledge played guard.
The practice was sloppy for the offense, in part because it started to pour halfway through. By our count, Ratledge had two botched snaps, and Scruggs had four. One or two of them might've been on quarterback Jared Goff; it was kind of hard to tell in the rain.
Part of the moving and shaking stems from the fact that, as Lions coach Dan Campbell mentioned on Saturday, they have no idea who their "best five" are with Cade Mays on the shelf. Prior to his injury, they only needed to figure out one spot (left guard) along the offensive line, with two clear favorites for the job: Mahogany and Bartch.
Now the situation is exponentially more complicated: While Seth McLaughlin played well at center in Thursday night's preseason game, he likely doesn't have the preferred size; Scruggs was dealing with a soft-tissue injury before returning to practice this week; Ratledge has never played the position before. Even if Scruggs was the clear front-runner for the gig, they'd likely want to hammer down a contingency plan before going into the season. It's clear the Lions are invested in preparing Ratledge to play center if it comes down to it.
#ratledge #practice #guard #clear
▶ The most notable development out of Sunday's practice was Tate Ratledge's move to the first-team center position. While Ratledge wasn't at center for the full practice — Juice Scruggs also took reps at center — he took a healthy majority. When Ratledge was at center, the team deployed Ben Bartch at left guard and Christian Mahogany at right guard. When Scruggs was in at center, Mahogany and Ratledge played guard.
The practice was sloppy for the offense, in part because it started to pour halfway through. By our count, Ratledge had two botched snaps, and Scruggs had four. One or two of them might've been on quarterback Jared Goff; it was kind of hard to tell in the rain.
Part of the moving and shaking stems from the fact that, as Lions coach Dan Campbell mentioned on Saturday, they have no idea who their "best five" are with Cade Mays on the shelf. Prior to his injury, they only needed to figure out one spot (left guard) along the offensive line, with two clear favorites for the job: Mahogany and Bartch.
Now the situation is exponentially more complicated: While Seth McLaughlin played well at center in Thursday night's preseason game, he likely doesn't have the preferred size; Scruggs was dealing with a soft-tissue injury before returning to practice this week; Ratledge has never played the position before. Even if Scruggs was the clear front-runner for the gig, they'd likely want to hammer down a contingency plan before going into the season. It's clear the Lions are invested in preparing Ratledge to play center if it comes down to it.
#ratledge #practice #guard #clear
2 months ago
Here are some observations from Day 12 of Lions training camp in Allen Park on Saturday.
▶ The Lions held a glorified walk-through at Saturday's practice. Today's observations will be heavily slanted toward a newsy press conference from Lions coach Dan Campbell and the deployment of several players who returned from injury.
▶ Interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs returned to the practice field on Saturday. The team did very few 11-on-11 reps, but when they did, Scruggs manned the first-team reps. Lions coach Dan Campbell said that Scruggs is still very much a candidate to win the starting center job in Cade Mays' absence. Former undrafted free agent Seth McLaughlin manned all the first-team reps last week, with Mays and Scruggs not practicing, and more than held his own in Detroit's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While we haven't seen it yet, Campbell also said he expects right guard Tate Ratledge to begin working at center, just in case they need him to play the position in a pinch. Ratledge began working at center for the first three days of last year's camp before moving to right guard; we haven't seen him take a snap at center since.
"We're going to work him a little bit," Campbell said. "I don't know how much we'll do in team (drills), but certainly we're going to be snapping him some pre-practice. And then he's been going through some of the calls, things like that. So, we're just prepared. We have to be willing to go wherever we can go with this."
#campbell #we 're #reps #going
▶ The Lions held a glorified walk-through at Saturday's practice. Today's observations will be heavily slanted toward a newsy press conference from Lions coach Dan Campbell and the deployment of several players who returned from injury.
▶ Interior offensive lineman Juice Scruggs returned to the practice field on Saturday. The team did very few 11-on-11 reps, but when they did, Scruggs manned the first-team reps. Lions coach Dan Campbell said that Scruggs is still very much a candidate to win the starting center job in Cade Mays' absence. Former undrafted free agent Seth McLaughlin manned all the first-team reps last week, with Mays and Scruggs not practicing, and more than held his own in Detroit's preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While we haven't seen it yet, Campbell also said he expects right guard Tate Ratledge to begin working at center, just in case they need him to play the position in a pinch. Ratledge began working at center for the first three days of last year's camp before moving to right guard; we haven't seen him take a snap at center since.
"We're going to work him a little bit," Campbell said. "I don't know how much we'll do in team (drills), but certainly we're going to be snapping him some pre-practice. And then he's been going through some of the calls, things like that. So, we're just prepared. We have to be willing to go wherever we can go with this."
#campbell #we 're #reps #going
3 months ago
The Detroit Lions 2022 season was the start of the incredible turnaround for this team. Relive the season through the lens of the Top 10 Injury News recap with present day updates.
Here are number three and four on the list. For the full list, visit 2022 Revisited: Lions Top 10 Injury News with Present Updates.
During preseason, the Lions lost their starting RG for the year due to a suspected spinal nerve issue. In the video, you can see him tapping his ******* and right foot indicating possible neurological symptoms.
Vaitai ended up needing season-ending back surgery to try to address the problem. He was able to return next season but only appeared in six games due to back and knee issues.
2026 UPDATE: Vaitai has not appeared in the NFL since the 2023 season, and his career appears to be over. The Lions RG position appears to be finally stabilized long-term with Tate Ratledge.
Here are number three and four on the list. For the full list, visit 2022 Revisited: Lions Top 10 Injury News with Present Updates.
During preseason, the Lions lost their starting RG for the year due to a suspected spinal nerve issue. In the video, you can see him tapping his ******* and right foot indicating possible neurological symptoms.
Vaitai ended up needing season-ending back surgery to try to address the problem. He was able to return next season but only appeared in six games due to back and knee issues.
2026 UPDATE: Vaitai has not appeared in the NFL since the 2023 season, and his career appears to be over. The Lions RG position appears to be finally stabilized long-term with Tate Ratledge.
3 months ago
As the month of July marches on, the first report dates for the Detroit Lions' 2026 training camp are now less than three weeks away.
With excitement building for the 2026 Lions campaign, CBS took a look at each franchise's top storyline heading into training camp.
CBS writes that the biggest training camp storyline for the Lions is the offensive line shuffle in front of quarterback Jared Goff.
This was a tight call between the offensive line and the health of safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Ultimately, the offensive line got the nod. All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell is switching to the left side after Taylor Decker's departure, and first-round pick Blake Miller is taking over at right tackle. Cade Mays is the new center and should add major size and power there, though this will be his first season as a full-time starter. Guards Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge must step up. - Zachary Pereles, CBS
The Lions' offensive line regression was one of the primary factors that contributed to Detroit's 9-8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC North last season.
With excitement building for the 2026 Lions campaign, CBS took a look at each franchise's top storyline heading into training camp.
CBS writes that the biggest training camp storyline for the Lions is the offensive line shuffle in front of quarterback Jared Goff.
This was a tight call between the offensive line and the health of safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. Ultimately, the offensive line got the nod. All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell is switching to the left side after Taylor Decker's departure, and first-round pick Blake Miller is taking over at right tackle. Cade Mays is the new center and should add major size and power there, though this will be his first season as a full-time starter. Guards Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge must step up. - Zachary Pereles, CBS
The Lions' offensive line regression was one of the primary factors that contributed to Detroit's 9-8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC North last season.
3 months ago
There are several former Georgia Bulldogs who are developing into stars in the NFL, and when Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox highlighted a player from each team he deemed as their "most promising building block", three Bulldogs made his list.
Outside linebacker Jalon Walker from the Atlanta Falcons along with Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. Drafted No. 15 in the 2025 NFL draft, Walker enjoyed a solid season with the Falcons. He totaled 36 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 29 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus (premium subscription needed).
Overall, he had a solid 71.6 PFF grade, with his best attribute grade as an 81.3 PFF grade in run defense. His best game pressure-wise was against the New England Patriots in Week 9, a game where he earned four pressures and two sacks.
With linebacker Kaden Elliss departing for the New Orleans Saints, Walker could be expanded into a bigger role. "We're going to ask him to do a lot," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said, per Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He is one of those guys that's going to be in a similar role that Kaden had last year."
Before Walker became a promising young talent with the Atlanta Falcons, he was a staple of Georgia's ferocious front seven in the early 2020s. The former four-star linebacker recruit from Salisbury, North Carolina, committed to Georgia in 2021. In his freshman season, he helped Georgia win a national championship as a reserve linebacker.
Outside linebacker Jalon Walker from the Atlanta Falcons along with Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge. Drafted No. 15 in the 2025 NFL draft, Walker enjoyed a solid season with the Falcons. He totaled 36 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 29 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus (premium subscription needed).
Overall, he had a solid 71.6 PFF grade, with his best attribute grade as an 81.3 PFF grade in run defense. His best game pressure-wise was against the New England Patriots in Week 9, a game where he earned four pressures and two sacks.
With linebacker Kaden Elliss departing for the New Orleans Saints, Walker could be expanded into a bigger role. "We're going to ask him to do a lot," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said, per Daniel Flick of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "He is one of those guys that's going to be in a similar role that Kaden had last year."
Before Walker became a promising young talent with the Atlanta Falcons, he was a staple of Georgia's ferocious front seven in the early 2020s. The former four-star linebacker recruit from Salisbury, North Carolina, committed to Georgia in 2021. In his freshman season, he helped Georgia win a national championship as a reserve linebacker.
4 months ago
The Detroit Lions will be depending upon a trio of young offensive linemen in 2026.
Both guards—Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany—have double-figure starts under their belt now, but Ratledge and Mahogany are in their second and third NFL seasons, respectively. The Lions are expected to start first-round 2026 NFL Draft pick Blake Miller at right tackle.
That's a large amount of youth that will join the more experienced Penei Sewell and Cade Mays along the Lions offensive line.
With Detroit still unable to put on the pads and have live contact during OTAs, new Lions OC Drew Petzing was asked what his points of emphasis are with his young trench players during OTAs.
"Yeah, I think the big thing is the learning aspect of we're still processing, we're still running different schemes, we're still making sure that we're ****** ignment sound and know where we're going and how we're doing and can do it quickly, because the game happens fast.
Both guards—Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany—have double-figure starts under their belt now, but Ratledge and Mahogany are in their second and third NFL seasons, respectively. The Lions are expected to start first-round 2026 NFL Draft pick Blake Miller at right tackle.
That's a large amount of youth that will join the more experienced Penei Sewell and Cade Mays along the Lions offensive line.
With Detroit still unable to put on the pads and have live contact during OTAs, new Lions OC Drew Petzing was asked what his points of emphasis are with his young trench players during OTAs.
"Yeah, I think the big thing is the learning aspect of we're still processing, we're still running different schemes, we're still making sure that we're ****** ignment sound and know where we're going and how we're doing and can do it quickly, because the game happens fast.
