Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
Between now and the start of training camp, the news around the Detroit Lions will be relatively thin. But in the midst of a rebuild with many storylines to track, fans of the Motor City will have more questions than answers for the next month or so.
But what are the biggest questions currently swirling around Allen Park heading into camp? Here’s our best guess of the top three questions about the Lions going into the summer …
Is Jared Goff the answer or simply a stop-gap?
When the Lions traded away longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, getting a draft bounty that included two future first-round picks and a third-rounder figured to be a steal already. Then the Rams tagged on passer Jared Goff in what seemed to be an afterthought.
Yet, the new regime in Detroit, including former director of scouting for the Rams and new Lions general manager, Brad Holmes, seemed to fall in love with the idea of getting Goff as part of the exchange. After all, he is a two-time Pro Bowler who led L.A. to four straight winning seasons and to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018.
But Goff is coming off a down season in Los Angeles as the Rams essentially just gave him away as part of the Stafford deal. Can the 26-year old gunslinger prove he’s more than a placeholder for a future first-round quarterback in Detroit? A strong showing in camp could help provide the answer.
Who will emerge at wide receiver?
The turnover at the wide receiver position was massive this offseason. With a slew of young, unproven receivers combined with numerous veteran free agents signed to one-year deals currently occupying the depth chart in Detroit, who will become Goff’s top receivers heading into the season is still an unknown. Training camp will provide those answers … at least we hope.
Will Jeff Okudah take his game to the next level?
The Lions used the third overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft to select what they thought was a generational talent in Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah. Yet, the young defender fielded a disappointing rookie season. And while the excuses are numerous for why Okudah struggled in year one, a full offseason training program in his second season means the 22-year old must show signs of growth this summer to avoid the bust label.