Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions (Photo by DetroitFreePress Syndication)
The Detroit Lions exhibition season opener against Buffalo is almost here. Will there be anything of value to learn from this contest?
Unlike last year there will be a preseason in the NFL. Unlike last year it will provide an opportunity for young players and those on the bubble battling for roster spots to showcase what they can do in-game situations.
Whether you like the exhibition season or hate it, it is a valuable tool for head coaches in the NFL trying to evaluate what they have and making the difficult decisions of who to keep and who to send packing. As a matter of fact, last season, without preseason games, it took a few weeks before teams could find their groove.
For the Detroit Lions, this is a season of transition. There are many players to take a good look at before making any decisions about how the roster should stack up.
Some position battles have been decided due to a lack of talented depth. Other positions hold a promising future and weeding out the best players will create a foundation to build upon.
For new head coach Dan Campbell and his staff, all the positives that have been coming out of camp will be put to the test on the field for the first time. Even though the final score will be meaningless in the ultimate scheme of things.
That is something that Lions fans need to understand first and foremost. Despite the fact that Campbell and his staff would prefer to win, these games aren’t about winning. they are completely about evaluation.
Some starters will get some playing time and others won’t even sniff the field. Heading into the preseason, the desire to have a complete opportunity to evaluate the players and go into the regular season healthy is the big priority. It just doesn’t necessarily happen that way.
There are many questions surrounding the Lions. Will any of them be answered when they line up against the Buffalo Bills?