The days of woeful football in Detroit are over. The Lions finished 11-5 in 2014, putting forth the second-most wins in-depththe team has produced in a season since 1970. The season ended with a disappointing first round playoff loss, but signs are pointing up.

Still, there are issues heading into 2015. Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley are gone off of what was a top-notch defensive line. And offensively the offensive line has not sufficiently protected Matthew Stafford in recent years.

With free agency signings like Haloti Ngata and draft picks like Laken Tomlinson, however, optimism is high in the Motor City. Can the Lions take the next step? Or is this good team going to take a step back toward the pack in a competitive NFC North? Alex Reno, a writer with Pride of Detroit, shares his insights.

Zoneblitz: Detroit went 11-5 in 2014, the second most wins the team has had in a season since 1970, but lost in the first round of the playoffs, extending that drought to 1991. How would you assess the season?

Reno: Better than expected, that’s for sure. I believe I projected the Lions to go 9-7 and just barely miss out on the playoffs, so I was pleasantly surprised to see them contend for the NFC North title and reach the playoffs. However, the ultimate goal for this coaching staff was to win a playoff game at the very least, and no matter which way you look at it, they came up short.

Zoneblitz: The Lions were third in points allowed and second in yards allowed, one of the better defenses in the league under coordinator Teryl Austin. But Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley are gone – how do they fill the void and what is a realistic expectation for this upcoming season?

Reno: The key here is Teryl Austin. Losing Suh and Fairley is a huge blow to Detroit’s defensive line, but adding Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker was a step in the right direction. Austin is a true defensive genius and while they may not be the same elite defense we saw last year, I think they’ll still be a top-10 unit, at the very worst.

Zoneblitz: What’s your assessment of Matt Stafford’s development? While the team won 11 games, the offense he patrols was just 22nd in points and 19th in yards last season. Is he fulfilling his promise and what’s his upside going forward?

Reno: Stafford’s development is a difficult case to dissect. He’s been in the league long enough to know that he may never be an elite QB, but he’s still 27 years old and this coaching staff has really worked on his mechanics and cut down on his turnovers. This may be a make-or-break year for him in terms of his development. I think the bottom line with Stafford is that he’s not going to be a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady that can turn average players into superstars. He needs talent around him to succeed.

Zoneblitz: Reggie Bush is gone from a run game that was never quite completely in synch. And the team added Ameer Abdullah and FB Michael Burton. How do the roles in the run game break out? Will Joique Bell get a larger role or will there be more pieces added and a further timeshare?

Reno: With their new additions, it appears that the Lions are changing (for the most part) from a zone-blocking scheme to a power-man blocking scheme. The addition of Burton will be loathed by many fans because no one really knew who he was and it was considered a reach by some, but Pro Football Focus graded him as the best run blocking fullback in the class. Joique Bell is still likely going to be the starter, but I expect Ameer Abdullah to get plenty of touches as a rookie.

Zoneblitz: What’s the outlook in 2015 for Eric Ebron and where does he fit in an offense with several weapons?

Reno: Every offseason report will tell you that Eric Ebron is poised to have a breakout sophomore year. The problem last year wasn’t always Ebron, as there were too many plays where Stafford opted not to look Ebron’s way. This offseason, Stafford and Ebron have made plans to work out with each other during the summer, so look out for Ebron to see some more targets in 2015.

Zoneblitz: The Lions added two offensive linemen in the draft, including Laken Tomlinson in the first round. Does that sufficiently upgrade the line to the point where What’s the plan for shoring up the offensive line so Stafford can distribute to Golden Tate, Megatron, Ebron and his other weapons?

Reno: The Lions did a great job of improving their offensive line by acquiring OG Manny Ramirez through a trade and adding Laken Tomlinson and Corey Robinson through the draft. Tomlinson will likely win the starting left guard spot and Robinson adds competition for the starting right tackle role. I’d have to imagine that Matthew Stafford is a happy camper right now.

Zoneblitz: Despite losing two major contributors on the interior defensive line, the Lions waited until the fourth round to grab reinforcements. They also added two corners. How do the line and secondary look heading into 2015, particularly in a division with some great to decent passing offenses?

Reno: After adding Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker through free agency, I think the need at defensive tackle had been a bit overblown by the national media. In fact, I’d consider defensive end to be more of a need at this point. The secondary is in great shape, and now they’ve added Alex Carter who can develop behind Rashean Mathis and Quandre Diggs who can compete with Bill Bentley and Nevin Lawson for the starting nickel back role.

Zoneblitz: What Lions players have a chance to break out in 2015? If no changes to this one, no problem

Reno: Even with the addition of Abdullah, I could see RB Theo Riddick making a huge impact in the passing game next year and maybe play a little bit of slot receiver. On defense, look out for DT Caraun Reid to see some more time on the field and give himself a chance to break-out.

Zoneblitz: How far are the Lions from making a deep run in the postseason?

Reno: It’s hard to tell right now whether the Lions are poised for another playoff run. They haven’t really improved any positions this offseason. If they add some contributors through the NFL Draft, and the coaching staff continues to work their magic, then nothing would surprise me at this point.

Zoneblitz: Collectively, what are your thoughts the draft and the overall offseason moves? the offseason moves at this point and what would you like to see the team do through the rest of free agency and in the draft?

Reno: Losing Suh and was a huge blow to the team, but I believe the front office has made some solid moves (adding Ngata and Walker) to dull the pain. Cutting Bush was a solid move to free up some cap space, but the fact of the matter is that they just haven’t had a whole lot of money to work with. I’m very satisfied with the way the NFL Draft shaped up, however, and I even graded it as a ‘B+’. GM Martin Mayhew addressed nearly all of their big needs and added plenty of talent, while gaining an extra pick. My only critique would be the fact that they didn’t add some extra depth to the wide receiver position, but you can only do so much.

Follow Alex Reno on Twitter at: @Alex_Reno
Follow Pride of Detroit on Twitter at: @PrideOfDetroit
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @ZoneblitzCom

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