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2009 Offensive Line Analysis - Detroit Lions

2009 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Jeff Backus
Left Guard: Daniel Loper
Center: Dominic Raiola
Right Guard: Stephen Peterman
Right Tackle: Gosder Cherilus

2008 Injuries:
C Dominic Raiola: Weeks 10-13
G Stephen Peterman: Weeks 5, 6
G Edwin Mulitalo: Weeks 7, 8, 13, 16, 17

2008 Statistics:

ALY (Adjusted Line Yards): It is an alternate measure for yards per carry developed by Football Outsiders that takes into account various factors including down, distance, situation and opponent.
Source: www.footballoutsiders.com

Overview:
In 2008, the Detroit Lions offense ranked in the bottom half of the league for yards of offense for the seventh consecutive season. After their best season since 2000, the Lions failed to win a single game in 2008 and struggled both offensively and defensively. The Lions allowed more than 50 sacks for the third consecutive season and averaged only 3.8 yards per carry in the running game.

Starting at left tackle for an eighth consecutive season should be 6’5” and 305 lbs Jeff Backus. Backus was the Lions first round pick in 2001 and has not missed a single start in his NFL career. He is very tough, has good work ethic and will play even if he is hurt. Backus is an average pass protector because of his technique and decent agility. He lacks strength to be a good run blocker but his initial quickness allows him to hold his own. Overall Backus remains an average tackle at best but he creates consistency along the line and should continue to be a decent starter for a few more years, although he could be moved inside at some point. Starting on the right side will be 2008 first round pick Gosder Cherilus. He is a very big and strong tackle at 6’7” and 320 lbs and is a force as a run blocker. He is powerful with enough athleticism to get to the second level but made numerous mental mistakes last season. He is also slow to react at times and does not have the quickest feet when moving sideways so will get beat to the outside by faster defensive ends. Cherilus does not have the pass protecting skills to play left tackle in the NFL but he should be a solid right tackle because of his run blocking abilities. The Lions recently brought in veterans Ephraim Salaam and Jon Jansen to compete for the right tackle position. Both are on the downside of their career and probably cannot be relied upon for 16 games but bringing in some competition could be a good thing. Seventh round pick Lydon Murtha also adds depth.

The left guard position will probably go to recent free agent acquisition Daniel Loper. Loper spent the last four seasons with the Titans and did not start a single game but he was dressed for all 16 games for the past two seasons and saw action on special teams. Loper was a fifth round pick in 2005 and has the ability to play tackle or guard but he is probably a much better fit at guard because of his lack of mobility. At 6’6” and 320 lbs he is better in run blocking than in pass protection but he is hard to evaluate because he played very little in the past two seasons. On the right side is Stephen Peterman who was signed to the practice squad in 2006 after being released by the Cowboys. He became the starter at right guard when Damien Woody went down with an injury in week four of the 2007 season and was impressive enough that Woody moved to tackle when he returned. Peterman is strong and explosive coming off the line but has little lateral movement so will struggle in pass protection. He is very tough and works very hard so should continue to improve as he gains experience but he remains a below average guard for now. Veteran Toniu Fonoti and 2007 fourth round pick Manny Ramirez add depth at the guard position but both will probably have to fight for a roster spot.

Dominic Raiola will be the starting center for the Detroit Lions for the eighth consecutive season. He had not missed a game since being drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft until he suffered a hand injury and missed four games in 2008. Raiola is underrated by many around the league but is the best offensive lineman for the Lions. He is very tough and plays with intensity even though he is only 6’1” and 295 lbs and should continue to be a good lineman for the Lions for a few more years.

2009 Outlook:
The Lions will likely start four of the same five guys that they started last year and will replace left guard Edwin Mulitalo with Daniel Loper who has never started a game in the NFL. Loper is probably an upgrade over Mulitalo who was 34 years old last season and struggled all year long in pass protection. If we look at the seven games that the group of Backus, Raiola, Peterman and Cherilus started, the Lions still averaged only 3.7 yards per carry but they allowed only 14 sacks as opposed to 38 in the other nine games where one of the four did not start. It is hard to expect a huge amount of improvement for this line considering four of the five starters are coming back but there will be a lot more competition than there was last year and it could push some players to perform better. Overall, we expect this line to be below average in both run blocking and pass protection once again but the number of sacks allowed should drop to somewhere in the mid to high 30’s.

See all of our 2009 Offensive Line Analysis Articles