Detroit Lions have youthful talent – and issues – along o-line

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions invested plenty of resources in upgrading their offensive line this offseason, but even head coach Jim Caldwell admits it's "too early" to tell what impact those moves will have.

"There's no question, both sides of the ball we're bigger and we're stronger up front," Caldwell said. "But we've got to go through a few battles."

The Lions drafted Taylor Decker with their first-round pick and will start the rookie at left tackle this fall. In the third round, they took center Graham Glasgow. Two rounds later they added guard/tackle Joe Dahl. And top backup Geoff Schwartz signed as a free agent.

Glasgow has worked primarily with the third-string offensive line to this point, behind returning starter Travis Swanson and journeyman Gabe Ikard, but he could push for playing time at some point this year with only one of those vets likely to make the team.

Former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman, a Fox TV analyst who will broadcast the team's preseason games this year, said he believes the Lions have found 10-year starters in both Decker and Glasgow.

Before his current position, Spielman covered both players as an analyst for ESPN.

"Graham was a guy that I really liked in college," Spielman said. "I might have did three Michigan games last year and every time we would talk to Coach (Jim) Harbaugh, he would just come in and start raving about the guy. Then if you watch film he's big and he's nasty and he's a former walk-on so he understands what it takes to beat the odds. I thought that was a great pick."

Riley Reiff, who moved to right tackle to accommodate Decker, has been the Lions' most consistent lineman so far this summer, breaking at least one facemask on the third day of camp. Dahl and Schwartz have worked mostly as backup guards behind locked-in starters Larry Warford and Laken Tomlinson.

The unit as a whole has struggled early in training camp, and its trouble picking up blitzes seems to have carried over from last year.

While it's true that defensive lines are typically ahead of offensive fronts at this point in the summer, the Lions have reason to be concerned given the youth, health (Warford and Swanson both missed chunks of time last year) and recent history of their offensive line.

Matthew Stafford has been sacked more times the last two seasons (89) than all but three other quarterbacks (Blake Bortles, Ryan Tannehill and Alex Smith) in the NFL, and last year the Lions ranked last in the NFL in rushing yards.

Ultimately, the Lions need a cohesive unit up front as they transition to their new Calvin Johnson-less offense, and Caldwell is hopeful time will help this unit improve.

"I think overall if we can keep them healthy it's going to be a pretty good group both sides of the ball," Caldwell said.

NOTES: Tight end Cole Wick continues to make a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster. An undrafted rookie out of tiny Incarnate Word, Wick has taken the bulk of the second-team reps at tight end behind Eric Ebron. Brandon Pettigrew is still expected back at some point this month from knee surgery, but Wick is a solid blocker whose skill set should be a nice security blanket for the injury-prone Pettigrew. ... Running back Theo Riddick has missed both of the Lions' padded practices with an undisclosed injury. Riddick's role as the Lions' pass-catching back is secure, but his absence has given the team a longer look at big backs Stevan Ridley and Zach Zenner. ... Strong safety Rafael Bush has emerged as the heavy favorite for the lone starting spot up for grabs in the Lions' secondary. Bush has taken most first-team reps at the position next to Glover Quin. He has been held back by injuries the last two years, but brings some of the thump the Lions want at that position.