The Detroit Lions went hard after Cade Mays this offseason, signing him on the opening day of free agency, and honestly, it’s about time they made a decisive move for the middle of their offensive line. That whole unit took a massive step backward in 2025, with pretty much everyone pointing fingers straight at the interior positions. It was a mess, plain and simple, and now Mays is the guy targeted to anchor things.
The 2025 O-Line Implosion Was a Hard Watch
Let’s just be real, last season was rough for Detroit’s offensive front. After Frank Ragnow suddenly retired, everything went sideways. They had to yank Graham Glasgow into the center spot, which then opened up a starting gig for rookie Tate Ratledge at right guard and second-year guy Christian Mahogany on the left. The problem? It didn’t work. Not even a little. Communication completely fell apart. Glasgow looked every bit his age out there, Ratledge was clearly a rookie trying to keep up, and Mahogany, who showed some real promise in three games as a rookie, couldn’t live up to it. To make matters worse, he missed part of the season with a broken leg. The whole thing struggled from the jump, and anyone watching could see it. No wonder finding a new starting center was priority number one for free agency this year.
Building the Trenches: It’s All About Adaptation
Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have a clear playbook for their O-line: they’re always adding linemen as the season rolls on. They might start a year with eight to 10 offensive linemen, but by the end, they consistently finish with 10 or 11 guys on the active roster. We saw it happen year after year. Back in 2021, they started with five interior linemen like Frank Ragnow, Jonah Jackson, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai, but finished with seven after adding Parker Ehinger and Ryan McCollum. It’s been the same story through 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, always bringing in more depth. This strategic investment is key. So, while they’ve been busy bringing in guys like Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany in recent years, the burning question for 2026 is all about Cade Mays. Can he adapt to this scheme quickly? His ability to click with the line right away is going to be the difference maker.
As the Lions get ready for training camp, all eyes are going to be on Cade Mays and how fast he gels with the rest of that interior line. If he can step up and bring that communication and stability they desperately need, it’s going to totally reset the tone for the entire team. We’re about to find out if this move was the fix they were searching for.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Leave a Reply