Who will be the backup quarterback to Jon Kitna?
Who will step up and make plays on the defensive line?
Who will be the starter at middle linebacker?
Read on to find out about these and other key questions for the Lions' training camp in Allen Park.
Secondary upgrade
The Lions have Leigh Bodden in the fold after the trade for Shaun Rogers, and Bodden is an instant upgrade for a secondary that has been terrible for a long time. He has good ball skills and is a good fit in the Cover-2 because of them and his ability and willingness to step up and make tackles from the cornerback position. His main weakness is his lack of size.
The Lions also have other players who have been in the Cover-2 defense for a while now including ex-Buccaneers Dwight Smith and Brian Kelly. It should look like a much-improved area in training camp for the Lions.
Defensive line help needed
Who will step up and rush the passer besides Dewayne White? Can White stay healthy?
If not, the Lions could be trouble. The other defensive end might have to be Jared Devries but the Lions need contributions from other players such as Ikaika Alama-Francis to add speed off the edge rush. His development will be crucial in the Lions' training camp.
Backup QB battle
Drew Stanton is still learning on the job while Dan Orlovsky has been around for a while now. It will be an intense battle to see which of the two can best be Kitna's backup. Kitna is older and while he's also very tough, he has had some recent injury problems because of his fearless style with the ball.
The Lions would like Stanton to step up and win the job.
Middle linebacker job
The Lions finally signed linebacker Jordon Dizon, their second round pick, and his training camp development will be of the utmost importance. Paris Lenon is not starter-quality so the Lions will have to hope Dizon picks up the scheme quickly in this year's camp and makes a run at being the starting middle linebacker. Dizon can play just about any linebacker position but the Lions have long wanted a speedy guy there who can cover the pass a little better and Dizon is quicker than Lenon for sure. Lenon has looked good in the early training camp practices, however, so Dizon will need to catch up.
Running back unsettled
Kevin Smith may be a rookie but he might be the Lions' most talented running back. The Lions would like to see him take the job from Tatum Bell with a strong training camp and pre-season but rotating the two seems like a likely outcome for Detroit.
