Can the Lions fill the hole left by Suh?

The Detroit Lions reached the playoffs in 2014 with an 11-5 record under new coach Jim Caldwell. Now, the team looks to take another step this season and earn their playoff win since 1991, but can the Lions get there after the loss of the game's top nose tackle, Ndamukong Suh, in free agency?

Offensive Breakdown

Health a major concern

Injury concerns are seemingly behind starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has started every game since Week 1 of the 2011 season, but the same cannot be said for key playmakers Calvin Johnson and Joique Bell.

Johnson was hobbled by an ankle in 2014, which forced him to miss three games and slowed him in several others. Bell underwent two separate surgeries this offseason, on his knee and Achilles' tendon. While Megatron is expected to be 100 per cent when the season opens, the same guarantee cannot be made for Bell.

If Bell is forced to miss time, second-round pick Ameer Abdullah is expected to pick up the slack at running back. Abdullah showed explosive running skills at Nebraska, but it remains to be seen if those skills can translate to the NFL level.

At receiver, the Lions finally added a dynamic weapon across from Johnson last season in Golden Tate, but were unable to see the full effect of the tandem due to Johnson's injuries. If healthy, the two figure to cause headaches for defences across the league. 

Yet, even with a healthy duo of Johnson and Tate, the team could benefit from another pass catcher emerging as a target after Stafford was forced to rely heavily running backs in the passing game last season.
 

Can the Lions offence continue to be explosive with Johnson and Tate shouldering the load? Or will teams be able to key-in on the two and force Stafford to look elsewhere?

Player to Watch - Eric Ebron

Lofty expectations were placed upon Ebron when the Lions used the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft to select him. The tight end fell well short of those expectations with a stat line of 25 receptions for 248 yards and one touchdown. He failed to make a major impact in any single game, receiving for no more than 38 yards in a game last season. In year two, the Lions look for Ebron to make the leap and become a vertical threat in their offence. As insurance in case Ebron fails to improve in year two, the Lions traded for tight end Tim Wright in late August.

Cause for Concern - Offensive Line

The Lions overhauled their offensive line in the offseason, letting centre Dominic Raiola and guard Rob Sims walk to pave the way for younger starters. At 26, left tackle Riley Reiff will hold the role of elder statesman on the youthful line, while first-round pick Laken Tomlinson is projected to start Week 1. However, the Lions have no guarantee right tackle LaAdrian Waddle will be ready to open the season after tearing his ACL in Week 15 of last year. Should Waddle miss time, 2014 undrafted free-agent Cornelius Lucas would make his fourth career NFL start in Week 1. 

Defensive Breakdown

Big hole to fill

The Lions boasted one of the NFL's top defences in 2014, but that top defence lost their top player this offseason.

With Ndamukong Suh departure for the Miami Dolphins in March, the Lions were left with a major hole in the centre of their defence. To offset the loss, the team traded for Haloti Ngata from the Baltimore Ravens, who had previously played nose tackle, but will now shift to play defensive tackle in the Lions 4-3 scheme.

As talented as Ngata - a five-time Pro Bowler - is, the Lions defence as a whole will have to improve to offset the loss of Suh, and his rare ability to push the pocket from the defensive tackle spot.

One player the Lions hope will step to fill the void is defensive end Ziggy Ansah, who posted 7.5 sacks rushing off the edge last season. Ansah will have to make a leap with teams no longer drifting their focus to the inside of the defensive line, where Suh and fellow first-rounder Nick Fairley (who departed for the St. Louis Rams) used to roam.

Behind the defensive line, the defence remains unchanged, with the dominant DeAndre Levy still leading the linebacker core with Kyle Van Noy and Stephen Tulloch (back from an ACL injury). In the secondary, all four starters return with Rashean Mathis and Darius slay at corner, and Glover Quin manning the back-end at sfaety with James Ihedigbo.

Yet the question remains, can the unit be dominant again without their top asset?

Draft Class

Though Tomlinson projects to be a starter on the offensive line, Abdullah is likely to be the member of this group that becomes a recognizable name this season. Abdullah posted consecutive 1,600-yard rushing seasons at Nebraska, while also showing ability in the passing game. His explosive running style could allow the Lions to form a "thunder and lightning" combination with Bell.