In the next game, the Detroit Lions will finally see what they have in free agent signing Cade Mays. Detroit invested a three-year, $25 million contract in May, only to see their biggest offseason addition break a wrist in training camp. But since his practice clock has already started, there is an expectation that Mays could take over the starting center position as soon as Detroit’s next game against the Green Bay Packers.
“You’re going to be blown away by everything he brings to the table,” Ellis said. “On the field, he’s a mauler in the run game, he can get to the second level, he has great anchor ability in the pass game. He has no flaws, but he’s a top-10 center in my book in this league. And he’s been a huge liability in the losses he’s had here in Carolina. He’s also a funny dude, and he loves Dan Campbell on social media. When I saw Dan get Cade Mays, I said, ‘Shit, that’s it.'”
One of the most important roles Mays will play is as a pre-snap diagnostician. NFL centers must do their best to read the defense’s pressure look, adjust the protection accordingly, and communicate that to the entire team. Even though Mays is only in the middle of a few seasons, Ellis believes that’s another strength in his game.
“He plays with intensity and leadership, and he’s very good in terms of anchoring the center, not only physically, but also commanding everything in terms of checks, pre-snap stuff,” Ellis said. “He’s a very good player in that department.”
Of course, all of that begs the question: Why did the Panthers release him? In Ellis’s opinion, it’s just a matter of finances.
“They have to make a business decision, and I think it’s pretty clear that they have to move on. They brought up Sam Hecht last year, and Luke Fornter was a stop-gap,” Ellis said.
Earlier that week, Lions coach Dan Campbell said that while they will give Mays some time in the bye week to continue working out and prepare to return to the field, there are still some decisions that need to be made about how the offensive line will run against the Packers. That’s especially true considering backup center Juice Scruggs has been playing well in Mays’ absence.
“It’s going to be nice to get Cade in the mix. And look, there’s so much of it, we’ve got to see exactly where he’s at,” Campbell said. “We’ve basically two days of half practices with him and so let’s see what it looks like next week. He’s going to continue to train here and then we got to make a decision on how do we work this. That’s a bit strange, he plays center. It’s not like you’re rotating a guard. So how do we handle this? What’s the best way, so there’s go? right now.”