For Branch, his comeback was pretty simple. While it looks like the Lions will limit his reps a bit, Campbell seems confident the Pro Bowl safety can play a key role, and his presence will be welcome in a secondary that has struggled through five games.
Mays’ situation is more complicated. For one, unlike a safety, it’s difficult to simply give a center a situational role to ease him back. A team wants to keep their center the same throughout the game for a ton of reasons, but none is more important than keeping the interchange between center and quarterback consistent.
“We were going back and forth on what we were going to do with him,” Campbell said of Mays. “Do we work him and Juice (Scruggs) inside and outside? Do we—the center position, it’s a little different than a guard. That’s a guy who keeps handling the football.”
Making the move difficult is the fact that current Lions starting center Juice Scruggs has been playing very good football in Mays’ absence. It’s unlikely that Scruggs will take the starting job from Mays, but I’m sure it brings out thoughts of, “Why mess with something that works?”
So today’s Question of the Day is:
How should the Lions handle the return of Cade Mays?
My answer: Let’s establish what the Lions should do once they believe Mays is fully healthy and ready for a full share of snaps. At that point, I don’t think there should be any question that Mays should be the starting center. Scruggs may be playing well, but Mays is better. There’s a reason Mays is an expensive free agent, and Scruggs is part of a trade for a starting running back. I don’t think the perception of these players should change based on a five-game sample size that includes very difficult games from Scruggs vs. the Bills.
But what’s a good way to lighten up the Mays this week? Are you really going to give him some drives up the middle? Do you have a copy of him making protection calls from the sideline? Did you roll him out as an extra lineman in some formations? Or do you just relegate him to a few special teams snaps to get him on the field, practice contact, and reevaluate next week?
I’m leaning towards that last option. I really don’t like the idea of turning Mays in the middle for a ride or two or three. It just seems too risky. Make him the starting center or find another way to get him out there. The best way to do that is to give him some special teams reps or jumbo package responsibilities, and then make him the starting center in Week 8 against the Vikings’ stout defense. It’s not a perfect place to dump him, but I don’t think there’s a perfect choice out there.
what do you think How do you handle the return of Cade Mays? Share your ideas in the comment section below.