Lions' OT Lucas settling into role as right-side starter

Staying on the right side is entirely all right for Detroit Lions second-year offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas.

After spending his rookie year shuttling back and forth between the left and right tackle spots like a 6-foot-9 Ping-Pong ball, the Lions are letting Lucas settle in at the right side, where he has practiced with the first team during organized team activities.

"I'm more comfortable," Lucas said. "I'm just getting more and more practice and practice makes perfect for everything. I really feel like that's true for learning this position, especially taking (first-team) reps. The coaches are really sitting me down and coaching me up. So I think it's all a good thing."

Lucas started 26 games at left tackle for Kansas State before the Lions signed him as an undrafted free agent last year, when he was mostly a backup with lots of raw talent. He started one game in November at left tackle for an injured Riley Reiff and the last two games of the regular season at right tackle when LaAdrian Waddle was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Versatility is a nice theory and luxury, but young offensive lineman can benefit a lot more from devoting their studies at a very dense, complicated and technical position, especially when they don't have a lot of experience there.

"Just playing left my whole life, when I went over to the right last year I just wasn't comfortable at all and you could see it on film," Lucas said. "I just wasn't comfortable in my stance.

"But now, I've gotten so many reps at it. Every rep I'm taking's at right, and last year I was going in practice from left to right, right to left. Now everything's right. So I'm just getting a chance to really get acclimated to it."

Waddle would be the incumbent starting right tackle. But he is still recovering from the ACL he tore Dec. 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. Whether Waddle is ready for the season opener Sept. 13 at San Diego is uncertain, if not unlikely. Either way, Lucas is getting ready on the right side and getting ready to start there.

"I go into everything as being a starter," he said. "That's how I prepare for everything. Even when I wasn't starting, I was still preparing myself as a starter."

Contact Carlos Monarrez:cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@cmonarrez.