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Tahir Whitehead was one of the Lions' top special teams players until he started playing defense full time.

(AP File Photo)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tahir Whitehead surprised a lot of people last season with his ability to replace Stephen Tulloch at middle linebacker.

But while the defense was better for it -- finishing second in the league -- the special teams units took a hit.

Whitehead was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, and spent his first two seasons exclusively on special teams. He blossomed into a force there, including earning the team's special teams MVP award in 2013.

Once he started playing full time at linebacker, though, Whitehead was removed from the coverage units.

"The fact we used him on defense meant we didn't have him on special teams," general manager Martin Mayhew said last week. "And there were a number of guys like that, which was the reason I think we may have had a little bit of a dip in coverage later in the year."

Don Carey is another special teams stalwart who was pulled because he was forced into regular action on defense. So was Isa Abdul-Quddus, even though he was signed specifically because John Bonamego wanted him for special teams.

Those developments left the coverage units shorthanded, and their play deteriorated because of it. The Lions ranked 29th in kickoff coverage last year, and 25th in punt coverage, including allowing a disastrous 55-yard return in the division championship game against Green Bay.

Mayhew said the Lions need to focus this offseason on adding more players specifically to bolster the performance of specialize teams.

"We got to find some coverage guys who are going to be coverage guys," he said. "That's what their role is going to be."

The special teams will have a different feel in 2015 after the departure of Bonamego, who accepted the head coaching position at Central Michigan, his alma mater. Detroit replaced him with Joe Marciano, who has spent the past 29 years coaching special teams -- one of which was with Tampa Bay in 1996.

Mayhew was on that team.

"I think Joe's going to do a phenomenal job coaching our special teams," Mayhew said. "I played for him in '96, my last year in the league. Very demanding coach, very tough guy. He's going to get the most out of our players.

"He has a way of leading that's similar to Bono, but different from Bono. I mean, he's one of those guys who is constantly in the hallway talking about special teams, talking about what you're going to do on teams that day, what you're going to do in practice that day. He is relentless when it comes to getting the best out of his players, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with Joe Marciano again. Looking forward to seeing the way we play on special teams this year."

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