Carlos Monarrez

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions open training camp July 29. So I started thinking about which Lions have the most to prove in camp. Very quickly, that list grew very long.

Veterans fighting for their jobs. Young players trying to prove themselves. High draft picks trying to live up to expectations. High-profile free agents. The quarterback who was benched. The injured star linebacker. The coach on a short leash. The rookie general manager.

These are heady times in the organization. With new executive leadership, the whole team will be under incredible scrutiny this season with a decision due at season’s end on coach Jim Caldwell and soon on quarterback Matthew Stafford.

But before we start talking about how the Josh McDaniels era is nigh, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Camp kicks off in a little more than a week. That means two things: dudes running around in shorts and sports writers going wild counting practice reps and making roster predictions.

So let’s get to which Lions, from top to bottom, have the most to prove in camp and beyond.

Matthew Stafford: He’s starting his eighth season and he’s already cemented his legacy as the most frustrating player in Lions history by being brilliant and talented one moment, then erratic and ineffective the next.

Last year was the perfect example. In the first half his struggles led to his benching. In the second half, he was magic with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. Stafford’s contract expires after the 2017 season, which means this season will go a long way in determining whether GM Bob Quinn wants to sign Stafford to an extension next off-season — or move on.

Stafford also made odd remarks last month. In a radio interview, he said the Lions’ offense could be “tougher for defenses” to key on one player without Calvin Johnson on the field. OK. Now Stafford needs to go out and prove his theory.

Jim Bob Cooter: Since he’s related to Stafford’s issues, let’s mention the offensive coordinator. He took over for Joe Lombardi after seven games, simplified the playbook and the offense caught fire. I like to compare this to a rookie fireball relief pitcher taking over for an ineffective junkball starter. It was Cooter’s first time as an OC, so there was no “book” on him and the league struggled to adjust. Golden Tate has promised a “wide variety” of plays and an offense that’s “exciting to watch.” Camp, even with its vanilla offensive scheme, will give us a small glimpse at whether Tate is right or whether Cooter’s debut was a fluke.

Travis Swanson: The center struggled last year in his first season as the starter. In minicamp he split first-team reps with third-year player Gabe Ikard, who should be his primary competition. But rookie Graham Glasgow (U-M) is waiting in the wings.

Kyle Van Noy: After two lost years, partly because of injury partly because of struggles to adjust to a new system, the 2014 second-round pick enters camp as the starting strong-side linebacker. Coaches have been happy with his play on the field and have raved about he’s looked stronger and faster. To me, it’s always a red flag when coaches resort to lauding how good a player looks running around in shorts without pads.

Eric Ebron: In two seasons, the 10th overall pick in 2014 still doesn’t have a 100-yard receiving game. Ebron shored up his issues with drops last season, but he hasn’t come close to delivering on his talent. Camp is the time for him and Stafford to develop a lot more chemistry.

Nevin Lawson: The third-year cornerback started nine games last year and he’s the favorite to start opposite Darius Slay. The Lions also gave Johnson Bademosi first-team reps in minicamp. Lawson has been dependable and rebounded well from a gruesome foot injury as a rookie. He’s also close friends with Slay, and with the secondary going through a small makeover their friendship should help their communication and performance.

Marvin Jones: The Lions signed him to a five-year, $40-million deal to offset the loss of Johnson. He’ll never be Megatron, but Johnson has to be a dependable outside threat. Johnson often used to wow fans in camp with his circus catches on the sidelines and in the end zone. Let’s see if Jones can become Marvitron and at least mimic a little of what everyone will miss in camp this year.

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez. Download our free Lions Xtra app on your Apple and Android devices.

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