Overview
- Coach Dan Campbell said Monday that the Lions are targeting a return for center Cade Mays after their Week 6 bye while stopping short of a firm activation date.
- Under NFL injured-reserve rules Mays becomes eligible to begin a 21-day practice window after Detroit’s Week 4 game at Carolina which frames when the team can officially evaluate his broken right wrist.
- Juice Scruggs has started the first three games at center and earned strong Pro Football Focus grades for his run blocking and overall play which has kept the offense stable in Mays’s absence.
- The left guard spot has been unsettled by injuries and inconsistent play from Christian Mahogany and Ben Bartch which makes moving Scruggs to left guard a logical option if Mays is activated.
- Mays was signed this offseason to a three-year, $25 million deal and his return would restore the team’s planned starting center while also creating a chance to upgrade guard play and deepen the line’s rotation.