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Lions pleased with Riley Reiff's move to right tackle
Kyle Meinke | [email protected] By Kyle Meinke on June 06, 2016 at 4:57 AM
ALLEN PARK -- Riley Reiff refuses to answer questions about his transition to right tackle, so it's impossible to say how he really feels about it. But whatever feelings the Detroit Lions offensive lineman may have about a rookie displacing him from the position he's played for three years -- and doing it in a contract year, no less -- his work has been nothing but professional.
"He's been great. He'll adapt and adjust," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said last week. "I get in here pretty early, and he's in here real early in the morning, working at it and just trying to find ways of getting better. Not for show or anything of that nature -- that's what he's always done.
"I'm certainly pleased with where he is right now."
Reiff was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2012 draft, and became the club's starting left tackle a year later. He's made 47 of a possible 48 regular-season starts since then. But while availability is a valuable commodity in the NFL, Reiff also has not developed as the Lions had hoped. He's been a mostly average left tackle, according to advanced metrics sites like ProFootballFocus. And with Detroit's offensive line taking a nosedive the past couple seasons, he's faced increasing scrutiny.
New Lions GM Bob Quinn pledged this offseason to improve the offensive line, then went out in the draft and added three players at the position in the first five rounds. That includes Ohio State's Taylor Decker with the 16th overall pick.
And in both of the OTA practices that were open to the media, Decker has been at left tackle. Reiff has been on the right side.
It's premature to declare Decker the club's left tackle, though Detroit clearly hopes that he becomes just that, and Decker is receiving positive reviews so far.
"He's working," Caldwell said. "That's the thing. You know he's smart, you know he's athletic, he's working at it. And I think he's growing and developing. He's still a long ways off yet, and we haven't had pads on, but he's working extremely hard, at this point, and doing well."
That means Reiff, whose fifth-year option was picked up earlier this offseason, is going to have to learn a new position, and do so heading into the final year of his rookie deal. That's a tough spot to be in, but Caldwell lauded him for attacking the situation rather than complaining about it.
"He is a warrior," Caldwell said. "He does not flinch, does not complain. All he wants to do is find a way to get better. He'll do whatever is asked of him, and I think that's admirable. And particularly (in) this day and age, where you have so many individuals that are pretty selfish."
Kyle Meinke | [email protected] By Kyle Meinke on June 06, 2016 at 4:57 AM
ALLEN PARK -- Riley Reiff refuses to answer questions about his transition to right tackle, so it's impossible to say how he really feels about it. But whatever feelings the Detroit Lions offensive lineman may have about a rookie displacing him from the position he's played for three years -- and doing it in a contract year, no less -- his work has been nothing but professional.
"He's been great. He'll adapt and adjust," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said last week. "I get in here pretty early, and he's in here real early in the morning, working at it and just trying to find ways of getting better. Not for show or anything of that nature -- that's what he's always done.
"I'm certainly pleased with where he is right now."
Reiff was selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2012 draft, and became the club's starting left tackle a year later. He's made 47 of a possible 48 regular-season starts since then. But while availability is a valuable commodity in the NFL, Reiff also has not developed as the Lions had hoped. He's been a mostly average left tackle, according to advanced metrics sites like ProFootballFocus. And with Detroit's offensive line taking a nosedive the past couple seasons, he's faced increasing scrutiny.
New Lions GM Bob Quinn pledged this offseason to improve the offensive line, then went out in the draft and added three players at the position in the first five rounds. That includes Ohio State's Taylor Decker with the 16th overall pick.
And in both of the OTA practices that were open to the media, Decker has been at left tackle. Reiff has been on the right side.
It's premature to declare Decker the club's left tackle, though Detroit clearly hopes that he becomes just that, and Decker is receiving positive reviews so far.
"He's working," Caldwell said. "That's the thing. You know he's smart, you know he's athletic, he's working at it. And I think he's growing and developing. He's still a long ways off yet, and we haven't had pads on, but he's working extremely hard, at this point, and doing well."
That means Reiff, whose fifth-year option was picked up earlier this offseason, is going to have to learn a new position, and do so heading into the final year of his rookie deal. That's a tough spot to be in, but Caldwell lauded him for attacking the situation rather than complaining about it.
"He is a warrior," Caldwell said. "He does not flinch, does not complain. All he wants to do is find a way to get better. He'll do whatever is asked of him, and I think that's admirable. And particularly (in) this day and age, where you have so many individuals that are pretty selfish."
