Gosder

Cherilus

The Lions believe Reiff can play either tackle or guard position, and were “surprised” the draft’s second offensive lineman fell to them at No. 23. Reiff’s best chance to start may be at right tackle, though the Lions view him as a successor to LT Jeff Backus down the road.

Reiff never got a real chance to unseat long-time LT Jeff Backus or RT Gosder Cherilus. The Lions will continue to groom him to eventually step in as Matthew Stafford’s blindside protector. Backus will be 35 in September and his contract is up after the 2013 season.

Cherilus was benched in favor of Corey Hilliard last week after picking up a silly personal foul late in the Week 1 win over the Bucs. Now he’s out of the doghouse. The Lions are the only team the NFL that hasn’t allowed a sack so far.

Cherilus was benched for the second straight week in Sunday’s win over the Vikings. The problem is that backup Corey Hilliard isn’t any better. “We need to improve that position. ... One guy not getting it done on the offensive line makes the whole group look bad,” said coach Jim Schwartz.

Coach Jim Schwartz put Cherilus in a practice rotation with Hilliard after what Schwartz called a “stupid” late-game penalty in Week 1. “I don’t comment on depth charts,” replied Schwartz Friday when asked about the potential lineup change. The Detroit O-Line was great in the opener, so we don’t love the idea of shaking things up. Per Pro Football Focus, Cherilus dominated as a run blocker against the Bucs. He was solid in protection, but was whistled for two flags.

He was benched after missing badly on a block of Vikings LE Brian Robison on the Lions’ second series. His replacement Corey Hilliard was arguably worse, however, allowing two sacks. Cherilus will likely get a third chance in Week 4.

Detroit has 2011 first-round pick OT Riley Reiff waiting in the wings for a starting spot, and veteran LT Jeff Backus is under contract for next season. The Lions are also well over the salary cap. Cherilus, 28, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 right tackle in the league in 2012, excelling as a pass blocker.

As does the Detroit Free Press. Cherilus is going on 29, and recovering from another knee procedure. The Lions have three potential replacements in Riley Reiff, Jason Fox and Corey Hilliard. Coming off a strong season, Cherilus will draw interest on the open market provided his knee checks out.

Cherilus has a microfracture surgery in his past and it will surely affect his free-agent market value. Regenokine incubates a person’s blood, then reinjects it into the body. Cherilus is disputing this report, but it was confirmed by two sources to the Detroit Free Press. Don’t expect him back with Detroit.

This is presumably one of the “big announcements” owner Jim Irsay teased on Twitter. Cherilus was stout on the right side for the Lions last season, but is recovering from another knee operation. He’s missed just four games in five years, however, and is a strong addition for the Colts’ porous line provided he’s healthy. This shouldn’t be the last move the Colts make with the intention of keeping Andrew Luck upright more often in 2013.