Just when all the ducks were in a row for the Detroit Lions to have a fantastic offensive line, one of the big ducks couldn’t fly. When right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai went onto the injured reserve with a back issue on Monday, the news clipped the wings of enthusiasm around the fanbase.
Vaitai will not be easy to replace. He was a great fit at right guard, displaying power and balance that didn’t always translate so well outside at tackle, where he was initially signed to play in Detroit. “Big V” did not allow a single sack in 2021 while playing between a rookie RT and a backup center. That’s impressive.
The Lions do have somewhat promising depth to plug in for the minimum four weeks Vaitai will be out. Tommy Kraemer had a decent summer in 2022 after playing almost 250 snaps as an undrafted rookie in 2021. Logan Stenberg rose from two-plus years at the bottom of the depth chart with a fantastic finish to the preseason. Then there’s newcomer Drew Forbes, claimed off waivers from the Browns to fill Vaitai’s roster spot.
Kraemer is a pass protection guy, Stenberg the run game mauler. Put them together and they’re the Vaitai the Lions got in 2021. We don’t yet know which way head coach Dan Campbell and OL coach Hank Fraley will lean in replacing Vaitai. Theoretically the Lions could test backup C Evan Brown there, but he’s repped almost exclusively at center and doesn’t bring the power element the offense needs at guard.
But beyond Vaitai’s physical presence, it’s a big blow to the Lions team. All offseason, the linemen themselves have talked up how high the potential is with the projected starting five all playing together. Injuries prevented that from happening in 2021. These Lions are built to win in the trenches. No, they have to win in the trenches if they hope to improve upon last year’s 3-win misery. The pride from having such a (potentially) great offensive line is now shaken. Injuries have again reared their ugly head and that bites into the psyche a little before the season has even started.
Moreover, Vaitai was invaluable as a mentor and immediate sounding board for right tackle Penei Sewell. The big first-rounder has a lot of physical gifts but had some struggles as a rookie, especially switching back to RT from the left side where he filled in for injured LT Taylor Decker to start the year.
Vaitai was the wise veteran who calmed Sewell, who kept him from losing confidence after bad reps on the left side and connected with him in a special way when Sewell moved to his natural RT spot. It was common in training camp this summer to see Vaitai explaining things to Sewell after drills, after reps, after mistakes. Losing Vaitai even for a month hurts Sewell’s development, too.
Hopefully it’s just a short-term injury and Vaitai is back no later than when the Lions return from the Week 6 bye. That would give the touted line 12 games together to prove worthy of the hype. Kraemer or Stenberg can be capable in filling in temporarily, but the Lions need Big V to thrive offensively.
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