The Facts: With Calvin Johnson gone, the Lions are looking for the supporting cast to step up. Golden Tate will be featured prominently alongside Marvin Jones, and Detroit has acquired former Jet Jeremy Kerley to man the slot. But there will be opportunities behind those guys. And it appears the Lions are anticipating TJ Jones to take advantage of them. "We really expect him to come forward and be a little bit more of a prominent threat," HC Jim Caldwell said.
Diehards Line:
Jones was a sixth-round pick of the club in 2014, but experienced nerve pain following shoulder surgery that offseason and never played a down. He had a quiet start to last season as well, playing just once in the first 12 weeks. But he took Corey Fuller's place on the active roster down the stretch, and made the most of his opportunity, catching passes in four of the final five games. He had nine catches for 121 yards during that stretch, including a 29-yard touchdown in a Week 16 win against San Francisco. It seems he's leapfrogged Fuller in the receiver hierarchy, and now, with Johnson out, the Lions are expecting to see more from him in 2016.