The Detroit Lions' decision to draft Riley Reiff in the first round basically served as a sign to the starters on the offensive line that things could be a bit different going forward. All five starters from last season are expected to return, but many believe Reiff could unseat one of them in his rookie season.
Right now, the most likely scenario for Reiff is to become the starter at right tackle, taking the spot of Gosder Cherilus. The plan for Reiff is to ultimately become the starting left tackle, but most people think Jeff Backus will retain his job for at least one more season. Starting left guard Rob Sims is among those who think Backus will continue starting at LT in 2012.
"Right now, I believe it’s Jeff Backus, and that’s the way we go," Sims said. "I love playing with Jeff. I wish I would have had Jeff when he was earlier in his career, and I was a little bit later in my career. We just fit together, and I like it and, hopefully, we keep that going for as long as possible."
Sims went on to say that Reiff is a "good player" and "there's a reason why he got taken in the first round." Sims didn't make any predictions about the starting job at right tackle aside from saying Cherilus will do what he needs to do, but it's clear he doesn't think Backus is going anywhere, at least not in 2012.
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