One of the bigger questions surrounding the Detroit Lions in 2016 is how will their offensive line perform with their new lineup. Detroit clearly made the offensive line a priority in the offseason, adding three linemen in the first five picks in the draft and Geoff Schwartz through free agency. Their first test will come against the Indianapolis Colts, and luckily, the Lions will have a small advantage now:
#Colts DL Arthur Jones is suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2016 regular season for violating the NFL policy on PEDs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 22, 2016
The Colts were eagerly anticipating Arthur Jones’ return, as his entire 2015 season was lost to an ankle injury. Back in 2014, the Colts invested heavily in Jones, signing him to a five-year, $33 million deal. However, after a very successful three-year career with the Ravens, Jones has been nothing but disappointing with the Colts. From our friends at Stampede Blue:
It's yet another disappointment in a tenure full of them during Jones' time with Indianapolis. He was their biggest free agent signing in 2014, but he missed significant time that year due to injury. The following year in 2015, Jones returned for training camp but was lost for the season with an ankle injury during the preseason.
Jones has fallen out of favor in Indianapolis and might not even be considered a starter for the Colts anymore. In fact, cutting him has become a real possibility after the four-game suspension.
Regardless, this is a minor break for a Lions offensive front that may be the biggest question mark of the entire team.