Mayhew on moving Backus to LG: He could adapt to it
At a breakfast meeting with beat writers this morning in Indianapolis, Lions GM Martin Mayhew addressed a variety of topics. Among them: the notion that the team might draft a left tackle and shift Backus inside to play left guard next season. Backus has started all 128 games at left tackle since he was drafted by the Lions in 2001.
"I had one coversation with him at practice last year and he told me he thought he could do it," Mayhew said. "Anytime you move a guy who has been in one spot for a long time, they're gonna need a lot of training and a lot of reps in order to play a different spot. i think it's a lot easier, though, to go from outside to inside as opposed to inside to outside.
"Jeff's a talented guy, he's a hard worker, he's a smart guy, he takes coaching. So I think if you did that and you did it relatively soon, I think he could adapt to to the position. I think we'll cross that bridge whenever we get to it. But if that's something that we decide as a club is the best thing for us, I know Jeff wouldn't have a problem with it."
With another talented group of tackles in this year's draft class -- including three of the top 10 picks, possibly -- it might be more than just idle chatter or pre-draft subterfuge. But only time will tell. The Lions will begin offseason workouts March 16, and have their first mandatory mini-camp in mid-April the week before the draft.
