Run, Barry, run

With Sanders out the door, the Lions really have trouble

Big shoes to fill: Barry Sanders rushed for more than 1,500 yards five times in his career. Scott Halleran/Allsport

The Detroit Lions, minus Barry Sanders, opened their training camp on July 25 in Saginaw, Mich. Here are a few questions from Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z, followed by CNNSI.com's perspective on some of the issues facing the Lions this season. SI's season previews will be posted August 24.

Dr. Z wants to know :

1) Hello, Barry? Barry, is that you? Operator, I think we've been cut off.

2) The world was involved in a guessing game: Did he want to play for a winner? Was he tired of being slammed around in hopeless causes? Did he dislike coach Bobby Ross? Was he simply sick of being a Lion? Turns out it was none of the above. He just didn't want to play football anymore.

3) Barry's gone. Running attack centers around, uh ... well, let's see. There's Ron Rivers, who carried the ball 19 times last year, and Tommy Vardell, who carried it 18 times. Whoops! Forget about Touchdown Tommy. He's gone. There's Cory Schlesinger, who carried it five times, and ... and ... and that's it, folks. Are you getting the picture?

4) I guess we have to take a serious look at the Lions minus Sanders, but frankly my heart isn't in it. Here goes: Will quarterback Charlie Batch take the next step upward? Will tackles James Jones and Kelvin Pritchett make the defense better? And will the offensive line be firmer with 386-pound rookie Aaron Gibson?

The Lions can make the playoffs if : Ross regains control of this near-mutinous team, someone steps into Sanders' spikes (and gets into the end zone a few more times) and they somehow learn to stop the run (25th against the run last season). In other words, three miracles ought to do it.

Pivotal games : Sept. 19 vs. Green Bay, Dec. 25 vs. Denver. The Lions were OK in-division last season, at 4-4. But that 1-7 mark outside -- including losses to Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Baltimore -- hurt. The Lions will see where they stand in the early game against the Packers, and the Christmas game against the defending Super Bowl champs may be a maker or a breaker, as far as the playoffs go.

Hot seat : If Ross' team gets off to another slippery start, if there are any early signs of unhappiness from his players or if the Lions collapse as they did last season -- losing their last four -- the Lions may not be Ross' team any longer.

Up-and-comer : First-round pick Aaron Gibson was a kick-butt blocker in college, something the Lions sorely need. The question is, can the big guy -- and we're talking at least 375 pounds big -- keep from getting too big?

Player Movement Unrestricted Free Agents Restricted Free Agents Players Lost Barrett Brooks, T, from Phi. James Jones, DT, from Bal. Kelvin Pritchett, DT, from Jax. Stephen Boyd, LB, re-signed David Sloan, TE, re-signed Brian Stablein, WR, re-signed Andre Johnson, T, re-signed Ryan Stewart, S, re-signed Rob Fredrickson, LB, Ari. Darius Holland, DT, Cle. Greg Jeffries, CB, Mia. Tommy Vardell, RB, S.F.

1999 Draft Picks Round Overall Pick Player Pos School 1 9 Chris Claiborne ILB USC 1 27 Aaron Gibson OT Wisconsin 3 70 Jared DeVries DT Iowa 4 103 Sedrick Irvin RB Michigan St. 5 137 Ty Talton CB Northern Iowa 6 177 Clint Kriewaldt ILB Wisc. Stevens Pt. 7 215 Mike Pringley DE North Carolina