How would Cade Mays describe his play-style in three words? "Smart, hard-nosed -- with a dash, so that counts as the second word -- and competitive," he said. The new center for the Lions is part of a new foundation on their offensive line, and the fit is in the word plastered on the walls of the team facility in Allen Park: Grit.
"I love the brand of football they play," said Mays. "Coming into free agency, I felt like this was a team where they fit what I do, and I fit what they do."
For two years, the Lions brandished their brand against all comers. Mays felt it in 2023 when the Panthers came to Detroit and took a 42-24 loss on the chin. Mays, who had a long afternoon at left guard blocking Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson, smiles and says: "We got our butt whooped that day. I’m glad to be on this side of it now." The Lions who ruled the North were powered by their offensive line, which was anchored in the middle by Frank Ragnow.
Only one pillar of that unit is still standing: Penei Sewell. The Lions lost their identity -- their brand -- last season as a violent, downhill team when their offensive line regressed, particularly on the interior. The signing of Mays to a three-year, $25 million deal is a step toward getting it back. He's 6'6, 325 and his approach to the game is simple: "I like power football and going north and south."
So did Ragnow. There's no replacing one of the best offensive lineman in franchise history. The Lions already know that. But if they can reprise some of Ragnow's strengths, they can start to reclaim the line of scrimmage. Mays didn't play much center in college, and didn't play it in the NFL until 2024. But when Mays moved to the middle with the Panthers, Ragnow -- who made the same move after his rookie season -- was "a guy I studied," he said.
"Hell of a player. Had an incredible career here. Love what he put on tape ... just the way that he played, and tried to model my game after that. My kind of guy in the sense of how he plays the game and how he goes about his work," said Mays.
Center was the Lions' most pressing need this offseason. Finding a stabilizer was a must. Once Connor McGovern stayed with the Bills for $13 million per year and Tyler Linderbaum broke the bank with the Raiders for $27 million per year, the Lions grabbed Mays for the relative bargain of $8.3 million per year. It feels like good value for a player who won't dramatically lift their ceiling on offense -- which is already sky-high -- but will restore their floor.
Mays is a clear imrpovement over Graham Glasgow, who was miscast as a center in the final season of his career. He's one of only three NFL centers who did not allow a sack in the last two seasons, per PFF, McGovern and Tanor Bortolini of the Colts being the others (minimum 500 pass-blocking snaps). And while his run-blocking isn't quite as consistent, the fact that Mays is only two years into playing center and entering his age-27 season leaves lots of room for growth. He's an upgrade with upside.
When the Panthers' former starter at center, Austin Corbett, was injured each of the last two seasons, Mays was thrust into the role. He took to it so well that when Corbett returned last year, Mays kept the job and Corbett bounced to guard.
"It was just a position that came open, and I got an opportunity there and started playing it, started learning it, and I still feel like I'm on the rise at the position," he said. "I've come a long way, but I feel like I'm just now getting on my way up, so feel like I've got a long way to go. I'm excited for the journey."
The demands at center are mental as much as physical. Ragnow's mind for the game, and his eyes for the defense, often put the Lions a step ahead before the snap. It's why Ben Johnson called him "our secret weapon." For Mays, this is one of the biggest appeals of the position, "the IQ aspect of getting everyone on the same page, making sure everybody’s protected."
"Just being the guy in the middle that leads and gets everything started," he said.
Football is a "violent game," Lions new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said last month, "and those guys (up front) set the tone." It's "an attitude thing," said Petzing, that starts with the head coach. That makes Mays and Dan Campbell a good match: "He's my kind of guy," said Mays, "and I feel like I'm his kind of guy." Mays should look good next to second-year right guard Tate Ratledge, who plays with a mean streak of his own.
The Lions want to "move people vertically and get the run game going," Mays said. It's how they steamrolled the NFL for two years before the floor fell through the offensive line and the walls started to cave in. Mays is a new joist for a house that remains one of the nicest on the block, "a hard-working guy who's going to do all I can to get the job done." The garage is full of fast cars.
The engine for Detroit will be fueled in the trenches.