5 questions facing the Lions in training camp

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The Detroit Lions head into 2015 training camp on the heels of a heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Cowboys in last season's Wild Card Weekend.

Though they achieved the second best 16-game record in franchise history, the Lions haven't made the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 1995 and will need to rely on a restructured defense to return to the post season.

Here are five questions facing the Lions in training camp:

Will the defensive line fall apart without Suh and Fairley?

The Lions defense has not been successful this millennium when Ndamukong Suh was not a part of it. A top-three defensive player in the NFL and one of the most dominant defensive linemen of his generation, Suh will be hard to replace up front.

Not switching to a 3-4 and utilizing Haloti Ngata's strength as a nose tackle is interesting and could prove to be a misallocation of valuable resources. While Ngata is only a slight downgrade from Suh overall, he could actually improve the Lions run defense if properly utilized.

The pass rush could take a significant hit without Suh and Nick Fairley providing consistent pressure inside, a development that would doom an inconsistent secondary.

Can Matthew Stafford become a consistent passer?

The only real knock on Matthew Stafford coming out of Georgia was inaccuracy. The fear over his inability to consistently hit targets has borne out, as he's never completed more than 65 percent of his passes in a season.

Stafford appears to be maturing, as he threw the fewest of interceptions of his career last season (12). He also got married in the offseason!

If Stafford can continue to rein in his propensity to force throws and freelance at inopportune times, he may actually reach his full potential in Joe Lombardi's offense.

Will the secondary ever be good?

The most consistent aspect of Lions' football, since Dick "Night Train" Lane and Dick Lebeau hung up their cleats, has been a porous secondary and very few attempts have been made to address the issue with high-level talent. Many feel Darius Slay, a 2013 second-round pick, is on the cusp of becoming a star, but outside of him, the Lions are bereft of bankable talent on the outside.

The Lions took Alex Carter from Stanford in the third round and it's hard to imagine a rookie, who may be forced to make a move to safety, will immediately clean up the secondary's issues. More than any other position, this one lacks depth.

After being exploited by the Cowboys' receivers in their wild-card loss, the Lions are hoping the depth will be buoyed by returning nickel corner Nevin Lawson, who missed his rookie season with a toe injury, and sixth-round pick Quandre Diggs. We will see.

Can Eric Ebron become a viable part of the offense?

When you pass on Odell Beckham Jr. to grab an athletic tight end that can't catch, your franchise has to hope some value can be recouped from that potentially decade-altering decision.

If Eric Ebron can become a major red-zone threat and develop his game further between the 20's, this franchise may avoid another embarrassing first-round draft decision. More than anything in training camp, the Lions need to improve their red-zone offense, which ranked 18th in the league in 2014, converting a touchdown on only 53 percent of their trips.

A big-bodied, athletic, threat like Ebron could be the key to taking this offense back to the promised land, further freeing up Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.

Who will emerge as the team's feature running back?

Ameer Abdullah wasn't drafted in the second round to be a third-down back. The Lions believe he can be a major part of the offense, but where does that leave the ever-reliable Joique Bell?

Bell has improved in each of his three seasons with the Lions, putting together the type of resume deserving of a real shot as a feature back. It also seems evident that Theo Riddick will continue to have a role in the offense, meaning carries will be even more limited for Bell and Abdullah.

If Abdullah impresses in training camp, it may mean Bell becomes the odd man out, even though he recently boasted he would rush for over 1,200 yards this season.