Pros and Cons of Detroit Lions Signing Center Cade Mays

If the Detroit Lions intend on going the free-agency route to acquire their next starting center, the Carolina Panthers’ Cade Mays would be a worthwhile target.

The biggest selling point with Mays is his recent development and production at center.

Though he didn’t begin the 2025 season as Carolina’s starter, he stepped into the lineup in Week 2 following an injury to Austin Corbett and never gave the job back.

Even when Corbett returned, Mays remained the starter and logged 793 offensive snaps – the highest total of his four-year career.

Over the past two seasons, Mays has accumulated more than 1,200 snaps at center and has quietly become one of the league’s more dependable interior pass-protectors.

He has allowed just 21 pressures and zero sacks across 756 pass-blocking snaps during that span.

That level of consistency in the middle of the offensive line is especially valuable for a Detroit team that prioritizes operating efficiently from the pocket.

Additionally, his 98.6 pass-blocking efficiency rating in 2025 ranked tied for ninth among qualifying centers. For context, that figure outpaced several bigger-name options expected to headline the market, such as the Baltimore Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum.

In other words, Mays’ performance suggests he may provide starting-caliber production at a fraction of the cost of more established veterans.

Age is another factor working in his favor. Mays will be just 27 entering the 2026 season, meaning Detroit wouldn’t simply be adding a short-term stopgap. He could reasonably anchor the position for multiple seasons.

While there are various reasons to be excited about what Mays could bring to the Lions, it’s worth noting Mays has never started more than 12 games in a single season. Plus, he logged his first snaps at center just two years ago.

So, as much as Mays could come in and fill a void for Detroit at center, it’s not a given that he wouldn’t eventually experience his own struggles anchoring the team’s line.

Still, to me, Mays would be a more-than-worthwhile investment. He'd be a significant upgrade over Graham Glasgow, and would fortify the middle of the Lions’ offensive line.

Additionally, per Spotrac, Mays is expected to land a three-year contract worth approximately $12.3 million this offseason.

That type of contract would hardly break the bank for Detroit’s front office, all the more reason why the organization should make a concerted effort to sign the Panthers lineman.