Fit was a crucial element in deciding where Cade Mays was going to end up in free agency.
Mays wanted to go somewhere where the offense complemented his skillset. He found that in Detroit.
"I love the brand of football they play," Mays said Thursday during his introductory press conference at the Meijer Performance Center. "I feel like I would fit in here. Coming into free agency, I felt like this is the team where they fit what I do and I fit what they do.
"You look at what you want as a player and as a person, and obviously, coach Dan (Campbell) is my kind of guy, and I feel like I'm his kind of guy. You look at stuff like that, and you look at the brand of football they play."
Mays, the Panthers' sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Tennessee, will turn 27 years old in April. He appeared in 52 games and started 27 in his first four seasons in the league with Carolina at guard and center. Over the past two seasons, he's started 20 games and hasn't allowed a single sack.
Mays clocked 727 snaps on offense this past season, the most he's registered in a single season. With more than 1,200 snaps at center over the past two seasons, he gives the Lions an experienced veteran they can plug and play in the middle of their offensive line. He started 12 games, allowing a pressure rate of just 2.56 percent last season (11th among centers).
At 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, Mays is a big-bodied lineman who can win with power but also has terrific movement skills to pull and block in space and get to the second level.
"I'm a smart, hardworking guy who is going to do all I can to get the job done and make people around me better," he said. "Obviously, do all I can to help this team win and get where we want to go."
Mays has allowed just 23 total pressures, six quarterback hits and zero sacks across 803 pass-blocking reps the last two seasons. He tied for ninth among 35 qualifying centers last season with a pass-blocking efficiency rating of 98.5 percent from Pro Football Focus.
View photos of newly-signed Detroit Lions offensive lineman Cade Mays.
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) lines up during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Carolina Panthers guard Cade Mays (68) in action during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) celebrates during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Carolina Panthers guard Cade Mays (64) runs off the field during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Carolina Panthers guard Cade Mays (64) protects the pocket during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, November 24, 2024, in Charlotte, NC, . (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) prepares to hike the ball at the line of scrimmage during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) points out blocking assignments during an NFL Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) lines up during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Atlanta. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 44-38. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) walks the sideline during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Panthers 26-10. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) looks for someone to block against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL wild card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) snaps the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Atlanta. The Panthers defeated the Falcons 44-38. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) looks over the defense during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday Oct. 12, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) plays during an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) protects the pocket during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Jan 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) points to a defender against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL wild card playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
The signing of Mays allows Tate Ratledge to stay at his more comfortable right guard spot.
"I still feel like I'm on the rise at the position," Mays said of his skillset at center. "I've come a long way but I feel like I'm just now getting on my way up, so I feel like I have a long way to go and excited for the journey."
