One of the most disappointing areas of the 2025 Detroit Lions was the offensive line. The group was rattled due to Frank Ragnow’s retirement and several injuries that kept the Lions from reaching their ceiling. With the team’s championship window in jeopardy, the unit must be rebuilt this offseason, and it’s kept many from speculating about Graham Glasgow’s future.
Glasgow is a popular cut candidate thanks to his age (he’ll turn 34 during training camp) and $8.4 million cap hit in free agency. But you could make the argument that Glasgow could survive the offseason if the Lions try to get a true center and move him back to his natural position of left guard.
Unfortunately for Glasgow, Drew Petzing’s arrival may eliminate those hopes, and it could leave him on thin ice with free agency looming next month.
Drew Petzing’s Scheme Change Could Cost Graham Glasgow His Job
One of the biggest reasons the Lions hired Petzing is how he’s utilized the offensive line. His gap-based scheme also helped the Arizona Cardinals rank fourth in rushing offense with 139.1 yards per game in 2023 and seventh with 144.2 yards per game in 2024, and this could provide evidence that Glasgow could perform better in Petzing’s scheme than he did in John Morton’s.
According to Pro Football Focus, Glasgow played 56.7% of his total snaps in a zone-blocking scheme last season. While there was plenty of volume, Glasgow only had a 55.9 grade on those snaps, which ranked 38th among 40 qualifying centers.
While those numbers were bad, things looked a little better when playing in a gap-based scheme, logging a 65.3 run-blocking grade. This is important when noting that Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt logged 66.4% of his snaps in a gap scheme last season. But it’s a moot point as Glasgow’s grade in a gap-based scheme still ranked 20th among qualifying centers.
With the Lions not wanting to shake things up too much with Christian Mahogany at left guard and Tate Ratledge at right guard, Glasgow is likely to stay at center if he comes back in 2026. With his lousy performance in that role last season, Petzing could look for someone who can perform better in gap schemes, which could lead him to the free agent market.
The dream target for Lions fans is Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum. But he only played 34.0% of his snaps in gap-based schemes last season and had a significantly worse run-blocking grade (67.8) than in zone (84.1). With the Ravens also considering the franchise tag, Linderbaum may not be available, which could have the Lions pivot to other gap-based options, including Connor McGovern of the Buffalo Bills (71.7 gap blocking grade) or Sean Rhyan of the Green Bay Packers (68.9).
The draft could also have some interesting options. Auburn’s Connor Lew ranks 78th on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus board and had a 65.9 blocking grade in gap schemes last season. Kansas State’s Sam Hecht (No. 90, 67.0 grade) and Alabama’s Parker Brailsford (No. 116, 61.7 grade) could also be options and come at a cheaper price than Glasgow’s $8.4 million cap hit for next season.
Glasgow’s contract already had him with one foot out the door going into the offseason. But Petzing’s arrival may have given him a final shove and the hint that the Lions want to move on.