The Detroit Lions must find a way to bolster their offensive line depth this offseason in free agency and the 2026 NFL draft.
The Lions were hit hard by the injury bug at multiple spots across the line, as starters Christian Mahogany, Taylor Decker, and Graham Glasgow all missed time here and there. Speaking of Glasgow, there’s some uncertainty around his future, as he could become a cap casualty. If that happens, the Lions could move Tate Ratledge from right guard to center.
But then that leaves an opening at right guard, and the idea of re-signing Kayode Awosika to start there or Trystan Colon isn’t ideal. The Lions could also try out Miles Frazier there, but that might be too much for him.
Luckily for Detroit, veteran offensive line James Daniels has officially hit the market after the Miami Dolphins released him on Monday, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Dolphins' New OL Release Could Help Out Lions' Depth
The 28-year-old Daniels signed a three-year, $24 million deal last offseason with Miami, after spending the previous three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Daniels made one start at right guard with the Dolphins this past season, thanks to a pectoral injury that he suffered in Week 1.
The Dolphins immediately placed the veteran offensive lineman on injured reserve, and that was the last time we saw him in a Miami uniform.
Daniels has struggled to stay healthy over the last two years, as he started in a total of five games. In his last season with the Steelers, Daniels played in four games before going down with a torn Achilles. Having those two injuries might make the Lions hesitant to pursue him, considering they watched the injury bug wreak havoc on the starters and backups this past season.
But given that the Lions might not have much cap space to play around with, they might be able to get Daniels on a cheap one-year deal to see if he’s worth keeping around.
We’ve seen GM Brad Holmes hand out several one-year deals last offseason, some of those worked out – Avonte Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin. Meanwhile, players such as Marcus Davenport and Awosika did not make a huge impact.
Nonetheless, it’s going to be interesting to see how the offseason pans out for the Lions. They have clear needs on both sides that will need to be fixed. Detroit should try to use free agency to fill some of those voids. However, they have to hit a home run on draft, just in case a guy like Daniels doesn’t pan out.