The Detroit Lions are ready to gather for offseason team activities next week. While the practices are mundane, the consequences could be severe as rookies and veterans look to make their case for starting roles or even a spot on the roster.
That means players have a lot to gain or a ton to lose when practices begin. In the case of one veteran, next week’s session could be the start of a competition that could determine whether he’ll be part of the Lions’ march toward a Super Bowl or looking for a job as the 2025 season approaches.
Lions Guard Graham Glasgow Could Be Competing for his Job at OTAs
Graham Glasgow has spent plenty of time in Detroit, dating back to when the Michigan product was a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. After spending his first four years with the Lions, the Denver Broncos gave him a four-year, $44 million contract in free agency before he returned on a one-year, $2.75 million contract in 2023.
While the Lions got a steal on Glasgow’s second tenure with the team, posting a 74.9 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus, they made a mistake by giving him a three-year, $20 million deal. The first season of that contract didn’t go well as he posted a 57.2 overall grade and allowed 45 quarterback pressures and five sacks on 632 pass blocking snaps and it forced the Lions to look for alternatives as they head into OTAs.
2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany could be considered for the role, but the Lions also invested a pair of draft picks at the position in this year’s draft, selecting Georgia’s Tate Ratledge in the second round and LSU’s Miles Frazier in the fifth round. While both players played on the right side, Glasgow could have even more competition with the Lions looking to try 2024 fourth-round pick Giovanni Manu at guard.
Manu was inactive every game last season for the Lions but drew positive reviews from general manager Brad Holmes at the end of last season. Dan Campbell also suggested Manu could get an opportunity at guard when he was asked about the position during the NFL meetings in April.
“Man, we’ve talked about that,” Campbell said via Lions team writer Tim Twentyman. “Do you go back to right [with Glasgow], you know? And is [Christian] Mahogany left? Is it somebody we drafted? You’re going to do your best to let these guys compete and see where they’re at. I mean, do we try Manu at guard? That’s a thought. So, we’re gonna try to let these guys compete a little bit and move them around and see what’s right and see where we’re at. It’s not going to be set in stone.”
This situation becomes more interesting when you look at the possibilities. If Mahogany and Ratledge are the starting guards, does Frazier move over to the left side? If Manu’s transition is a success, does he work strictly at guard? Or does he become a utility backup that’s able to play on the outside or the inside?
It could create a numbers game that Glasgow doesn’t want to be a part of. With the Lions being able to save $1.6 million with a post-June 1 release, Detroit could roll with their young linemen in a move. But for a team that was sacked by injuries a year ago, that may not be wise as Glasgow looks to cement his role during OTAs.