The Detroit Lions lost former Pro Bowl left guard Jonah Jackson in NFL free agency. But they re-signed veteran guard Graham Glasgow…….
Glasgow made it clear to reporters on March 13 that despite how good Jackson is, the Lions offensive line can be better next fall.
“I think we can still be really, really good,” Glasgow said. “I think Jonah’s an amazing player. He’s very talented. He’s a good guard.
“At the end of the day, it just comes down to, we’re gonna work. We’re gonna get after it, and I mean, we’ll figure it out.”
Without Jackson, former undrafted free agent Kayode Awosika and 2023 fifth-round pick Colby Sorsdal are Detroit’s interior options to start at left guard. Jackson left to sign a 3-year, $51 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams.
Glasgow, who is projected to start at right guard, returned to Detroit on a 3-year, $20 million deal.
‘Everything Workedla Out’ as Graham Glasgow ‘Wanted’
In a perfect world, Glasgow would probably prefer to have his guard mate back for the 2024 season. But from an individual perspective, the past 13 months couldn’t have gone much better for Glasgow.
He returned to Detroit on a 1-year, $2.75 million contract last offseason. Glasgow expected to be a reserve interior offensive linemen, but he started 15 games because of injuries. He mostly played right guard but made starts at all three interior offensive line spots.
Playing well with his opportunity, Glasgow earned a significant pay raise. The veteran guard’s average annual salary tripled on his new contract.
“You guys called it a prove it deal, and it was,” Glasgow said of his 2023 1-year contract. “I said I proved it here before, and I want to prove it again. And that’s what I did.”
Glasgow’s return to the Lions, though, wasn’t just about money.
“I feel like there’s still a lot to prove, and I feel like me, myself and us as an offense, can get so much better,” Glasgow said. “And us as a team can get so much better. That’s a big reason why I wanted to come back because I feel like the prospect of us being an even better team that last year is really good.”
Glasgow told the media that he had interest from other teams and could have used their potential offers as leverage over the Lions. But instead, he prioritized getting the deal done with the Lions quickly.
“I didn’t really want to really wait and use other teams’ offers to maybe go back and try to get more money,” said Glasgow. “I just wanted to get it done and have it be done.
“Everything was perfect. Everything worked out exactly how I wanted.”
The Lions drafted Glasgow in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. He started 58 games in his first four seasons with Detroit.
Glasgow then joined the Denver Broncos in free agency during 2020. After 33 starts over three seasons with the Broncos, he returned to Detroit last offseason.
Glasgow Hypes Lions Internal Left Guard Options
Although it doesn’t include the newest contract for defensive tackle D.J. Reader, Spotrac reported on March 15 that the Lions have about $30.5 million in cap space remaining. That should be enough room for Detroit to target a left guard with starting experience.
But the Lions have two intriguing options already on their roster as well — Awosika and Sorsdal. Glasgow discussed both players with the media on March 13.
“I think Yode’s [Awosika] super solid. When you watch him play, I feel like he’s not really deficient in any area,” Glasgow said. “I feel like that’s a good attribute to have in regards to O-line play.
“In regards to Colby, he was a rookie. He came a long way, he progressed pretty far. Just watching him grow technique wise and also just from how he processed the game, just over that last year coming from William and Mary. It was a good year for Colby, and I feel like there’s a lot to gain and build off.”
Similar to Glasgow, injuries caused the Lions to insert Awosika and Sorsdal last season. Each started three contests. Awosika also started two games for the Lions in 2022.
Awosika began his career as an undrafted rookie for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Detroit signed him early during the 2022 season.
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