The Lions look ready to go shopping, and Saturday made it pretty clear where they need help
Detroit’s starting five is coming together, but a look at the projected 53 leaves the Lions dangerously short on proven offensive-line depth.
As we come out of the Lions’ second preseason game, one thing has become incredibly clear. The Detroit Lions are going to be going offensive line shopping here pretty soon.
Looking this thing over Sunday morning, trying to build a final 53-man roster projection, I can only come up with seven offensive linemen who are going to make this team: Penei Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, Blake Miller, Larry Borom, Miles Frazier, and Juice Scruggs. Cade Mays will start the season on the IR or PUP, but that doesn’t count towards the 53-man roster.
That’s just not enough guys. Scruggs is going to slide into the starting lineup at center, and Frazier and Borom are the only depth pieces off the bench. If you go back to last year, the Lions carried nine offensive linemen. They need at least two more guys to make sense of this thing. They need somebody who can be a backup interior lineman, maybe another backup tackle.
The guys who just aren’t going to make it
Let’s talk about the players on the bubble who aren’t getting there.
Giovanni Manu has practiced once this summer. It’s over. He’s not going to make it. Melvin Priestly, an undrafted rookie, has been fine, but nothing about his summer screams roster-worthy. He’s a practice squad guy at most. Colby Sorsdal has had a rough summer. It didn’t work at tackle, it didn’t work at guard. I think the Lions are ready to move on, though he could land on the practice squad.
Michael Niese walked out of Saturday’s game injured. He’s been here for five seasons, and while the Lions like him as a project, he’s mostly been a practice squad player. I don’t see that continuing. Mason Miller has not looked good at either guard or tackle, struggling quite a bit. He’s a younger player, so maybe the Lions give him another shot on the practice squad.
Ben Bartch has been out injured the entire time, practicing maybe twice this summer. Dan Campbell said the other day that Bartch’s window was shrinking on trying to win the left guard job, and then the Lions brought in two veteran guards for workouts. Seth McLaughlin is a practice squad guy. He needs more time, more reps. Yes, he was very good in college, and he probably would have gotten drafted had he not dealt with a bad Achilles injury. But you see a pretty big difference when Scruggs is out there. Scruggs is just a lot safer, and McLaughlin feels practice squad bound.
Where do the Lions go from here?
That really explains why the Lions brought in Laken Tomlinson and Will Hernandez earlier this week for workouts. Maybe one of those guys gets signed now that we’re on the other side of the second preseason game. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense to sign either one of them before that, but I would not be shocked if the Lions start bringing in multiple guys to try out. I would not be shocked if Detroit is looking at players right now who they think might get cut by other teams. I wouldn’t even be shocked if the Lions traded for somebody.
They need something better off the bench. I like Miles Frazier, but he needs time on task. He needs reps, and more reps. Frazier is a year away if you ask me. Larry Borom is fine as a swing tackle, and that’s where he’ll be. The Lions don’t necessarily need to find another tackle with starting ability, but another tackle who could come in and play swing or provide relief is exactly what they need.
More than anything, they need another guard who can start or play in relief. They need a guy who is experienced and knows what he’s doing. I would call Kevin Zeitler, who is still out there and hasn’t officially retired. I would consider Tomlinson. I would consider Hernandez. If the Lions signed one of these guys, I would not be shocked.
What we’ve seen this summer is highly indicative that the Lions need more help on their offensive line, and I think they’re about to go get it. We’ll see what happens.
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