Graham Glasgow is back in Detroit for another three years, how does that help the team?
What a way to start the week, eh?
Before the Detroit Lions have even started talking to other players around the league, they took care of their own first. According to Adam Schefter, the Lions are re-signing guard Graham Glasgow to a three-year deal worth $20 million, that includes a $9.5 million guarantee.
Glasgow was one of the team’s biggest focuses on re-signing this offseason, coming off a return to Detroit last season on a one-year $4.5 million contract. He was expected to compete for the starting right guard job against Halapoulivaati Vaitai and—worst case—be a valuable backup that can step in when needed. Instead, Glasgow became the starting right guard after Vaitai went down with an injury.
With Glasgow back in Detroit, there are a few things to discuss and I am here to break those things down for you and give you what you really want, a grade on the re-signing.
How good is Graham Glasgow?
Glasgow returning to Detroit is a massive win for this offensive line. Glasgow is coming off his best season of his career, where he got a 75.1 grade from PFF for his regular season performance. Glasgow was eighth out of the 62 guards that played at least 1187 snaps this year, the highest ranked he has ever been in his career. Glasgow played in all 20 games for the Lions last season, starting 18 of the 20. In total he allowed 46 pressures, 35 hurries, eight QB hits, and only three sacks allowed.
While Glasgow didn’t allow many sacks, it’s his run blocking that really stands out. His run blocking grade according to PFF was 82.1, which had him ranked fifth compared to other guards. You saw the Lions run game really take off this year with running backs David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs combine for 1,960 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.
How does this affect the Lions?
This plugs up a hole regarding the offensive line for right now. With right guard locked up by Glasgow, the only starting spot left on the line that is open is left guard. The former starter, Jonah Jackson, has not re-signed with the Lions, and there haven’t been any signs that Jackson will return to the team. With Glasgow under contract, the team can focus on Jackson, if they choose to re-sign him, or they can look elsewhere for the left guard spot.
What the team could also do, if they want, is move Glasgow back over to left guard, which is where he started when he was drafted by the Lions back in 2016. He was in between his buddies center Frank Ragnow and left tackle Taylor Decker. Glasgow is versatile and can play any three interior spots, but with Ragnow holding down center, Glasgow can be put in either side and do just fine.
Was he worth the price?
Now the full contract details have not been released yet, but as we know right now, it’s overall a very fair deal for a starting guard in the NFL. Both sides wanted to make a deal, but it didn’t make sense for the deal to be another one-year contract—particularly for Glasgow, who may only have this shot to really cash in. It had to be a multi-year deal and with Glasgow at 31 years old, the deal wouldn’t make sense to be for longer than three years.
There are 19 other guards in the NFL with a bigger contract than Glasgow (by overall value), and we just saw Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson earn a $21 million per year deal. That kind of value for a veteran guard, who can play pretty well, is very good. Detroit didn’t have to break the bank for him, and they know he is a top 10 guard in the NFL right now.
Glasgow originally turned down more money to return to Detroit in 2023, and it’s quite possible he did again, as he may have gotten better offers had he tested free agency. With quarterback Jared Goff, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown all potentially being a focus on re-signing this offseason, Glasgow could have also given the team a little bit of a discount to ensure others could get their payday as well.
Final thoughts and grade
Grade: A
Overall, this was a great re-signing by the Lions. I discussed last month that the team must bring him back, and they did it quickly and before others could even have a chance. Glasgow helps the most important unit on the team—the offensive line—reclaim one of their own, and if they are able to keep Jackson and return all five starters, that is a dream come true for this team.
For Glasgow and the overall fit and feel, it’s a no brainer that I gave this signing an A. The team and Glasgow like each other and they wanted to reunite, which makes the process a bit easier when it comes down to contract negotiations. Glasgow is one of the best guards in the NFL, not top five worthy, but you could argue a top 10 guard and they got him for a fair deal for both sides.
Glasgow gets (likely) his last big payday, and he finally can feel like this organization wants him, as opposed to the previous general manager and head coach who let him walk. The Lions get a top end player for a cheap deal and help the offensive line try not to miss a beat. This helps the running game continue to be great with Gibbs and Montgomery, and it makes it so if the Lions can’t re-sign Jackson, they only have to try and replace one starter instead of two.
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