Joel Bitonio, Browns
Getty
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns.
The Detroit Lions have a fairly serious problem on their hands with regards to the offensive line.
Detroit lost two starters on the interior, as center Frank Ragnow retired in early summer, while right guard Kevin Zeitler left in free agency for the Tennessee Titans. Graham Glasgow moved from left guard to center in an offseason reshuffling.
The Green Bay Packers in a Week 1 drubbing of Detroit exploited those changes along the line, which was among the best in the NFL in 2024. However, it is possible the Packers are among the most talented teams in the league this season, and the new pieces in Detroit could certainly improve over the course of the campaign.
That said, the Lions were the No. 1 seed in the NFC last year and there should be some urgency about the clear step back the line, a vitally important unit on any team, appears to have taken. As such, the Lions are prime candidates to attempt a trade for an offensive lineman in the coming weeks, and star guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns could be available.
Joel Bitonio Could Fill Big Hole in Lions’ Offensive Line
Joel Bitonio, Browns
GettyOffensive guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns.
Bitonio has spent his entire 12-year career in Cleveland, earning Pro-Bowl honors in each of the past seven seasons and All-Pro honors five years in a row between 2018-2022.
And while Bitonio remains excellent, evident by his quality play in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland isn’t tracking as a playoff team given the difficulty of its schedule.
Instead, the Browns are in the midst of a youth movement that includes five rookies in prominent positions already. All of that is to say that Bitonio’s timeline in his age-34 season doesn’t appear to fit with what the Browns are doing. Thus, he could have tremendous trade value ahead of the November deadline to a team like the Lions.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggested on Friday, September 12, that Bitonio could be worth a fourth-rounder and rookie wideout Dominic Lovett in a potential deal with Detroit.
Rookie second-round pick Tate Ratledge is in at right guard and will likely be given time to develop. However, Detroit may want to consider replacing left guard Christian Mahogany, who was graded 64th among 78 guards in pass blocking last week by Pro Football Focus.
If the Browns are willing to sell off good players in anticipation of a full-on rebuild, the Lions should see if guard Joel Bitonio is available. … A player of Bitonio’s caliber would usually cost more than a high Day 3 selection and a rookie seventh-round draft pick. However, Cleveland badly needs receiver depth, and Bitonio is an impending 2026 free agent who could potentially retire after this season.
Lions May Need to Give Up 3rd-Round Pick to Acquire Joel Bitonio in Trade With Browns
Joel Bitonio, Browns
GettyLeft guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns.
Lovett is something of a stretch as a player the Browns might desire.
The Lions considered parting ways with him before the season and played him on just three special teams snaps in Week 1. Even if Detroit threw him into a deal for Bitonio and the Browns were willing to take the flier, Cleveland wouldn’t likely consider Lovett much value added.
As such, the Browns could look to push Bitonio’s value into the range of a third-round asset, which is reasonable given how excellent he still is. And if Bitonio wants a Super Bowl ring badly enough before he retires, the Lions may be able to convince him to stick around for a couple more seasons.