This is the third in our series previewing the Detroit Lions' needs heading into free agency. The legal tampering window opens at noon on Monday, and deals can be signed starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 12. Today: Offensive line. Previously:Quarterbacks |Wide receivers and Tight Ends
Under contract: LT Taylor Decker, LG Graham Glasgow, OG Christian Mahogany, C Frank Ragnow, RT Penei Sewell, OL Colby Sorsdal, OL Giovanni Manu, OL Kingsley Eguakun (reserve/futures), OL Jamarco Jones (reserve/futures)
Expiring deals: OG Kevin Zeitler, OT Dan Skipper, OG Kayode Awosika (RFA), OL Michael Niese (ERFA), OL Connor Galvin (ERFA, not expected to be kept)
Best available free agents: OT Ronnie Staley (Ravens), OG Kevin Zeitler (Lions), OG Will Fries (Colts), OL Mekhi Becton (Eagles), OT Cam Robinson (Vikings)
Other potential Lions fits: OG Aaron Banks (49ers), OL Teven Jenkins (Bears), OG Brandon Scherff (Jaguars), OL Patrick Mekari (Ravens), OL Evan Brown (Cardinals), Will Hernandez (Cardinals), OL Ben Cleveland (Ravens), OG Kendrick Green (Steelers), OG Dillon Radunz (Titans), OL Shane Lemieux (Saints)
**Breakdown:**With all the names listed above this section, let’s get one thing straight:
Kevin Zeitler’s return is the best outcome, option, and fit for the Lions.
Zeitler was a seamless fit in Detroit last season, turning in a career-best season on the ground. He finished as Pro Football Focus' third-best guard and enters free agency as the analytic site’s 32nd-ranked free agent. The 34-year-old played 1,047 snaps at right guard, allowing five sacks, ranking 32nd in pass blocking and third among guards in run blocking.
The veteran guard should be the team’s top free-agent priority on the offensive side of the ball. Zeitler, Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahagony would give the Lions three viable options to pick from on the inside. Glasgow has one year left on his deal. Mahogany impressed in two starts as a rookie.
But if the Lions must go looking for more interior offensive line depth, there are plenty of options.
They got Zeitler on a one-year deal worth $6 million last year. Another deal in that range would be a home run based on his performance and the team’s other needs as they try to balance their cap space this offseason.
Zeitler was good enough, and his name, durability and longevity carry a ton of weight, so if he opens up negotiations with other teams, things could get competitive.
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Other options that catch the eye are veterans Brandon Scherff and Will Hernandez, not to mention a familiar face in Evan Brown and even a potential reclamation project in Kendrick Green.
Scherff, 33, is a five-time Pro Bowler and one-time Al-Pro offensive lineman. He started 17 games in all three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after spending the first seven years of his career in Washington.
The veteran has also played all but two of his 8,858 career snaps at right guard, so that would fit in nicely. Scherff’s game has slipped from those highest of high levels, but Scherff allowed no sacks across 1,013 snaps last season. And with all the struggles in Jacksonville, that’s impressive.
Brown is an interesting name to watch as someone who knows the operation well. He impressed while filling in for Frank Ragnow at center a couple of years ago, landed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks and spent last season in Arizona. Brown was a full-time starter at left guard last season, but he’s proven to be versatile and knows Hank Fraley’s system and expectations.
Hernandez has always been an option that has intrigued this beat writer. He’s a massive, mean presence who seems to fit what Detroit is about stylistically. The 29-year-old started five games last season, which was only the second time in his seven-year career he didn’t make double-digit starts.
At 6-foot-2, 332 pounds, Hernandez would bring a ton of size and strength to the interior offensive line. Hernandez is coming off a season-ending knee injury, so he could be a cost-effective name to watch.
Green is a reclamation project, as noted. He’s played both guard spots but struggled mightily in pass protection with the Texans last year. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound interior offensive lineman had a serious skill set to work with coming out of Illinois a couple of years ago. If the Lions are looking for interior depth that they think they can get more out of, then working under Fraley could be the ticket for someone like Green to grow.
“I think I made it pretty clear that the trenches are always going to be a priority for us,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said at the combine. “I just think that’s where the game is won. Dan and I are aligned on that, and you just can never really have enough of those guys ...”