Mike Payton talks about the loss of Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler in NFL free agency last week, to the Tennessee Titans, and where the Lions go from here to replace him.
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00:00The Lions had their biggest free agency loss
00:03This week when they lost Kevin Zeitler to the Tennessee Titans, it's it's gonna be a hard one to get over
00:08But let's talk about it and let's talk about some of the options. The Lions will have going forward
00:17Hi, I'm Mike paying for me to see sports Detroit today we're gonna talk about
00:20the loss of Kevin Zeitler and
00:23how you recover from the loss of Kevin Zeitler, so
00:27Coming into free agency
00:29You know, this was the big thing that the Lions needed to do the lines wanted to get Kevin Zeitler back
00:35Lions GM Brad Holmes talked about it right after Detroit was exited out of the playoffs by the Washington commanders said talks were already
00:44Ongoing and the lines were trying to get that done
00:47To continue to build in that trenches and stabilize that offensive line. That was a huge huge need for this team
00:53And it just didn't work out at the end of the day
00:56Kevin Zeitler got a nine million dollar one-year deal to go play for the Tennessee Titans
01:02Which is where a lot of his family lives so you can understand why he decided to go do that
01:08You know, it's probably his last year in the NFL. So you go and you start somewhere where
01:15You're my family. I can't hate him for doing that, but it puts the Lions in a position where
01:21they may need to
01:23Pour some more money into the guard position or maybe draft one early right now. You have Christian mahogany who?
01:30While he showed a lot of promise in the couple starts that he had including the playoff game against, Washington
01:36He he was pretty good
01:39This is a guy who didn't have the full season last year remember he was on the NFI list for most of the year
01:44He he showed up later
01:47They were able to put him right in and when he did play he was really good and it seems like hey
01:52He's ready to be a starter and
01:54If they go that route, that's perfectly fine. I think they'll be
01:57Successful. I think this is a good player
01:59I think they'll be glad that they did that and then next there's Graham Glasgow on the left side came back in 2023
02:06Earned that starting spot did really well there after camp, you know was the guy that hey
02:12He looked like he was reborn after a couple of down years in Denver, but in 2024
02:18In a bad year, it just it wasn't very good. He allowed a lot of sacks
02:23He wasn't so great in the run blocking game and then you you know, you wonder what they're gonna do with him after this
02:31He is a guy who's under contract in 2025
02:34He could be somewhat of a cap casualty the Lions could save some money if they were to part ways with him
02:39I don't know if they'll do that. I don't necessarily think they should do that
02:42I think he would be great off the bench, but I don't know if going forward
02:47Do you want him to be a starter?
02:49So the options to get somebody else in that offensive line who you feel really good about
02:55Well, you know, there's a few there's the first one is you could go with
03:00Brandon Sheriff who just got let go by the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's a cap
03:04Casualty a cost-cutting move a really good player multiple-time pro bowler was an all pro once as well
03:10Like this is a very good player can play the right side could play the left side
03:15I think if the Lions were gonna go ahead and get him much like Kevin Zeitler kind of an older player
03:21you could probably sign him to a one-year eight to nine million dollar deal much like what Zeitler just got in Tennessee and
03:28That'll help stabilize the Lions offensive line going forward and I don't see you see any drop-off there
03:34The next move is you go to the draft and you hope to God that somebody like Marcus Embo or gray Zabel or somebody
03:43Donovan Jackson will fall to you in a right spot and
03:47That's a guy all three of those guys can play not only guard but tackle as well. I
03:52Think that you know, that's the that's the endgame. That's what the Lions have to do
03:57They have to replace Kevin Zeitler and you can either do that with an older player or you could do that with a rookie
04:02Or you could do that with both and that's kind of the way I think the line should go
04:05I think they should be looking for that veteran guard that can come in hold down that line in a very important season
04:11and
04:13Then make way after that for the young guard to come in and take over and we'll see
04:19What the Lions wind up doing free agency is is still fresh. It's Wednesday and when we're recording this
04:26Free agency opened up just you know a couple hours ago actual free agency the new league year not just the tampering period stuff
04:34We'll see where things go and we'll see you next time