5 offensive lineman the Detroit Lions could still sign for depth

2. Greg Van Roten

Van Roten started 23 games for the New York Jets over the last two seasons at right guard, and was released in early May with one year left on his deal. Prior to that, he started 27 games over the 2018 and 2019 seasons for the Carolina Panthers (all 16 games at left guard in 2018).

The Jets sounded open to bringing Van Roten back if he didn’t find a decent deal elsewhere, but neither thing has happened yet. He’s not a high-end starting-caliber guard, benched for Jets’ trade acquisition Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in the middle of last season after particularly struggling in pass protection. But as a backup guard capable of playing both spots, he has a place somewhere in the league.

That place could wind up being Detroit as the calendar flips to June, assuming the Jets don’t circle back to him and he just goes back there.

1. Ereck Flowers

Flowers never totally found his footing with the New York Giants after they took him in the first round (No. 9 overall) of the 2015 draft, and he was cut in the middle of his fourth season. He spent the rest of the 2018 campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He signed with Washington in 2019, and parlayed a solid season at a new position (left guard) into a nice free agent deal from the Miami Dolphins in 2020.

After Miami traded Flowers back to Washington in 2021, he did well at left guard again. But he’s still searching for a new team after being a cap casualty of the Commanders.

In outlining some potential options for Flowers recently, Ely Allen of Pro Football Rumors very briefly mentioned the Lions.

"In Detroit, Halapoulivaati Vaitai‘s cap hit is becoming quite large and he is under contract through 2025. Flowers may provide a cheaper option at guard."

The possibility of signing Flowers will come down to price for the Lions (or most any other team), but as time passes it’s not as if he’s gaining leverage. Vaitai lingers as a possible post-June 1 cut, and Flowers could step right in at right guard at a cheaper rate.