Graham Glasgow comes back to the Detroit Lions in free agency

It seemed to make a lot of sense right off the bat, and Graham Glasgow is indeed coming back to the Detroit Lions on a one-year deal.

Some times, things just make sense. As Graham Glasgow trended toward being a cap casualty by the Denver Broncos, and ultimately was, a return to the Detroit Lions seemed ideal and perfect.

On Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions have signed Glasgow to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million.

Glasgow was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2016 draft, No. 95 overall, out of Michigan. He started 27 games at left guard over his first two seasons, then all 16 games at center in 2018. Then he moved over and started 15 games at right guard in 2019, before leaving for the Broncos in free agency in 2020.

Glasgow spent the last three seasons with the Broncos after signing a four-year, $44 million deal . He played in all 17 games last season, starting 13 of them at center after being the Broncos starting right guard the prior two years. An injury in 2021 opened the door for him to replaced at right guard, and he stepped over to center when Lloyd Cushenberry went down last year.

Graham Glasgow coming back to potentially take starting spot with the Lions

Elsewhere in Thursday’s free agency news, the Lions lost center/guard Evan Brown to the Seattle Seahawks. Brown’s versatility, as he started 13 games at center in place of Frank Ragnow in 2021 and started a chunk of games at right guard last season, will be missed. Glasgow has similar versatility, now theoretically replacing Brown pretty seamlessly.

But the future of right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai is naturally up in the air after he missed all of last season with a back issue. He has been easy to suggest as a cap casualty, putting the Lions in greater need for a new starting right guard–especially if Brown departed. Brown is gone, though Vaitai has yet to be cut.

As we suggested when he was cut by Denver, and clearer now that he’s actually coming back to the Lions, Glasgow is a ready-made replacement for Vaitai at right guard. That makes sense too, just as much as a reunion did if the situation fostered it.