After Christian Mahogany went down with a fractured ankle in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, it seemed to open up a huge opportunity for the Detroit Lions to try and swing a big trade for a starting guard ahead of the November 4 trade deadline.
While there's still some time before the buzzer, Detroit doesn't seem to be as interested in doing that as some fans are. Plus, it's quite rare to see a team make a trade for a starting offensive lineman, especially since most are seen as pretty key parts to a teams' offense.
You're not landing a starting caliber guard unless you're looking to give up a ton of capital, something general manager Brad Holmes likely doesn't feel pressed to do. As a compromise, the Lions have gone out and signed Jack Conley to their practice squad, per Tom Pelissero.
Conley, a rookie guard out of Boston College, was last rostered with the New England Patriots this season. Now, he lands as a depth piece for Detroit as they likely bring up Trystan Colon or Kingsley Eguakun to their active roster ahead of their Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders.
Lions seem ready to stand pat at deadline with latest signing
Detroit is probably done for the day when it comes to figuring out what to do to address their new hole at left guard. Conley likely won't be a Day 1 starter for them, but he provides some backup on the line if and when the team brings Colon up to replace Mahogany's reps.
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It's a market chock full of moves for pass rushers right now, which again, isn't necessarily something the Lions are keen on addressing. After extending Aidan Hutchinson and seeing how well Al-Quadin Muhammad has worked out for the team so far this season, they're probably fine with letting this season play out on the D-line and on the edge.
As for their offensive line, some major work has to be done in order to improve there. The trenches are where plays are going to perish, and that's because Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs aren't getting the pass protection or run blocking they need to thrive against high-caliber pass rushers.
The Lions might choose to just shuffle their line around and get more reps in for Graham Glasgow at left guard, and promote Colon or Eguakun up to play at center as a means of filling that void left by Mahogany.