There is a new starting five for the Detroit Lions offensive line. Graham Glasgow has been installed as the new full-time starting right guard in place of Halapoulivaatit Vaitai.
Head coach Dan Campbell made it official on Wednesday.
Campbell was asked if Glasgow had earned the starting right guard job.
“Yeah, I think so. I think that’s fair,” Campbell responded. “We’re always assessing Big V, and (Vaitai) is still working at it. But Graham has been productive for us, and he’s been productive at three different spots — left guard, center and certainly right guard before that. So he’s been a big asset for us. That was a good signing for us to get, and fortunate to have him. He’s a steady, reliable piece for us.”
Vaitai has battled injuries all season and was one of two Lions still limited in practice. This week, it’s the same back injury that kept him out of the offensive lineup in Week 8, but Big V also missed a month with a knee injury.
Glasgow has performed well in Vaitai’s absence. It’s been a welcome shot of depth to get him back in Detroit, where Glasgow began his NFL career back in 2016. He moved to the Broncos as a free agent in 2020, but his time in Denver did not go well. Glasgow suffered a major ankle injury and did not play well for the Broncos at either guard or center.
The only immediate downside to moving Glasgow into the starting lineup is that he is the only backup center on the entire roster, including the practice squad. As long as Frank Ragnow is healthy–and he is now–it’s a moot point. Should Ragnow go down again as he did for Detroit’s last game, it would require shuffling two spots to move Glasgow into the pivot and replace him with someone at right guard — be it Vaitai or rookie Colby Sorsdal, who played capably in that spot against the Raiders.
