The interior offensive line for the Detroit Lions could look all new in Week 8. Injuries to the regular trio of starters have the Lions looking at moving three reserves into unfamiliar roles for the Monday Night Football date with the Las Vegas Raiders.
All three regular starters carry injury statuses into the Week 8 game. Left guard Jonah Jackson has already been ruled out with a high ankle sprain. Center Frank Ragnow is listed as doubtful with a calf injury. Ragnow did not practice all week. Right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai is questionable with a back issue listed, even though he’s coming off a stretch where he missed several games with a knee injury.
There’s a very real chance none of the three play against Las Vegas. If so, Monday night’s line could very well look like this in between bookend tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell:
LG Kayode Awosika
C Graham Glasgow
RG Colby Sorsdal
Awosika has one start at left guard, an up-and-down matchup against the Buccaneers. Glasgow started in that spot last week, with Vaitai on the right side. Moving into center isn’t foreign for the veteran, but he hasn’t played there in this tour of duty with the Lions.
It would be Sorsdal’s first NFL start. A fifth-round rookie from William & Mary, Sorsdal is a college tackle that the Lions have been training at guard. He’s played 36 career snaps — at right tackle in the Week 3 win against Atlanta.
Veteran Dan Skipper has starting experience at guard, but he’s the only healthy backup tackle on the roster. With fullback Jason Cabinda on I.R., the Lions would need Skipper in the extra tackle role that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson uses. Glasgow’s backup at center figures to be Michael Niese, currently on the practice squad. He has one preseason game of center experience with the Buccaneers but otherwise has been a guard throughout both college and the NFL.
It’s a troubling development for Detroit to have all the injuries. The run game will also be without top RB David Montgomery against the Raiders. This looks like a game where the depth must come through above its pay grades and experience for the Lions.
