The Detroit Lions have invested a lot in their offensive line, but would they pony up to keep for outside help to keep it a strength?
Truly going back to the previous regime, the Detroit Lions have invested a lot in their offensive line. Three first-round picks (Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell) have also gotten contract extensions, two in Decker's case now. The results of that investment speak for themselves, as the best offensive line in the league resides in Detroit.
Around that core of Decker, Ragnow and Sewell, the Lions have found the right combination at guard. Graham Glasgow, who the Lions drafted the same year as Decker (2016), was brought back in 2023 free agency. Kevin Zeitler was signed to a steal of one-year deal in 2024 free agency, and his performance so far has fueled the idea of signing him to a contract extension during the season.
But the fact remains Zeitler is on a one-year deal, and Glasgow is also over 30 years old as he has had a drop-off in performance after an excellent 2023 campaign. So a reset at both guard spots is possibly looming in 2025.
Lions tied to 2025 free agent who is lined up to cash in big
To that end, Bleacher Report has pointed to a potential 2025 free agent target for the Lions, proposing replacing Zeitler with Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith.
"Smith is one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL as Pro Football Focus had him as the eighth-highest-graded guard (81.5) heading into the past weekend."
"While the 25-year-old who turns 26 in June will command top dollar on the open market, the Lions are currently projected to have about $65 million of cap space available this offseason, per Over The Cap."
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap has clarified the amount of projected 2025 cap space the Lions have right now, but the broader point stands.
Smith has missed one game in his career, now into his fourth season with the Chiefs. His lowest overall PFF ranking among guards came in his rookie season, when he was the site's 15th-highest graded guard. Since he was a sixth-round pick, he has also been a bargain based on his level of play.
ESPN's Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler have done an early top-25 ranking of 2025 NFL free agents. Smith is No. 2 on the list. Fowler had some insight about what Smith could command in his next contract.
"There's an expectation that Smith could become the highest-paid guard in the NFL. The top of the market currently sits at $21.5 million per year, and the Chiefs are at least bracing for life without him because of that price. Smith is a top-10 interior lineman in the league, and the Panthers giving Robert Hunt a $100 million free agency deal back in March had to get Smith's attention."
Smith will turn 26 next June, so he's a potential long-term piece for whoever signs him to his second contract. He's going to benefit from the boom in the guard market last offseason, and perhaps reset the top of the market.
The Lions are careful and calculated when it comes to adding players, valuing fit beyond (and equal to) a player's talent level. It's impossible to really know how Smith might fit intangibly in Detroit. The allocation of cap space in 2025 and beyond will be a big factor in signing anyone from outside the organization, as the big contract extensions they've done and will do take effect.
If Zeitler is not re-signed, the percentage chance the Lions make a big splash to sign someone like Smith to replace him is very low. But it's not a zero percent chance, and if there's a will there would be a way to make it happen.
