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Back in 2016, the Detroit Lions drafted Graham Glasgow in the third-round of the NFL draft. It feels as if that was centuries ago in terms of team history.
Since, the Lions have switched head coaches three times, flipped their front office once, traded their franchise quarterback and seen a major about-face for a team that has been rooted in mediocrity.
When Glasgow left in 2020, few of those events had yet occurred. His departure came in free agency, as the Lions allowed him to walk in spite of developing him well over the previous four years and offering him a new deal.
In speaking to the media on Monday, March 20, Glasgow was asked about his Detroit return and prior departure. As Glasgow explained as recounted by ESPN’s Eric Woodyard, the culture has changed in a major way for the Lions, even as he admits there were some hard feelings when he left.
#Lions OL Graham Glasgow says it feels like a lot of “straight shooters” are on the coaching staff and it’s a different vibe around the organization. Says it feels a lot different walking around the building nowadays.
Glasgow admitted to being “bitter” with how the end of his first stint ended in Detroit, but was “happy to come back” under the new regime. He says he has physical and emotional ties. “There’s no better place to prove myself than a place where I already proved myself before.”
“Lions OL Graham Glasgow says it feels like a lot of “straight shooters” are on the coaching staff and it’s a different vibe around the organization. Says it feels a lot different walking around the building nowadays. Glasgow admitted to being “bitter” with how the end of his first stint ended in Detroit, but was “happy to come back” under the new regime. He says he has physical and emotional ties. “There’s no better place to prove myself than a place where I already proved myself before,” Glasgow said according to Woodyard’s tweets.
Glasgow departed for the Denver Broncos in free agency of 2020, and was not re-signed by Bob Quinn, the team’s former general manager. Prior to Quinn, it looked as if the Lions had a player in Glasgow relative to how dependable he was with starts. The lineman from Michigan appeared to be a building block along with Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow.
Instead, Quinn let Glasgow go to shell out a $45 million dollar deal to Halapoulivaati Vaitai. That deal hasn’t completely worked out, with Vaitai in and out of the lineup due to injury problems.
Glasgow remained dependable in Denver, putting up 33 starts and playing in 37 games from 2020 to 2022. Now that he returns, he hopes he can lend some experience and pick right back where he left off for Detroit.
Now that Glasgow sees the change, coming back might be a bit easier than it once seemed.
Graham Glasgow Excited to Return to Lions
In terms of his own feelings after the agreement was first reached, Glasgow seems very excited to be returning to Detroit. Right after word of the deal leaked, Glasgow hopped on Twitter and provided a good reaction.
As he explained on Friday, March 17 with a Twitter post, he is very happy to be coming back to Detroit, a place he considers home. Additionally, he’s ready to play some football.
So happy to be coming back home to Detroit! I’m excited to get to work and play some ball!
“So happy to be coming back home to Detroit! I’m excited to get to work and play some ball!,” Glasgow tweeted.
Glasgow was a tough guard when he last played in Detroit, and has plenty of experience with 99 games played in the NFL and 91 starts. Notably for the Lions, Glasgow played in 62 games for the Lions with 58 starts.
He will now be able to lean on that experience to hopefully benefit a very young Lions roster.
Graham Glasgow Reveals Reason for Return
So why did Glasgow come back to Detroit? Ever since things have changed for the Lions, he has been watching from afar, studying the team through the lens of his friends on the roster like Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow.
As Glasgow admitted, the appealing part for him was the chance to come back and play with a young roster that is ready to turn things around in a brighter direction for the future. As he also said, he appreciates the grit he saw out of Detroit to help aid in their shift, which was on display during the team’s 9-8 finish.
“That was something that I was really excited about when I was looking at places to go
just in general. Seeing how they started last year 1-6 and they ended up winning I think it was eight of their last (nine) games. It takes a certain type of team and a certain group of players to be able to do that, to have the mental strength. A lot of people would just kind of throw in the towel at that point. Just going out there and seeing them succeed made me really want to come here and be a part of it as well,” Glasgow said.
When he was coming up through Detroit the first time, Glasgow seemed to embody the same traits the new Lions roster has made a habit of developing. To that end, it’s intriguing to hear his thoughts as he makes his return.
Strength appreciates strength, so regardless of what played out in the past, Glasgow seems excited to wipe the slate clean and be able to chase his dreams again in Detroit.
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Graham Glasgow Praises ‘Different Vibe’ Since Making Return to Lions