Lions Pushed to Sign Veteran Starting Lineman Right ‘Now’

The Detroit Lions still have their projected starting offensive line intact as they enter the final week of the preseason. But with injuries piling up to Detroit’s offensive line depth, Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department named veteran center Mason Cole a free agent the Lions should add immediately.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder argued Cole could be a valuable contributor off the bench for Detroit.

“The Lions have suffered a handful of injuries to backup offensive linemen recently and rookie Christian Mahogany has been on the NFI list all training camp, both of which have left the unit pretty thin,” wrote Holder.

“So, bringing in a veteran such as Cole, who has experience playing all three interior spots, wouldn’t be a bad idea even if it is just to get through the next few weeks before the regular season starts.”

In addition to Christian Mahogany missing training camp with an injury, fellow guard Netane Muti sustained a shoulder injury and went on injured reserve on August 1. Offensive tackle Connor Galvin also went on injured reserve on August 12, and swing tackle Dan Skipper left Week 2 of the preseason with an ankle injury.

Cole has started at least 7 games in five of his six NFL seasons during his career. The past two years, he started 35 contests at center for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How Center Mason Cole Could Fit With the Lions

Cole is only 28 years old, but he remains unsigned with Week 3 of the preseason about to begin. So it’s highly unlikely that he lands another starting job for the 2024 season.

If he’s interested in a backup role, as Holder explained, the Lions could bring in Cole for interior offensive line depth. Most of Cole’s NFL experience is at center, but he played 210 snaps at right guard in 2021 and 149 snaps at left guard in 2019.

Lions fans should keep in mind, though, that there’s a reason Cole is still a free agent. Pro Football Focus’ player grades ranked Cole 23rd out of 32 centers who played 50% of his team’s snaps last year. In pass blocking, PFF’s player grades rated Cole second-to-last.

Cole began his career as a third-round pick for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2018 NFL draft. He started all 16 games for the Cardinals at center as a rookie, but he lost his job prior to his second season. Cole started just two games in 2019.

He returned to the starting lineup for the Cardinals in 2020, starting 14 games at center. He then started four games at center and three contests at right guard for the Minnesota Vikings during 2021.

Cole played much better in 2022 for the Steelers than he did in 2023. PFF ranked him 12th among the 32 centers in the league that played 50% of his team’s snaps during 2022. Cole posted an above average grade in both run blocking and pass protection that season.

Lions Interior Offensive Line Depth

It’s possible that Cole is waiting for a team desperately in need of a starter before signing with an organization. The good news for the Lions is that they aren’t that desperate.

While the team has lost some depth, projected starting left guard Graham Glasgow, center Frank Ragnow and right guard Kevin Zeitler are all healthy. As is Kayode Awosika, who is probably the team’s top interior offensive lineman currently on the bench.

Bringing in Cole would give Detroit more depth. But the Lions can be patient if they’d prefer to see how the rest of their roster looks at the end of the month.

For more interior offensive line depth, the Lions have Michael Niese and Jake Burton. Detroit also has undrafted rookies Kingsley Eguakun, Duke Clemens and Bryan Hudson on the roster.