Colby Sorsdal

Lions inactives vs. Jaguars: Sam LaPorta out, 3 healthy scratches on the OL

Lions inactives vs. Jaguars: Sam LaPorta out, 3 healthy scratches on the OL in Week 11

The Detroit Lions released their inactive player list for the Week 11 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The biggest name was one that was already known, with tight end Sam LaPorta already ruled out with a shoulder injury.

LaPorta is the only player on the active roster out due to injury. Cornerback Carlton Davis broke his thumb during the week, but he’s active. So is left tackle Taylor Decker, who missed Week 10 with a shoulder/chest issue.

All the other inactive Lions are considered healthy scratches, with three of them coming along the offensive line:

OL Giovanni Manu
G Christian Mahogany
T Colby Sorsdal
S Loren Strickland
DE Al-Quadin Muhammad

Muhammad is inactive thanks to the addition of veteran Za’Darius Smith, who will make his Lions debut against the Jaguars.

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Lions options for replacing injured Taylor Decker vs the Texans

The Detroit Lions options for replacing injured Taylor Decker vs the Texans if the veteran LT can’t play

The Detroit Lions appear poised to overcome some more injury-related adversity in the team’s Week 10 trip to Houston. Left tackle Taylor Decker is unlikely to play for Detroit in the Sunday night game after not practicing all week with a shoulder injury.

“I don’t see him practicing today,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Decker in his Friday morning press conference. “It’s about how he heals up. I don’t feel like this is something major, but we need to really see how he feels overthe next 48 hours.”

That’s not a promising sign for Decker’s availability against the Texans. If Decker is indeed out, the Lions lose a bedrock starter at left tackle for a game against one of the more aggressive defenses in the league.

Any Decker absence would require some serious scrambling for the Lions offensive line. With both starting guards, Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler, being exclusively interior players, that means one of the depth tackles would get the nod.

Moving Penei Sewell from right to left

Switching All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell from his normal side to the left is one potential solution. It’s what the Lions did in Weeks 2 and 3 of the 2023 season when Decker was sidelined.

It’s not a perfect solution. Sewell had two of his three lowest-graded games of his career by PFF while playing at left tackle. He hasn’t taken a known practice rep on the left side since the summer of 2022 other than those weeks, as well.

The Lions would need to decide if it’s worth getting weaker at right tackle by moving Sewell to the left side, where he hasn’t been as effective. Especially in run blocking, the Lions lean heavily on Sewell being the best right tackle in the league.

Dan Skipper

Typically the Lions extra tackle and 6th lineman in heavy formations, Skipper has been the only other tackle active on game days for the vast majority of the season. His preseason and training camp playing left tackle specifically was a mixed bag.

The 6-foot-9 Skipper tends to play too tall in pass protection, a real issue against more athletic and smaller pass rushers. That’s not a major issue against Houston, which tends to play bigger ends outside of Will Anderson — whose status for Sunday is up in the air due to injury, too.

Interestingly, Skipper has performed better at right tackle than left throughout his career in preseason and brief opportunities in the regular season. If Sewell kicks to the left side, Skipper’s relative struggles on the right side could be exacerbated.

Now in his second season, Sorsdal has been a healthy scratch most of 2024 and has only played on special teams when active. The 2023 fifth-round pick repped exclusively at right tackle in training camp and preseason, stepping in when Sewell needed rest or else repping with the second- and third-team offenses.

Sorsdal did not have an encouraging summer, consistently struggling with the speed of the Lions defense in practices and the speed of the game in preseason matchups against Pittsburgh and Kansas City. Simply out of familiarity with the right side, Sorsdal would likely be the starting option there if Sewell flips sides.

Jamarco Jones

The veteran Jones is on the Lions practice squad after joining the team in preseason. He played well at left tackle in the exhibition matchup against the Chiefs and does have some limited NFL regular-season experience starting on the left side, though he’s primarily played right guard in his stops with the Seahawks and Titans.

Jones also has some live-game experience playing as an extra tackle, which could come in handy if Skipper is required to play as a starter. If he avoids penalties, which has been a struggle for him going back to his college days, Jones is the most effective pass blocker of the reserve options.

Giovanni Manu

Manu was drafted in the fourth round with the implicit knowledge that he was not ready, nor would be ready to play in 2024. That’s been made clear by multiple coaching comments.

The giant Canadian collegian has been a healthy scratch all season and was one of PFF’s lowest-graded pass blockers in the preseason. Those low grades passed the eye/sniff test based on the very technically raw Manu from what we witnessed in practices, too. He should be considered an emergency-option only.

Detroit Lions Podcast: Answering the post-draft mailbag

Detroit Lions Podcast post-draft mailbag on OL depth, Peoples-Jones and the WR room, team expectations, schedule release and more

The latest edition of the Detroit Lions Podcast is now available for viewing or streaming. This week’s episode features a post-draft mailbag with questions pulled from the DLP Patreon members.

Among the questions covered:

What’s going on with the OL depth?
Expectations for Donovan Peoples-Jones in Year 2 in Detroit?
Who will be the Lions’ starting secondary in 2024?
What teams had the best/worst drafts?
Just how close are the Lions to being the best team in the NFC?
Who do we want Detroit to face in Week 1 when the schedule is released?
Will the 2024 NFL Draft success draw more events to Detroit?
What I’ll be watching for in rookie minicamp this weekend

The audio-only version of the show is available via your favorite podcast provider.

Offensive line ‘will not be overlooked’ by GM Brad Holmes this offseason

With both starting guards hitting free agency, Frank Ragnow pondering retirement, and only two tackles total on the roster, OL needs to be a big offseason focus

The biggest strength of the Detroit Lions is play of the offensive line. Detroit has one of the best tackle tandems in the league in venerable veteran Taylor Decker and first-team All-Pro Penei Sewell. Center Frank Ragnow is a two-time second-team All-Pro, including in 2023. Guards Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow are both above-average talents when healthy.

It’s been a deliberate process to craft one of the best lines in the league. That line could see some major shakeups this offseason. Both starting guards are unrestricted free agents, as is former starter Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who spent most of 2023 on injured reserve. Ragnow is contemplating retirement from all the injuries over his six years in the NFL. Sewell and Decker are the only two tackles on the roster, period.

Lions GM Brad Holmes knows he’s got to keep the line as a major strength. In his end-of-season press conference, Holmes made it clear that the offensive line will be a major focus this offseason in the draft and free agency.

“I mean, our offensive line, us being able to protect the quarterback and run the football like we do, that’s extremely important,” Holmes said. “And so, that’s definitely going to be one that – that’ll be an area that will not be overlooked. As good as it has been in the past, just those points that you’ve raised, it’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis still.”

The Lions drafted Colby Sorsdal in the fifth round last year, and the William & Mary product saw limited duty at both right tackle and guard. Finding his exact role, whether it’s the third tackle or a potential jump into the starting lineup at guard, is one of the questions Holmes & Co. must decide.

Jonah Jackson’s absence shows his value to the Lions

Pro Bowl LG Jonah Jackson has been missed in the Lions lineup lately, and that only helps his case to return as a free agent in 2024

Of the myriad issues that plagued the Detroit Lions in their Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers, the offensive line’s substandard performance really stands out.

It was an atypical bad game for everyone on the Lions line, from likely All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell to bedrock veteran left tackle Taylor Decker. The biggest hole, however, was at left guard.

Rookie Colby Sorsdal was overwhelmed and overmatched in his second career start. Sorsdal got benched midway through the game for Kayode Awosika, who had two very nice plays before degenerating into an abject disaster.

Sorsdal and Awosika fizzled in their collective chance to replace Jonah Jackson. The Pro Bowl left guard missed his second straight game with a wrist injury. Jackson has played just once since Week 5, also missing a few games with a high ankle sprain. His absence has been notable.

For a pending free agent like Jackson, missing games like he has shines a spotlight on his value to the team. It’s clear the Lions sorely need Jackson in the lineup, especially for his pass protection in front of Jared Goff, who has turned the ball over six times in two games thanks in part to the increased pressure created by Jackson’s injuries.

Goff is not a quarterback who handles pressure in the pocket well. It’s just not who he is as a quarterback. Goff has never been effective under pressure, going back to his college days at Cal or even his Pro Bowl heyday with the Los Angeles Rams. He needs a good offensive line that he trusts. Goff has that in Detroit with Jackson in the lineup. Without him, it’s been ugly.

Given the right guard situation, Jackson’s value goes up even more. Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Graham Glasgow are both free agents after the 2023 season. Vaitai appears done due to his ongoing back injury. Glasgow has proven himself a capable starter in his return to Detroit, but he’s 31 and lacks long-term presence even if he comes back as a free agent.

Sorsdal could still emerge as a solution at one guard spot. He’s had some positive moments as a fifth-round rookie converting from FCS-level right tackle to NFL guard, and he’s got one of the best OL coaches in the business in Hank Fraley helping him. The loss to the Packers showed he’s not ready yet, certainly not on the left side.

All that means leverage for Jackson as he hits free agency for the first time. He’ll be one of the top interior linemen on the market in a league that is absolutely desperate for quality starters at any OL spot. It’s hard to fathom the Lions starting two new guards in 2024, but that could very well be the case if Jackson leaves as a free agent. With all the needs on defense, bringing back a valuable piece like Jackson on offense would allow GM Brad Holmes and his crew to focus more on bolstering the anemic pass rush and incapable secondary.

Get well soon, Jonah. You’re going to need that wrist healthy enough to sign a big new contract, be it in (hopefully) Detroit or somewhere else.

Snap count notes and observations from the Lions loss to the Packers

Breaking down the notable snap counts from the Detroit Lions in their Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers

Looking at the Detroit Lions and their team snap counts from the Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers, a few things stand out. Many help provide more content behind the Lions’29-22 loss in Ford Field.

Take the total offensive snaps. Green Bay ran just 56 plays on offense, while Detroit snapped 84 offensive reps. The Packers outscoring the Lions despite running 28 fewer snaps indicates the inefficiency and giveaways from Detroit.

The offensive line saw an in-game xhange at left guard. Colby Sorsdal, who was replacing injured Jonah Jackson, was himself replaced by Kayode Awosika after 32 snaps. The change came after center Frank Ragnow left for one play and right guard Graham Glasgow kicked inside to cover.

At running back, Jahmyr Gibbs was on the field for more than double the reps of David Montgomery, 60 to 23. Considering Montgomery played seven of the first eight, that’s a stark shift to Gibbs, perhaps dictated by the early deficit and Montgomery’s recent pass protection issues. Craig Reynolds played exactly one snap.

Dan Skipper played a season-high nine snaps as an extra tackle. That’s more than Malcolm Rodriguez (6) st fullback or James Mitchell (4) as the third TE.

Josh Reynolds earned 54 snaps at WR, outpacing Jameson Williams (53) and Kalif Raymond (24) behind Amon-Ra St. Brown (77) on the pecking order.

Defensively, the first thing that stands out is Aidan Hutchinson playing 53 of the 56 snaps. That’s an absurdly high rate for a pass rusher; elites like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons rarely top 80 percent.

Josh Paschal was next in line at EDGE with 29, followed by John Cominsky (23), Charles Harris (13) and Romeo Okwara (8).

The linebacker usage factors in that mix as well. Alex Anzalone left with a hand injury for two snaps but played the rest of the game. Derrick Barnes (40) and Jack Campbell (31) both playing over half the snaps while facing a Packers team with one healthy TE and playing a base 3-WR offense is an interesting choice.

Lions rookie grades at the midseason break

Heading into the second half the season, it is time to give out midseason grades for the Detroit Lions rookies

Entering the second half of the season, the Detroit Lions aim to maintain their impressive 6-2 start. Apart from a few minor setbacks, the Lions have demonstrated strength across the board, thanks to excellent coaching and standout performances from their core players. However, the talk of the town centers on the immediate impact made by the 2023 rookie class.

Initially, the Lions faced criticism for selecting players in positions that many thought didn’t align with their draft value. Yet, when all was said and done and the dust settled, the Lions emerged with a remarkable haul and are already reaping the benefits as they strive for a strong playoff push.

As we reach the midpoint of the season, it’s time to assess the performances of all the rookies thus far.

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The Lions interior offensive line could all be out vs. Raiders

The Lions have major injury issues on the interior offensive line and could start 3 players in new spots

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.

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Detroit Lions biggest key matchup vs. Green Bay Packers

Breaking down the Detroit Lions biggest key match-up vs. Green Bay Packers in Week 4

Coming off a big win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions travel to Lambeau Field to battle the Green Bay Packers on a short week. They’ve got a three-day turnaround to get right and be ready for Jordan Love and the Packers.

Fortunately, the Packers also have a short week and will have to be just as prepared as they’ve been all season. No doubt this is a pivotal match-up for both teams.

As the Lions prepare, they’ve got quite a few different players to focus on. For starters, rookie tight end Luke Musgrave has been a solid addition to the Packers passing attack. In Week 3, he had eight targets, and it turned into six receptions for 49 yards. So far this season, he has earned a 75-plus percent snap share each week, and he even had 29 snaps aligned in the slot last week.

Much of the production for Musgrave could be due to the fact that wide receiver Christian Watson has been out every game so far this season due to a hamstring injury. There’s speculation that Watson returns Thursday night against the Lions but that remains to be seen.

In addition to Musgrave, the Packers have started to see some efficient production from wide receiver Romeo Doubs. He’s the Packers highest rated wide receiver on PFF with a 74.7 receiving grade. So far this year, Doubs has 19 targets for 11 receptions and 129 yards. He’s also tallied three touchdowns and 9 first down receptions.

While it’s important to focus on the Packers offense, it’s important to note that it looks tough for them to get going if Jordan Love is off-the-mark on any drive. Meanwhile, this offense looks like it desperately needs running back Aaron Jones back into the starting lineup. Much like Watson, he’s also dealing with a hamstring injury.

As we wait for more updates on the health of the Packers offense, let’s focus on a player that is healthy for Green Bay. That’s edge rusher Rashan Gary. Through 3 games this season, Gary has 44 pas rushing snaps (per PFF) and it’s generated in one hit, 8 hurries and four sacks. According to their pass-rushing production metric, he’s the number one player right now.

If the Lions get left tackle Taylor Decker, that would be a huge plus as it looks like Gary is becoming the premier edge rusher he was expected to be coming out of Michigan.

Now, if Decker is out for Thursday night due to his ankle injury, I’d get ready to see Penei Sewell to stay busy with Gary for much of the night. Then again, the Packers could deploy Gary opposite of Sewell and have him match-up against fifth-round rookie Colby Sorsdal.

The simple move is for Decker to return and move back to left tackle so Sewell can play right tackle. If that doesn’t happen, it could be a long night for the rookie tackle out of William & Mary, who the Lions had been preparing to play guard. The Lions will need Sorsdal to step up and in at right tackle since Matt Nelson injured his ankle and it required surgery.

Whatever happens, will happen but look for Jared Goff to get rid of the ball quickly and for the rushing attack to run away from number 52 of the Packers defense on Thursday night.

Updating the Lions offensive line injuries and shuffling

The latest on Taylor Decker, Matt Nelson, contingency plans and more with the Detroit Lions offensive line injuries

There ha been considerable shuffling along the Detroit Lions offensive line over the early part of the season. Injuries have been a blight on the unit, widely considered the core strength of the team.

Left tackle Taylor Decker has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. It’s both a high ankle sprain and a bone bruise, a painful injury that he played through for most of the Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

There is real optimism Decker will return for Thursday night’s NFC North matchup in Green Bay. Decker was a limited participant in the Monday practice session, which was a walkthrough. He feels ready to return.

“It’s going to hurt, but as long as I can be functional, I can deal with the pain,” Decker told reporters on Monday. “I’ve done it plenty of times before. I’m confident I can go out there and help us win, so it’ll be fun being back out there with everybody. Big thing is just — the days leading up to the game, just make sure it’s feeling as best as it can and just go out there. You’re going to have the adrenaline pumping, and I’m sure it’ll feel even better than it did today.”

Decker returning to the lineup would be a huge boost for the unit. That would move Penei Sewell, who struggled with penalties and pass protection on the left side, back to his customary right tackle spot.

The right tackle won’t be Matt Nelson, that much we know. Nelson left Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons with a knee injury. He will need surgery and will be placed on injured reserve.

“Nelson, we’ll put Nelson down. He’s going to require surgery, so I hate that for him, so he’s down,” head coach Dan Campbell said of the swing tackle.

Nelson had started the two games at right tackle with Sewell shifting to fill Decker’s spot. The man who stepped in when Nelson got hurt in Week 3, Dan Skipper, also left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Because Skipper is only on the practice squad and not the 53-man roster, the Lions are not required to provide any injury info or update on Skipper. And they did not.

Rookie Colby Sorsdal finished the game as the right tackle. The fifth-rounder from William & Mary played tackle in college but had been almost exclusively working at guard in Detroit. He played well enough to prove he’s a viable emergency plan at right tackle, making his NFL debut in such a circumstance.

“Sorsdal went in and honestly, for – he did a solid job,” Campbell said of the rookie. “He went in and filled in admirably and he’ll get better from those reps that he took, so yeah. That’s about the best way I can say it.”

If Decker cannot play against Green Bay, expect Sewell to stay on the left side and Sorsdal to get the start at right tackle.

No matter who is at right tackle, they’ll be aligned next to Graham Glasgow and not Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Big V missed Week 3 with a knee injury suffered in Week 2, and he is not expected to play on Thursday night.

This is where the depth gets complicated. Sorsdal would normally be the next man up at guard if something happened to Glasgow or left guard Jonaah Jackson, who incidentally was listed as a limited participant in Monday’s practice with a knee injury of his own. But if Sorsdal is the right tackle, then the relief duty falls to Kayode Awosika. The Lions signed Awosika to the 53-man roster last week from their own practice squad.

Center Frank Ragnow, who did not practice Monday as a veteran rest day, is dealing with a long-term toe injury of his own. Glasgow is his backup in the pivot. The Lions don’t have anyone with center experience on the practice squad, so a game-day promotion for Michael Niese could be in order. Niese played guard at Temple and Dayton and spent the 2022 season on the Chicago Bear practice squad.

The Lions also have an opening on the active roster with Nelson heading to I.R., one which could be used on a reserve with some center experience.