Detroit Lions recent free agent signing is flying under the radar
The Detroit Lions know how to build a football team, and they continue to prioritize the trenches, even when they lose their own free agents. It doesn't matter how you slice it; games in the NFL are ultimately won in the trenches. And if a team cannot consistently win at the line of scrimmage, they aren't going far.
This is true for every team, but the Detroit Lions are notably one of the strongest teams in the NFL along the offensive line. They lost their former guard, Jonah Jackson, to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, but clearly had a plan in place to fill that void. Lions GM Brad Holmes has done a fabulous job at rebuilding this team with head coach Dan Campbell, and signing like these are why the Lions are going to be in good hands for the long-term.
Former Ravens Pro-Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler intends to sign a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions, per source. Zeitler is flying to Detroit tonight to take a physical with the plan to sign Tuesday with the Lions. pic.twitter.com/7GdExwQhGv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2024
The team signed stud guard Kevin Zeitler earlier this week, a player with almost 200 games of regular season experience who has been a consistently awesome player along the iOL during his entire career. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens and clearly has a ton of good football left. Also, Zeitler is simply an absolute warrior and I believe fits the culture of Detroit perfectly:
Kevin Zietler to Detroit 🔥🔥
— Free Agency Frosty (@FrostyTalksFB) March 18, 2024
Zietler, 34, 6-4, 340lbs will be entering his 13th season after being the 27th pick in 2012
He allowed 19 pressures on 574 pass-blocking snaps - a pressure rate of 3.3% (7/78 among Guards)
He was #2 in PFF Pass-Blocking and Top 15 overall)
He was among the very best guards in football in 2023, and he comes into a situation with two other stud iOL players in Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow. The Detroit Lions literally have five strong OL players and do not have a weakness up front. The tackle duo of Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell is arguably the best in the NFL, and their new-look iOL with Zeitler, Ragnow, and Glasgow is quite intimidating.
Brad Holmes has put a huge mark on this roster, and it's for the better. Not only is he making strong and savvy free agency decisions, but he's also hit a home-run in his NFL Drafts as well. Defensively, the team also did improve their DL in free agency, signing DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport. But Holmes didn't stop there, adding more pieces to their secondary, including a trade for CB Carlton Davis.
Man, Holmes has been a near-perfect GM, filling the roster with a ton of young, promising talent and making calculated signings with veteran FAs like Kevin Zeitler.