Lions sign veteran offensive lineman Justin Herron to strengthen trenches

The Detroit Lions, following a blowout 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in their preseason opener, have made an addition to their offensive line. The Lions have signed veteran offensive lineman Justin Herron. To make room for Herron on the roster, the Lions cut defensive lineman Raequan Williams.

The New England Patriots drafted Herron with the 195th pick in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Herron has played five seasons in the NFL with the Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, and the New Orleans Saints. Injuries have held back the Wake Forest product, and he is hoping for a fresh start and to thrive with the Lions.

The signing of Herron is a good addition to a Lions offensive line that lost a lot of depth in the offseason. Notable losses to the Lions' offensive line include Kevin Zeitler to the Tennessee Titans and Frank Ragnow retired after seven seasons with Detroit.

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The losses of these two players are a big hit for a Lions' offensive line that was very productive last season. The group's consistency helped lead the offense to a 15-2 regular season record. With both their departures, Lions rookie guard Tate Ratledge will step into a major role in his first season on Detroit's offensive line.

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Detroit also saw one of their offensive linemen getting decent reps in camp suffer an injury during their preseason bout with the Chargers. Dan Skipper, a veteran O-lineman, suffered an ankle injury against Los Angeles which is expected to have him out a week, per head coach Dan Campbell.

Herron will be bringing more veteran experience to the Lions' offensive line, which will be beneficial to Detroit moving forward this season. The Lions have several veteran offensive linemen who have been key contributors in past seasons returning including Graham Glasgow, Taylor Decker, and Skipper.

Penei Sewell and Christian Mahogany are also obvious key pieces to the Lions' offensive line. It remains to be seen what role the Herron will have on the Lions' offensive line, but expect him to see playing time despite his injury history. Herron will see significant reps during the preseason, which will help the Lions decide his role on the offensive line heading into the 2025 season.

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