On December 3, the Detroit Lions’ starting center Frank Ragnow suffered an injury that seemed to have a good early prognosis. With Ragnow, though, they are hardly out of the woods yet. The Lions shouldn’t be opposed to bolstering their offensive line’s depth either. The NFL staff at Bleacher Report stated that the Lions ought to consider veteran guard Gabe Jackson in free agency because of these factors.
The staff of Bleacher Report stated, “The Lions moved Graham Glasgow to center and started rookie Colby Sorsdal at guard after Ragnow suffered a leg injury in New Orleans.” It would be wise to have a veteran on standby in case Ragnow needs to miss further time, especially with Halapoulivaati Vaitai already on injured reserve.
Additionally, Jackson should blend in nicely in the Motor City because he has made a career out of physically stopping opponents.
Jackson is a ten-year NFL player. He had started at least 11 games each year since 2014 before this season.
Jackson signed a five-year, $55 million contract with the Oakland Raiders in 2017.
How the Lions Could Use Gabe Jackson
Pro Football Focus’ player grades indicate that Jackson has demonstrated proficiency in both run and pass blocking at different stages of his career. However, the PFF player grades from the previous two seasons support the BR staff’s assertion that Jackson is a superior run blocker.
For the previous two seasons, Jackson blocked for the Seattle Seahawks. In terms of rushing yards, Seattle ranked 11th in 2021 and 18th in 2022.
With youngster Colby Sorsdal starting at center and Graham Glasgow at center, the Lions probably have faith in their lineup. Jackson has no prior experience playing center.
However, the Lions would be adding Jackson to their guard corps in addition to Sorsdal. In other words, extra depth in case there are any additional injuries.
Similar to how they signed 36-year-old defensive end Bruce Irvin to their practice squad in November, the Lions may attempt to sign Jackson. In Week 13, Irvin made his Lions debut and performed admirably, collecting a sack.
In the 2014 NFL draft, Jackson was selected with the 81st overall pick in the third round. Before going on to play for the Seahawks in 2021, he spent seven seasons with the Raiders.
Throughout his NFL career, Jackson has started 130 games.
Frank Ragnow of the Lions Handling One More Injury
Almost the whole 2023 season, Ragnow has been playing with pain. He left in Week 13 due to a knee ailment.
during first, the injury prognosis didn’t seem promising, but head coach Dan Campbell gave a more upbeat report during the news conference following the game.
Following the game, Campbell remarked, “At first, coming off, it was sounding like one thing, and then after the fact, it sounded like something maybe a little bit different.” “One sounds more positive, the other wasn’t as good.”
Jackson will undoubtedly be more necessary if Ragnow’s injury is thought to be more serious. Due to a back injury, guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai is already out of action for the Lions.
However, it wouldn’t hurt to think about adding Jackson to the Lions. Jackson might give Detroit’s offensive line’s interior some excellent depth.
