Larry Warford, offensive guard, Detroit Lions
The going rate for an above-average guard may make Larry Warford too costly for the #Lions: https://t.co/mb2Jnibg7W
— Pride of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) January 18, 2017
Offensive guards don’t get a lot of love from the national media. In fact, the only time you hear about many of them on Sundays is if they’ve just committed a holding penalty that negates a big play. That doesn’t mean they don’t hold immense value.
Warford is the first of two offensive guards who show up on this list. His ability to protect quarterback Matthew Stafford on passing downs is extremely underrated, and he’s one of the best run-blocking guards the Lions have had in ages.
Already with four years of experience, the 25-year-old road grader has already made it clear he loves Detroit while keeping his options open in free agency.
“I have my family to think about, too,” Warford said, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I’m starting up a family, so that’s going to factor in. There are going to be a lot of factors in it, but I’m not thinking too much about it right now. I just want to get my mind off of football for a while, recharge and get ready to hit this offseason pretty good.”
Detroit isn’t the only team that needs a top-notch guard. There are plenty of others, including ones with some huge cap space to work with. The Lions very well could see their best offensive guard walk in free agency this year, which doesn’t bode well for the team’s running game or its franchise passer.