The Detroit Lions have inked a one-year deal with offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The 29-year-old spent the past two seasons with the New York Giants and was a cap casualty in February.
Lions sign former Giants OL Geoff Schwartz
Detroit has signed a versatile lineman who can be a solid contributor when healthy.
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Schwartz’s time in the Big Apple was an injury-filled nightmare. Signed to a four-year, $16.8 million deal prior to the 2014 season, he did little to live up to that contract. He played in just 13 of 32 games over the past two years and was placed on injured reserved in both 2014 and 2015.
When healthy, Schwartz is a solid run blocker and holds up well in pass protection. Before missing the bulk of the last two seasons, he was considered among the best guards in the league. He has experience at both guard and tackle, too, making him a decent option as a swing lineman or a starter at either position.
Given his injury history and past success, Schwartz is a high-risk, high-reward guy that could prove to be a valuable interior lineman if he can stay on the field. According to Schwartz, he is healthy and eager to contribute in Detroit.
Excited to be the newest member of the @Lions! It's a great opportunity! Healthy and ready to roll! Can't wait to get started
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 30, 2016
The Lions have their starting guards pretty well established in Laken Tomlinson and Larry Warford, but Warford has missed time due to injury, so at the very least, the Lions have brought in a viable backup in Schwartz. It's also possible the team will try Schwartz at tackle, considering his experience at that position. According to Meinke, the Lions expect Schwartz to compete with Michael Ola for the starting right tackle role.
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