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Detroit Lions Sign Veteran OL Ben Bartch. What's His Role?

Detroit Lions have added additional offensive line depth.
John Maakaron|
Former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Ben Bartch (78) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium
Former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Ben Bartch (78) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have made the decision to sign veteran offensive lineman Ben Bartch to the 2026 roster.

A former fourth-round draft pick, Bartch recently had a stint with the San Francisco 49ers (2023-2025).

Since 2020, the former Jaguars and 49ers lineman has started 24 games and has the versatility to play both guard positions.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed his 2025 season, as a foot sprain and an ankle injury limited him to only six games last season.

Detroit has made a concerted effort to add depth along the offensive line this offseason, adding center Cade Mays, Juice Scruggs and Larry Borom.

Left tackle Taylor Decker asked for his release, which the team expressed they were prepared for, given the back and forth nature of their discussions with the former first-round NFL draft pick.

Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge are the expected starting guards, but Miles Frazier also has the opportunity to factor into the guard rotation this season.

Moving on from David Montgomery

Appearing on the "Lions Collective" podcast, general manager Brad Holmes was asked about veteran David Montgomery and the decision to trade him to the Houston Texans.

 "It was pretty it was evident that there were less touches that he had last season. And look, a lot of it is not just him. It's how Jahmyr (Gibbs) has ascended," said Holmes. "So me and David's agent, we all had, and David, we all had really healthy dialogue. We just kind of thought it was best for all parties. It was right after the end of the season that we decided, let's just see if we can get the proper return.

"I told his agent, 'Look, this guy's a good player, man. Like, we're not just giving him away, you know.' So we were happy with the return that we got. I'm happy for David, but I think he's in a good spot," Holmes added. "But that's going to be not only a loss of just the player, but he was such an impact on our locker room from a leadership standpoint, our culture. It was all healthy dialogue. There was never any bad blood or anything. And I think it worked out well for both parties."

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John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

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