Report: Detroit Lions hosting veteran center Evan Boehm for visit

Dealing with offensive line depth issues, the Lions hosted a veteran who could help.

The Detroit Lions are hosting veteran center Evan Boehm, according to a report from NFL insider Aaron Wilson.

Boehm was drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He started in nine games over two seasons there before the team waived him in final cuts during the 2018 preseason. Over the next two years, he started 12 more games—four with the Colts, eight with the Dolphins. Last year, he jumped around the practice squads of the Bills and Jaguars but never made it onto the field.

The Lions are in serious need of depth on their offensive line for training camp. They are currently missing both Evan Brown (Non-Football Injury list) and Evan Heim (reserve/COVID-19 list), leaving them with just three depth players on the interior: Drake Jackson, Logan Stenberg, and Tommy Kraemer. Through two practices, they’ve had to make offensive tackles Tyrell Crosby and Matt Nelson play double duty and slide inside for second and third-team reps.

Boehm would not only give them depth and experience, if signed, but he also brings a fair amount of versatility. In his 2019 season with the Dolphins, he played all three interior offensive line spots: center, left guard, and right guard.

The Lions currently have one open spot on their roster, something that head coach Dan Campbell said was in case of emergency.

“If something happens, and we need a spot now, that is the reason we have it,” Campbell said on Thursday. “If we need a corner, we can slide him in right now. That’s kind of what it was so we didn’t have to go through, ‘Who are we cutting now?’”

Boehm also visited the New York Giants this week.