CBS Sports: The Lions close in to sign a former Cardinals starter for $9 million.

The Detroit Lions were recommended to seek a former Arizona Cardinals starter to provide a seasoned alternative at a position where they presently have some uncertainty.

Right guard will be the site of one of the most intriguing contests during the Detroit Lions’ preseason.

This summer, the club lost Kevin Zeitler to free agency, but they have a plenty of possibilities to take his place.

Last season, Christian Mahogany replaced Zeitler in two starts as a rookie and performed admirably.

Giovanni Manu, who was selected two rounds before Mahogany, is also a member of the team.

They added a few more options to the competition this offseason, selecting Tate Ratledge with their second-round pick and Miles Frazier in the fifth round. This gives them a lot of options to possibly find their starting right guard, but there isn’t a front-runner at the moment.

Devon Platana of Detroit Jock City believes the Lions ought to go for a seasoned free agent at the position in light of this uncertainty.

Platana recently urged the Lions to sign Will Hernandez, a former guard for the Arizona Cardinals.

If the Lions aren’t fully sold on their guard alternatives, Hernandez may be worth a look.

Prior to the knee injury, he only cost the Cardinals $4.5 million year on his previous contract.

Even though he has performed well during his tenure as a Cardinal, he may be even less expensive this summer.

As I stated yesterday when discussing the possibility of the Lions making a trade for Joel Bitonio, there is no way to determine whether this is truly required for the team because the guard alternatives are so unpredictable.

However, Hernandez may be an inexpensive insurance plan to provide the Lions some seasoned depth at the position as they figure out how to move on from Zeitler.