Detroit’s summer exodus continues, as starter center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement.
Despite being only 29, the four-time Pro Bowler resorted to social media to declare the end of his NFL career.
He remarked, “These past few months have been tremendously tough as I’ve come to realize that my football career is coming to an end and I’m formally retiring from the NFL. I’ve tried to tell myself that I’m feeling fine, but I’m not, and it’s time to prioritize my health and my family’s future.”
Playing Hurt.
Ragnow has been playing through agony due to an inoperable toe injury for the previous few seasons. There were rumors last offseason that he might retire, but he decided to play one more year in Detroit.
Ragnow is one of the few current Detroit Lions players who was taken before Dan Campbell, in 2018 under the ill-fated Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn regimes. He was a standout on some terrible clubs and he may at least retire following several excellent years.
Clearly, this is not ideal for the Detroit Lions’ offense. They had already lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and now they had lost one of their most seasoned and skilled players.
The Lions’ famed offensive line was a team strength, but the inside was already looking barren after Kevin Zeitler left in free agency. Now it appears to be a possible weakness, which is particularly alarming given Jared Goff’s reliance on the protection in front of him.
Staying Prepared
This is a fact that Brad Holmes has planned for, since the offensive line has been severely targeted in the last two selections. Most notably, they selected guard Tate Ratledge from Georgia with their second-round choice. He appears to be a potential immediate replacement for Ragnow, since Ratledge has been spotted taking snaps at center during OTAs.
Along with him, they’ve picked Miles Frazier in the fifth round this year, Giovanni Manu in the fourth last year, and Christian Mahogany in the sixth. Mahogany is the most likely to start this year, having performed effectively in limited snaps last season.
Graham Glasgow, a veteran, was a possible cut candidate after a poor performance last season. However, he has played centre before, most recently in 2019 during Frank Ragnow’s rookie season.
While Detroit was prepared, this still hurts. However, every team that has lost an excellent center in the last 15 months has won the Super Bowl. So, who knows.
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