Life after Frank Ragnow: Lions start O-line remodel

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Dan Campbell knows things will be different for his Detroit Lions without Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow, but the head coach has a plan.

After seven NFL seasons, Ragnow delivered a bombshell as he announced his retirement at age 29 on social media Monday, leaving the Lions to figure out what’s next.

The coaching staff is adapting quickly.

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“He will be sorely missed, but man, this train rolls on. And it’s the next man up,” Campbell said ahead of Thursday’s practice. “So, we will be ready to go when camp hits.

“We’ve got plenty of versatility up there. We like the guys that we drafted. We like our free agents that we brought in,” he said. “The young guys. Kingsley [Eguakun] being one of those guys among others. So, I’ve got all the respect for Frank Ragnow and I love him to death.”

Without Ragnow, the Lions could tinker with a few options throughout training camp before arriving at a decision.

Detroit could plug in the aforementioned Eguakun, a second-year center, or try out draft picks Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier. The Lions also have veteran Graham Glasgow, who has the capability to play both guard and center.

Ratledge was spotted taking first-team reps at center Thursday, which was the last day of the Lions’ offseason program before training camp in July, although several players were limited or absent.

Detroit also signed veteran Trystan Colon to a free agent deal this week. He adds depth to the middle of the offensive line after starting seven games for the Arizona Cardinals last season.

“It’s a tremendous loss,” Lions veteran offensive lineman Dan Skipper of Ragnow’s retirement. “You can’t minimize that loss. That puts a huge load on everyone else because he shows up every day. He’s the first one in the film room, knocking on the door, figuring out the game plan. All the weird looks, the weird calls that you fall into, that’s on someone else now. He’s not here, so collectively as a unit, whoever’s playing center, they’ve got to do that.”

Without Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler, who signed with the Tennessee Titans, the Lions will have to replace 40% of a starting offensive line that was on the field for the second-most points and touchdowns of any five-man unit in the NFL last season, per ESPN Research. That won’t be easy.

“It’s different knowing that Frank’s out of the fold now. It is. I hate to use the word unsettling, but there is acknowledgement like, OK, so that’s where we’re at. And now, we need growth,” Campbell said. “We need development quickly and that’s why [offensive line coach] Hank Fraley’s the coach in that room. He’s done a hell of a job developing talent and he’s going to get these guys right — whoever it is.”

Although Campbell, the organization and several teammates knew that Ragnow was contemplating retirement, it still wasn’t easy to come to grips with such a pivotal player on the offensive line walking away after earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2024, as the team reached a franchise-season-best 15 wins. The Lions did mention that they would like for him to reach a decision before the end of the offseason, and he complied.

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After dealing with an extensive list of injuries during his career, such as a partially torn pectoral muscle, fractured throat, as well as ongoing serious toe injuries, it certainly made sense.

“I knew after the season that it was kind of up in the air on if he was going to come back,” Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “I talked to him the last day when we were cleaning out lockers and I told him I’m proud of him, whatever he decides to do, we’re going to be behind him and support him.

“Obviously, selfishly we would’ve loved for him to come back and play 10 more seasons, but we knew that wasn’t going to happen.”

Even after retiring, Ragnow still has the utmost respect from his locker room.

“I have tons of respect just because of how he went about his business every day,” St. Brown said. “He came to work, was dang-near the first guy in the building every day and was going through all those injuries but never really missed any time while I was here besides maybe my rookie year when he had surgery on his toe.

“I remember he hurt his knee, got surgery and played the next week, so he’s a warrior, and you’d like to think he’s replaceable, but he’s probably irreplaceable.”

He was one of two centers selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons, along with Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey.

Ragnow started 16 games last season, sitting out only Week 4 against the Seattle Seahawks because of a partially torn pectoral muscle.

“Whenever you know it’s your time, it is the right time because it’s not fair to him and it’s not fair to his teammates or anybody else. So, I respect the hell out of him for the decision,” Campbell said. “It’s not easy to do. But he knows himself and I will always respect that.”