Author: Paula Pasche

ALLEN PARK — The Lions addressed their need for a running back by drafting Kerryon Johnson from Auburn in the second round on Friday night.

Detroit made a deal with the Patriots to move up to 43rd to grab Johnson by giving up their fourth-round pick and the 51st overall pick in the second round.
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Lions GM Bob Quinn said he knew there was going to be a run on running backs in the second round, and Johnson was the guy they wanted so he wanted to move up. It’s become quite common for him to trade with the Patriots, his former team. He said it’s just easier to make deals with people he knows.

Johnson had 285 carries for 1,391 yards (4.88 yards per carry) with 18 touchdowns last season. He also had 24 catches for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Johnson ranks seventh best at Auburn with a kick return average of 25.12 yards.

Quinn said Johnson is a patient runner but accelerates when he sees the hole and knows how to finish.

“The (Lions) said be ready to go to work. It’s an extreme honor, it’s a great football team, I’m ready to go in and get to work,” Johnson said in a conference call on Friday night.

Coincidentally enough, he said one of his favorite running backs to watch is Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. “When you watch Barry Sanders, what’s not to like? He’s a fantastic running back, he’s a fantastic guy, he’s extremely exciting to watch, extremely hard to tackle,” Johnson said. “I wish I was alive at the time to get to watch him in person … Going to the same organization as him is awesome it’s like a dream come true,” Johnson said.

Johnson was the SEC’s offensive player of the year in 2017 and thinks playing in the SEC could help him take the big step from college ball to the NFL.

“The competition and the speed of the game is as close as you’re going to get to the NFL. Hopefully that helps with the learning curve and helps me succeed at the next level,” Johnson said.

Other than his pre-draft visit, Johnson said he’s never been to Detroit. He sounds excited about making the move.

(Photo courtesy of Auburn)

NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock ranked Johnson, 6-foot and 212 pounds, as the seventh best running back in the draft and projected he would be drafted in the second or third round. “He’s kind of a leggy, jump-cut guy. Good athlete, finishes runs, but I see him somewhere late two to mid-three,” Mayock said.

Johnson was Alabama’s Mr. Football in 2015 with 25 touchdowns as a senior and was also all-state in basketball.

The Lions had the NFL’s worst running game in 2017 averaging just 76.3 rushing yards per game. They drafted offensive lineman Frank Ragnow in the first round who should also help the run game.

ALLEN PARK — Frank Ragnow couldn’t be more excited to be a Detroit Lion.

His excitement was evident at an introductory press conference late on Friday afternoon.

He started by saying, “I’m Frank Ragnow and I’m so, so excited to be here.”

The offensive lineman was bear-hugged by coach Matt Patricia as he took the podium to take questions.

“He’s amazing, you can tell he really has passion for football and I think I’m the same way. I’m just so, so excited to play for such a brilliant football mind and such a great coach,’’ Ragnow said.

Here are seven things to know about Ragnow:

1. He got a congratulatory text from Matthew Stafford on Friday morning and was so much in awe that he called him “Mr. Stafford.” The quarterback would have none of that. Stafford told him he was happy to have him on board and is excited to win some ball games with him. Stafford should be thrilled to get more protection on the offensive line. It’s unclear whether Ragnow will play at center or left guard.

2. Finishing — putting another man on his back against his will —  is his favorite part of the game. “I’ve always taken pride in — you can control, you control your work ethic. Your finishing isn’t going to be about your talent, it’s not about your athleticism, it’s about your want-to and that’s what you can control,’’ Ragnow said.

3. He played for Arkansas so faced amazing talent weekly. He remembers going against his new teammate A’Shawn Robinson who played for Alabama. “I remember he looked 40,’’ Ragnow said. Nailed it.

4. Ragnow was genuinely surprised to be drafted by the Lions who had interviewed him at the NFL Draft Combine and had not talked to him since. “That was really early in the process, you didn’t know anything. It was pretty cool just getting to interview with all the teams. Now I’m a Detroit Lion and I couldn’t be more excited,’’ said Ragnow who grew up in Minnesota as a Vikings fan.

5. He is admittedly a football junky so knew quite a bit about the Lions offensive line. He tried not to pay attention to the plethora of mock drafts. “When you’ve got Facebook and a mother who’s very proud and trying to tag you in everything and trying to show you everything sometimes you can’t avoid it,’’ Ragnow said. “I tried to stay away from it and keep a level head.’’

6. His senior season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury which required surgery. It’s fine now and he cannot wait to get on the football field. “The draft process is a long process especially toward the end here it’s a lot of waiting, a lot of wondering,’’ Ragnow said. “And when you’re training you’re training to run a 40-yard dash which I don’t plan on doing that every again.’’

7. He’s a fisherman so is thrilled to be moving to the Detroit area for obvious reasons. “There’s some great fishing and hunting around here, I’m happy to be here,” Ragnow said. His best fishing buddy was his dad Jon, who died of a heart attack in 2016. He grew up in Minnesota and his family has a fishing cabin in Canada.

Matt MIllen is suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease, and may need a heart transplant.

The former Detroit Lions president and chief executive officer has revealed his illness in an interview with Mark Wogenrich of the Morning Call.

Amyloidosis occurs when abnormal proteins called amyloids, produced in the bone marrow, build up in organs or tissue. Though there’s no cure, amyloidosis is treatable with chemotherapy (similar to multiple myeloma) to stop cell growth, according to the report.

“Doctors have said he needs a heart transplant, since his is working at about 30 percent of capacity. He has undergone chemotherapy most every Monday for eight months, and the side effects usually linger until Wednesday,’’ according to the story.

Millen was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in July after living with symptoms (chest pain, shortness of breath) for six years. By then, the disease, which has no cure but is treatable, had affected Millen’s heart to the point that a transplant became necessary, per Wogenrich.

His next step is visiting Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles for a second round of transplant evaluation. next week, according to the story.

Millen was hired by the Lions 2001 and fired in week 4 of the 2008 NFL season. His eight-year tenure led to the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31-84, a .270 winning percentage). Millen was the architect of the 2008 Lions who became the first NFL team to go 0-16.

Millen, who played at Penn State, won four Super Bowls while playing for the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins.

He plans to return to the broadcast booth in the fall.