Tag: Frank Ragnow

Lions training camp: Five thoughts from Taylor Decker

ALLEN PARK — Taylor Decker’s leadership shows through even when he’s sidelined at training camp following shoulder surgery. The veteran Lions left tackle is expected back on the field in a few weeks.

Decker, who is entering his tenth season, shared a few thoughts on Monday, the second day of camp. Five highlights:

ONE — On the retirement of Frank Ragnow: “I mean he’s as close to an irreplaceable guy as you can get. Side note, I’m happy for him. Over the last couple years, him going through what he’s been going through mentally and physically, it could have happened sooner and I think he stuck it out for us. First and foremost, I’m happy for Frank. When he called me I was sad for myself because he’s my best friend and I’ve only played one full season without him so it’s going to be different . For him, I’m relieved for you. I went to see him a couple days after and it was the right decision. That’s what I was expecting. I’m just happy he was able to arrive at that decision and be at peace with it. … The guy had a phenomenal career, for my money, he should be in the Hall of Fame. He was incredible.’’

TWO — On new offensive coordinator John Morton: “No. 1 he’s been here before so we have a little familiarity with him. He’s bringing his own flavor to things, but also he’s not trying to change everything we’re good at. Maybe we’re going to do (things) a little differently here and there, we’ll tweak it here, a new formation, maybe there’s some things he’s talking to Jared about. There’s going to be new concepts and stuff like that. … With every year there’s going to be new guys playing so you might have to play to their strengths a little bit. Maybe we’ll be a little more heavy in a certain run concept or a certain pass concept, maybe there’s some things we did last year based on self-scouting that we’ll do differently or do less of.’’

THREE — On his leadership role: “The standard is the standard. we’re expected to be one of the top offensive lines in the league. You lose big pieces, but we’ve put those expectations on ourselves and put ourselves in a position where we’re expected to perform a certain way and it doesn’t matter. Maybe a guy’s out and a backup is in, maybe there’s a guy who’s never started games before and he’s playing. The expectation is the expectation and that’s really not going to change. For me personally, especially as I’m getting older I can’t let myself waiver from the expectations, especially in practice. Right now I’m not practicing but when I am back out there I need to do things the right way because if I don’t do things the right way that’s setting a bad example for guys who haven’t gotten to play and I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in if I didn’t handle things as a professional.’’

FOUR — On the mindset of the team after the playoff upset to end last season: “It’s going to sound boring, we just have to get back to work especially with our schedule this year. We earned the right to play in all these games against these really good teams but now we have to show up, now we have to put the work in, you don’t want to go out there and lay an egg. A couple of years ago nobody wanted to watch the Lions, now everybody wants to watch the Lions. Guys want to play here. That’s a testament to the work we put in when not as many people cared. You can’t lose sight of that you have to keep the main thing the main thing.’’

FIVE — On development of second-year offensive lineman Giovanni Manu who didn’t see action as a rookie. “I think he’s starting to get confidence in himself. He’s obviously incredibly physically gifted. It’s been a step up obviously coming from college not only if you come from college in the United States to the NFL but from Canada (University of British Columbia). It’s a step up in competition, having to learn the playbook against really good competition. It just took a little bit. He’s starting to gain some confidence in that. He was out at my gym in Arizona in the offseason. I think all he needs is reps and he’s going to get a lot of reps. I think he’s going to continue to improve. I’m excited to see him get more opportunities in the preseason.’’

(UP NEXT: Day 3 of training camp is Tuesday. The first preseason game is July 31 against the Los Angeles Rams at the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.)

Lions Dan Campbell on Frank Ragnow: He’ll be missed but the train rolls on

ALLEN PARK — Coach Dan Campbell choked up a bit addressing the retirement of veteran Lions center Frank Ragnow..

“Frank’s been an unbelievable teammate, football player, man of the community,’’ Campbell said at his Thursday press conference prior to the final session of OTAs. 

Ragnow, 29, announced earlier this week that he has decided to retire.

“He’ll be missed, but the train rolls on. And it’s the next man up. So we will be ready to go when camp hits. We will be ready to go. We have plenty of versatility there, we like the guys we drafted, we like our free agents that we brought in, the young guys Kingsley being one of those guys among others,’’ Campbell said.

Ragnow, 29, was a first-round draft pick by the Lions in 2018 starting16 games as a rookie. In seven years he started 96 games, missing significant time in 2021.

“I’ve got all the respect for Frank Ragnow, I love him to death. Quite frankly some of this stuff about contract talk is disrespectful, that’s not what this was about,’’ Campbell said. “Love you Frank, appreciate you.’

The coach said he was aware Ragnow was contemplating his future.

“We did our best to give him his space and let him sort it out which he did,’’ Campbell said. “It was kind of one of those, you’re going to come to a decision at some point here, we’d certainly like it before the offseason is out. He did and it was time. 

“Listen, 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,’’ Campbell said. “I respect the hell out of him for the decision, it’s not easy to do. But he knows himself, I’ll always respect that.’’

It was a surprising announcement in one way because Ragnow had one of his best seasons in 2024 and seemed as healthy as he had been in a long time. 

“You’re like, he’s in his prime right now. But if you’re him you have to remember the amount of time and work and details spent on taking care of his body – the rehab that goes into it before he even trains – you’re talking hours and hours,’’ the coach said.

Ragnow is the second starting offensive lineman to leave this offseason. The Lions lost right guard Kevin Zeitler to free agency.

Campbell is confident in the options they have to quickly get up to speed on the line.

“That’s why Hank Fraley is the coach in that room. He’s done a helluva job developing talent. He’s going to get these guys right, whoever it is,’’ Campbell said.

Possibilities include rookies Miles Frazier and Tate Ratledge (second round pick) and Miles Frazier (fifth round). Campbell also mentioned Equakon Kingsley who joined the team as an undrafted free agent center following the 2024 draft.

Graham Glasgow, who started 16 games at left guard last season, has the flexibility to play guard or center. He started all games at center in 2018 and started at center and right guard in 2022.

“We’re going to have options, that’s why we’re excited about training camp. We’re going to find this out, we’re going to let these guys go at it,’’ Campbell said. “We just signed Trystan Colon, there’s another option. Don’t know a lot about him because he just got here. We’re going to have plenty. We still have (Kayode Awosika)  here. We’ve got guys.’’

Lions process fact that their season is over so abruptly after divisional loss

ALLEN PARK — Less than 24 hours after the heart-breaking, divisional round loss, 45-31, to the Commanders, the Lions were cleaning out their lockers and saying goodbye on Sunday. Lots of hugs. A few questions.

As the No. 1 seed the Lions expected to at least make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Now they are going home, garbage bags of locker goodies thrown over their shoulders, like Santa.

Center Frank Ragnow said the process of dealing with the finality of it starts now.

“Try to channel it, use it whether it’s anger, sadness, whatever it is, try to use that as motivation into the offseason,’’ Ragnow said on Sunday.

He said coach Dan Campbell’s message to the team was along those lines. “Never forgetting that feeling of watching them celebrate across the field and listening to them in the locker room, just never forgetting that,” Ragnow said.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill was hobbling through the locker room on crutches. He tore his ACL in the loss to the Bills on Dec. 15 and is recovering from surgery. He said he’s on pace but does not have any type of timeline for returning. He watched the game from home.

“It’s tough, definitely tough. Not what anybody expected this year. We put in a lot of work, we had a goal set for this year, things took a different turn and we’re kind of here and now,’’ McNeill said. “It happens, it’s definitely tough, kind of hard to swallow, nobody knows what to think about it really. It’s definitely tough.’’

It was a team loss with the defense unable to stop Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense unable to hold onto the ball. Teams with five turnovers rarely win a game.

Quarterback Jared Goff had a rough night throwing three interceptions. He was having trouble processing it immediately after the game.

“I think we all look within and that’s part of it, if you get to this level you’re always going to be looking at yourself before you’re pointing fingers and that’s what makes us as good as who we are,’’ Ragnow said. “That’s what makes (Goff) great. He’s going to feel it, it’s going to burn. But we all know everybody on this team had a hand in last night. We as a team just didn’t play well enough to win.’’

It’s all new to rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a sense of shock, it’s a sense of that team they outplayed us that night you have to get back to it and the only way to ease the pain is to get back to the drawing board,’’ Arnold said. “There’s always somebody who’s dealing with something way worse than a lost football game. I love the game of football, I put my life into it, I know my teammates do and I know we’ll be back.’’

No question the current locker room is loaded with young talent, but in the NFL rosters are fluid which may have made Saturday’s loss even harder.

“I would say the hardest part is just knowing the room will be different. Even in the locker room after the game we took time to say, ‘Guys really cherish this  moment in the locker room because it’s going to be different,’’’ Arnold said. “That’s been the hardest thing of being in the NFL, normally in college you go back and see everybody. But the NFL is a business, people get better opportunities which I know they’ll take those, I’m happy they’ll take those. It’s hard because you get close to a person and then they leave.’’

Ragnow, who just finished his seventh season with the Lions, sees a bright future.

“One hundred percent. There’s so many talented dudes in this room, not only talented but the right mindset. Just the right wired guys that are willing to do whatever it takes for their teammates and put it on the line,’’ Ragnow said. “Again, I’m just so grateful to be a part of this locker room because there’s a lot of special dudes.’’

AND THIS: When cornerback Amik Robertson broke his arm early in Saturday’s game, teammate Terrion Arnold was right there on the field. “I thought it was kind of cool that when I was praying over him, Jayden (Daniels) came right there and we prayed over him together,” Arnold said. “It’s one of those things, it’s bigger than football.” Robertson was scheduled to have surgery on Sunday.