Detroit Lions Mailbag: Did Frank Ragnow screw over the Lions?
Answering Lions fans’ burning off-season questions.
We’re fully into the off-season for the Detroit Lions, so it’s time to check the temperature a little bit and do our first offseason mailbag. Let’s see what’s on the minds of Lions fans.
What happened with Frank Ragnow?
Let’s start by saying that I don’t think anything went sideways between the Lions and Ragnow. I think it’s fairly simple that he felt the itch many retired players feel, and he tried to come back, likely getting hurt in the process of training for it.
From there, he probably decided that this was a sign that he needed to just stay retired. I think maybe Brad Holmes’ choice of words, mainly saying the Lions and Ragnow were going their separate ways, might have made it feel like something else. I don’t think there’s any bad blood whatsoever.
By the way, if Ragnow does decide to give it a go in 2026, the Lions still own his rights. So if he comes out of retirement, it won’t be for another team.
The part Lions fans are kind of upset about is that Ragnow waited till after the draft to tell the team that he was retiring. This has grown this feeling on social media that Ragnow totally screwed over the Lions and didn’t give them enough time to prepare. I don’t think that’s accurate. As Holmes noted, there were breadcrumbs along the way. The Lions knew he was considering it.
Even if Ragnow had told them right after the season, there wasn’t a whole lot the Lions could have done about it. There was only one center worth going after in free agency, and there were essentially none in the draft. Sure, the Lions could have been in on Drew Dalman, but if they didn’t get him, they’d be in the same situation they’re in now.
So no, I don’t think Ragnow screwed the Lions over, and I don’t think advanced notice would have really changed anything.
Should the Lions trade the 17th pick?
If I were Holmes, I would absolutely trade down this year. Not out of the first round, but into the 20s somewhere. There will be a team that wants to move up for someone, and they’re probably willing to give up their first and third to do it. The Lions need to find a way to get a third-round pick, in my opinion. That way, they don’t have a huge gap between their second-round and fourth-round picks.
If the Lions stay at 17, grabbing one of the Utah tackles or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor is the way to go. Although I think if they got into the 20s, they can still do that.
Who is the best center in the 2026 NFL Draft?
I loved Auburn’s Connor Lew, but he tore his ACL, and that took the best center in the draft out. Now I think the best guy out there is Florida’s Jake Slaughter. A three-year starter at center for the Gators, and he’s only allowed 22 pressures and four sacks in that time in the SEC. That’s not bad at all. He’s our 68th-ranked player on our big board, so the Lions could probably net him in the second round.
As for some other guys to watch, Alabama’s Parker Brailsford and Iowa’s Logan Jones are two other guys I like. I do expect the Lions to try their hand in free agency or a trade before the draft, though.
How do the Lions handle things with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch?
I expect it to be a combination of hoping everything will be OK and the draft. There’s a lot of assuming going on with Branch and Joseph right now, and it’s all worst-case-scenario type stuff.
We don’t know how bad Branch’s tear was or what surgery he had. There are surgeries out there now that could have a guy back in five months. I know the internet doctors told everyone that Joseph’s knee is going to fall clean off his body, but they’ve never treated him, and I walked away from Holmes’ end-of-season presser feeling more positive about Joseph’s injury than ever before.
On top of that, the Lions have something with Thomas Harper. He’s a capable starter in the meantime. Still, I do believe more depth is a good thing, and that could lead the Lions to draft a safety fairly high. I don’t think any major free agent signing is coming there or that it’s needed.
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