Frank Ragnow impresses at Detroit Lions organized team activities
By Ash Thompson
Frank Ragnow has a focal role in the Detroit Lions revamped rushing attack. Will he play on the focal point of the entire offense in 2018?
The ability of Frank Ragnow to immediately step onto the field is one of the keys to the Detroit Lions season in 2018. The team’s first-round pick is the centerpiece of an effort to fix the running game that has been broken since the late 1990s. Lions fans are well aware of the last year the team had a thousand yard rusher or a 100 yard rushing game from a player. Broadcasters will not let anyone forget that it was 2013. It is only fair that we all wonder how the rejuvination effort seems to be going thus far in the 2018 offseason.
Early reviews are positive, at least from the head coach. Matt Patricia said of Ragonow: “I think he’s done a great job. He comes in and works extremely hard.” That is exactly the kind of first impression that we all hope for a top 20 pick to make with the head coach. Picking up the nuances of an NFL playbook, and adjusting to the elevated level of play requires hard work and dedication. many rookies look lost and confused in their first NFL practices.
“I haven’t noticed that at all” Patricia said regarding whether the rookie looked out of place. Ragnow seems to be fitting in with his new peers. “You know what’s good, when you see and go out in practice and you don’t particularly notice that there’s a guy that is a young player or not. He just kind of fits in and plays” Patricia elaborated, “you’re not really looking at it and saying ‘That’s out of place.'”
There has been rampant speculation regarding where Ragnow will start his career for the Lions. Patricia did his best to douse the flames on twitter about how important a few pictures of practices were. “You’ll see guys all over the place today, we’re not in game plan mode,” the head coach told the assembled beat writers. “We’re just kind of in a learning mode and a fundamental mode. We’re just trying to see how much they can handle in all different spots.”
Matthew Stafford also likes what he has seen from Ragnow. “He’s been in there some and doing a nice job,” said the team’s quarterback. “He’s got a lot to learn, both from our offense standpoint, but situationally aspects of the NFL, how to survive in this league.”
“It’s a very mental position,” Stafford responded later to a question about whether he preferred to have a veteran center. “The more experiences these guys have the better they can be. There is a lot that goes into it, and the more familiar you are with the NFL and all that, just how schemes are played, and how defenses are played, what you’re trying to do on offense.”
According to Kyle Meinke of mlive.com, Ragnow lined up exclusively at left guard with the starting offense yesterday. He believes denizens of Allen Park believe Glasgow is the Lions long term center. Ragnow himself is apparently fine with that. “Wherever they put me,” he said, “I’m going to be happy there.”
Next: Detroit Lions improved running game will affect Matthew Stafford
Don’t completely discount the possibility of Ragnow starting in the middle though. “You see guys step in as rookies and play at an All-Pro level too. So, we’ll see.” Stafford admitted. The team is spending their OTAs looking for Ragnow’s best fit within their offensive line group. Whether that is center or one of the guard positions remains to be determined.