The Detroit Lions were dealt a surprising blow on Monday when center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement. The seven-year veteran was approaching his age-29 season but decided to hang up the cleats as he battled over his contract with the team.
Ragnow’s departure leaves a massive hole in the middle of the offensive line. While the Lions have had draft picks Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier cross-train at center during OTAs, they could still be in the market for an established veteran to help ease that transition.
Unfortunately, the rest of the NFL knows this and could be looking to take advantage of the situation. That includes one AFC team that could be holding a trade candidate hostage and looking to fleece Brad Holmes and company as they look for a new starter.
Texans Could Be Trade Partner for Lions Following Frank Ragnow’s Retirement
Chat Sports host Jeremy Beadling covers the Houston Texans and ran down their starting offensive line on his YouTube channel Monday afternoon. While listing Jake Andrews as the starting center, he wondered aloud whether Ragnow’s retirement means the Texans could make reserves Juice Scruggs or Jarrett Patterson available as the team gets closer to training camp.
“Losing Frank Ragnow is a pretty big deal for Detroit, especially after the 2025 draft,” Beadling said. “The Texans have an exorbitant amount of centers on the roster, right? Jake Andrews is reportedly the starting center for the Texans coming out of OTAs. But all these positions, like I always say, are written in pencil, in chalk. Any of these guys are replaceable, but you also have Juice Scruggs, Jarrett Patterson, Eli Cox, the undrafted free agent from Kentucky, but the Texans could be a trade partner with the Detroit Lions for one of these centers on their roster, especially if Jake Andrews is starting and Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson aren’t in the starting lineup. You’d have to imagine Detroit would at least call the Texans and ask about their availability if they are seriously considering looking for outside options at that looking for outside options for that center spot to replace Frank Ragnow.”
The Texans’ stockpile of centers makes them a logical trade partner, but also comes with some caveats. Houston has made rebuilding the offensive line a priority this season and may want to keep depth in case one option doesn’t pan out. Scruggs also has positional versatility as he’s spent time at guard in the past. But neither Scruggs or Patterson, who spent time at center last season, are in the starting lineup ahead of OTAs and Houston could see this as an opportunity to add some draft capital from a desperate team.
In the end, this could come down to how Ratledge, Frazier and the rest of the Lions solve their center problem. Dan Campbell also hinted that Graham Glasgow could also see time at the position with Michael Niese and Kingley Eguakun on the roster. Regardless, Detroit will have to figure something out and that will play out in the months leading up to the season.