Injuries have decimated the Detroit Lions this season, as they currently have 10 players on the injured reserve. Of those 10, three have come on the offensive line, which, outside of Penei Sewell, has been shaky all season.
This, combined with their underwhelming performance this season, led three-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow to un-retire and rejoin the team. However, a failed physical halted a desperate need for reinforcements. Even though he was unable to play this year, the Lions appear open to bringing Ragnow back if he chooses to return, based on comments from offensive line coach Hank Fraley, per The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy.
"If he wanted to be back, that door's open," Fraley said about Ragnow.
While the return of Ragnow would be music to all Lions’ fans' ears, they cannot bank on him to be their savior.
Lions Cannot Rely on Frank Ragnow to Improve Offensive Line
Despite all the injuries to marquee players, the worst thing to happen to the Lions this season was being without Ragnow. His surprise retirement in June gave the Lions practically no time to find a quality replacement, as the free agency period and the draft were well over. This forced them to turn in-house to Graham Glasgow.
While Glasgow hasn’t been great, allowing 16 pressures and eight quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus, he’s done a fine job considering he moved from playing left guard to center. Although they’ve remained one of the top offenses in the league, numerous injuries to the offensive line have exposed the Lions' lack of depth.
This was hidden during Ragnow’s final few years, as he missed just three games in the last three years. Not only that, but he was also arguably one of, if not the best, center in the league.
Last year, his 85.3 PFF grade and 90.8 run blocking grade ranked third out of 43 centers. Ragnow’s elite skillset as a run blocker was a vital part of the Lions’ success in the run game, as they ranked sixth in both rushing yards per game (146.4) and yards per carry (4.7) last season.
While it’s hard to find a replacement for someone who plays such an important role in the team’s success, the Lions cannot rely on him to be their savior. Although Ragnow had desires to return this season, those aspirations could be gone now with his grade-three hamstring strain.
Depending on the severity of the injury, Ragnow would potentially have to get surgery and spend a chunk of the offseason rehabbing from it. Why should the Lions want to depend on this?
If the Lions were to leave the door open for Ragnow to return, they would be counting on a nearly 30-year-old who has missed over a year of football to boost their offensive line.
While it would be a boost to the line to have Ragnow back, the Lions would just be pushing their lack of depth problem into the next season. With the numerous injuries and failure to find quality backup linemen, the Lions shouldn’t rely on Ragnow's return and should instead emphasize both free agency and the draft to address the problem.