When the All -Pro Frank Ragno Center announced its retirement, many fans and football analysts were caught off guard – but were the Lions of Detroit?
Some will indicate the time of Rugnow’s retirement on Monday, noting that this happened after the free agency and the project, and says that it has rendered the wrong service by not allowing them to prepare for his departure. However, when you think about the off -season and reconsider the team’s messages – both in the media and thanks to their actions, that is to say, writing two interior offensive lines – it seems that the Lions were aware of this possibility and provided that the team operates at a high level.
Let us examine some quotes and decisions that the Lions have taken this offseason to see if we can gain clarity.
Advice on the future of Glasgow
Reflecting at the end of March at the owners’ meetings, the Lions Dan Campbell coach was questioned on Graham Glasgow’s play in Guard and his future with the organization. Here are some protruding points of what he said (Editor’s note: the author has put all the daring accent throughout this article):
“But Graham is someone we always appreciate because he has versatility … He can also play in the center. I think people forget that some. Man, He can do a great job in the centerIn fact … we trust him. And there again, the fact that you know that it can play all the positions, guy, which allows you to breathe easily.
At the time, Campbell’s answer was somewhat confusing, because most of the questions surrounding Glasgow were centered on him playing a guard, the coach continued to return to his ability to play in the center. Right now, we have hypothesized if Campbell suggested that Glasgow could go to a reserve role. But with hindsight, Campbell may have unconsciously given us an index that they may need Glasgow to play in the center this season.
When Campbell was questioned about the Glasgow from left Glasgow to the right guard, he was deliberately vague, suggesting that they would discover him in the camp.
“I don’t know. It’s a thought, guy. We talked about it. Go back to the right and is it (Christian) in mahogany Let these guys compete And see where they are.
While Glasgow certainly seems to be the forerunner of the departure center station, the Lions will hold a competition to see who can win the position. But even if the role goes to another player, this post-nfl-nfl recovery quote from director general Brad Holmes suggests that the veteran offensive line player will always be a massive part of the organization in 2025.
“I think he’s going to be very precious. And again, you are talking about another which has become legitimate, Positional versatility In addition, so just with your experience, having legitimate stripes on the wall, happy that we always have it and I think it can help many of these young guys. »»
“Versatility” was a keyword that Holmes and Campbell used throughout the offseason – and really their mandates in Detroit – and it was clearly a critical line that they were looking for when they started their youth movement on the offensive line.
Target Tate RATLEDGE
Ratledge played more than 2,000 university snaps at the right guard, but only four in the left guard – and did not have shots in the center or in a tackle in Georgia. But like most elite college programs, Ratledge was trained in several positions in several positions. Here is an extract from the Post-Draft interview with Ratledge discussing his cross training:
“”The camp last fall, I took a lot of shots in the center. Just as I can imagine going to the left, I mean, it was a big transition. I had to get used to it. It took me a few days. I think, in the end, many of the same rules apply. It is simply a question of determining different games of legs, placement of the hands, how to define people and how to execute blocks of blocks. It is simply a question of understanding different techniques and how to perfect those with different positions. »»
Although it is inexperienced during the pivot, Ratledge is really a team player and is ready to do everything you need to help the organization.
“”I’m here to do everything that helps the team win. I am a team player from start to finish … I just want a chance to compete and a chance to go there and do my best every day. “”
Thanks to the minicamp recruit and week 1 of organized team activities (OTA), Ratledge had his chance to compete by taking the majority of his photos in the center in order to continue his familiarity with the position.
Here is the coach of the Lions offensive line, Hank Fraley, spoke of the Ratledge exhibition in the center:
“”The center is not yet so natural for himSo you certainly tend to give it more repetitions to this, slamming the ball, making it more comfortable … It will become natural for him. I thought what he had done in the minicamp recruit was good enough, for managing this. Our centers, as in the whole league, they do a lot. They have a lot on their plates. They are like quarters of this line O. They have established a lot of protections, a lot of calls and they work head-on with the QB. Over time, he will make him fall and become a fairly good center here. I know he can bend to keep.
Fraley suggesting with confidence that Ratledge will become comfortable to work from the pivot is not by accident. If we are thinking about what Holmes said about Ratledge after the cog, we will notice that it has strongly emphasized the versatility of Ratledge.
“I do not think that enough to say about this level of football in which he played … but he has a little more versatility. He got up more over the process because of his versatility that we were able to know a little more. I thought he would integrate like a glove here.
When he was asked to compare the style of play “Dirtbag” from Ratledge and Christian Mahany, Holmes, once again, focused on the versatility of the recruit.
“Just like in mahogany corresponding to what we are looking for, Tate corresponds to what we are looking for … It is hard, it is physical, it is much more athletic than you think, and It has much more versatility than people do itAnd this is where he really, really increased the process for us. »»
Although Holmes clearly thinks that Ratledge has potential versatility to play in the center, it is also very aware that they will need Fraley to help him make themselves comfortable with the whole position.
“Hank (Fraley), he will train all these guys. He will transform all these guys, so If they were not at the guard, he will put a ball between their legs and see if they can break… He will therefore be able to assess if they have the right makeup and good mentality and good communication skills. This is a large part of just – it is not just being able to break, I mean, you must have skills in elite communication. »»
The decline is 20/20
Although the Lions were probably not sure that Ragnet had to retire in 2025, their actions and declarations clearly indicate that they had planned the possibility.
It was not entirely clear at the time, but on each opportunity to discuss Glasgow, Holmes and Campbell concentrated their responses on its positional versatility and their self -confidence to contribute in 2025 – as well as to help young interior offensive line players adapt to the NFL.
Lions also believe that Ratledge has intelligence, athletics and versatility to go to the center – even if it is not in 2025 – while strongly indicating that they believe that Fraley is an elite coach who can help facilitate this movement.
In addition, although it may seem that the moment of the announcement of Rugnow’s retirement left the Lions in a difficult situation, it should be noted that its decision to wait until June 2 allowed the team to distribute its salary ceiling in a more suitable team. This suggests that the team was informed of their decision before their announcement, and they probably asked him to wait until June 2 to help the organization.
So, how do things go?
We will have to wait for the training camp to see the final results, but the decline suggests that the Lions have planned accordingly and have put several eventualities in place of Rugnot’s retirement.
