Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes did not know exactly when center Frank Ragnow would make the decision to retire, but he had a notion injuries were starting to impact the talented offensive lineman.
During a recent appearance on the Green Light Podcast, Holmes shared his reaction to the news the 29 year-old was hanging it up and what he is looking for in a center.
“He is the best, man, he is the best. When I first got the job, obviously I scouted him coming out and I knew he was a great player. When I got the job, he was the first player that texted me and just reached out. He’s like, ‘Hey man, congratulations.’ He is the all-time warrior, man," Holmes told host Chris Long. "Just a great human being, and he’s going to be sorely missed in our locker room because he fit everything that we were about. I don’t know if you can just replace him because it’s not just the player, it’s the person as well.”
Related: T.J. Lang Proud Frank Ragnow Made Decision to Retire From NFL
In the past couple of seasons, Ragnow had shared he was dealing with an inoperable foot injury that naturally made him start to question his NFL future.
For most weeks, the former Arkansas Razorbacks lineman spent many hours in the training room and not practicing, just to be able to play every week.
“He’s been through a lot, he’s battled a lot. I didn’t know how long it was gonna go in terms of, eventually your body sometimes just can take so much," said Holmes. "And he’s got a family, too, man. When you start talking about long-term view and kids and all that type of stuff. Look, didn’t even play in the NFL and I’ve got a bad back and I’m an old dad with young kids. I have to watch myself bending over to pick them up. I can’t just bend over to pick them up, I need to squat down.
"So, you’re talking about the grind that those guys have to go through, the grind that you went through. That's a different level," Holmes added. "I’ve got the utmost respect, you had a little bit of a sense that maybe it might happen. I didn’t know if it was gonna be this year, if it was gonna be next year, but those are the things you’ve got to think about and try to prepare for.”
Moving forward, Detroit's front office and coaching staff are looking for a center that is intelligent, has an ability to anchor, having speed and agility to get to the second-level i the run game and great instincts.
"It’s a complicated scheme," Holmes noted. "You have a veteran quarterback that has a lot of freedom to do a lot of different things, so you have to stay up to speed, man.”
