The impact of Frank Ragnow's retirement from the Detroit Lions is being felt all across the National Football League.
Outside of Detroit, former teammates and coaches have expressed what the talented offensive lineman was like, both on and off the field.
Sports Illustrated senior NFL insider Albert Breer spoke to former Lions GM Bob Quinn, former head coach Matt Patricia and former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson about the impact of Ragnow on the Lions and their reactions to his retirement.
Patricia, who coached the Lions from 2018-2020, expressed he still has a strong relationship with the former Arkansas Razorbacks offensive lineman.
“The thing is, he’s so authentic,” Patricia explained. “He’s one of those guys, offensive linemen are all big and tough, but he’s also a sensitive guy, he’s an emotional guy, he relates to people. My relationship with him is still really strong; we’re well-connected. There’s a lot … we have a lot there that we went through together, we care for each other pretty deeply.”
Detroit's former general manager made a lot of draft mistakes, but was keen on targeting linemen with grit and toughness.
“He was a guy, when I watched him in November, I knew I really liked him,” Quinn said. “Then he got hurt, no combine, no testing, but he was such a clean prospect. So after our combine interview, we didn’t have one point of contact with him. We tried to keep it as quiet as possible. … We knew he was a little under the radar because of the injury.”
Detroit's former offensive coordinator expressed Ragnow was a consistent player who allowed the rushing attack to be quite diverse.
“The mental and communication aspect, he was the best I’ve ever been around,” Johnson noted. “We were able to be diverse in the run game and sound in protection because he could handle all the multiplicity of schemes and defensive looks. Extremely consistent, you knew what you were going to get out of him every week and he elevated those around him. Can’t say enough good things.”
