The Detroit Lions have had one of the NFL's best offenses in recent years, but the investments made and general manager Brad Holmes' words have made it clear how important having and maintaining one of the league's best offensive lines is.
After last season, here's what Holmes said about the Lions' offensive line.
"I just think you've got to keep the whole garden watered at all points," Holmes said. "And so, it's going to be the whole unit, because I mean, that is – that's the engine for us."
The Lions then used two draft picks on interior offensive lineman, which could've been explained by needing to find an answer at one or both starting guard spots now and into the future. Holmes later noted how those rookies, Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier, would be "cross-trained" at center during offseason work. It was easy to put that last thing in the category of "things that make you go...hmmm?"
On Monday, Lions' four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement. What the team knew about Ragnow, and when they knew it, will probably never be fully known. But that aforementioned draft strategy now looks especially savvy.
There are plenty of possible combinations the Lions could now go with at their three interior offensive line spots, and there are question marks about any combination of starters until shown otherwise.
Lions' biggest position battle has now reached a critical state
Before the news of Ragnow's retirement, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report broadly named "interior offensive line" the Lions' biggest position battle heading into the 2025 season.
"Both guard spots are going to be important position battles to watch, though. The Lions lost both starting guards this offseason when they traded away Jonah Jackson and let Kevin Zeitler walk in free agency."
"They added two rookies in Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier. They'll join veteran Graham Glasgow and 2024 sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany in the competition for two starting spots."
Ratledge notably got first-team reps at center when Ragnow was absent from OTAs last week, and that is sure to continue as the Lions' finish their OTAs this week. Frazier's versatility opens up all kinds of possibilities for him now as well as down the road, and Russell Brown of Lions Wire now looks clairvoyant for suggesting him as a potential successor for Ragnow.
As ESPN's Mina Kimes freshly noted, Jared Goff is an "incredibly pressure sensitive quarterback". Over the last two seasons, his QBR when "kept clean" is first in the league and his QBR when under pressure is 27th. As a dictionary definition of a pocket passer, pressure up the middle is particularly bothersome to Goff and now the Lions have to figure out all three spots on their interior offensive line.
The Lions not having mandatory minicamp as extra time to figure out the interior offensive line now seems less than ideal, but that decision was presumably made with knowledge it was possible Ragnow would retire.
A big (and broad) position battle during Lions' training camp, in light of having to figure out both starting guard spots, has now reached peak importance with having to replace the irreplaceable Ragnow at center. Failure to find suitable answers at all three interior line spots, or to pivot if things aren't working, could short-circuit the coming season very quickly.
