Lions' offensive line moves on after Frank Ragnow's retirement: Training camp news and notes

New York Times

6 days ago

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — David Montgomery called the upcoming season 'the year of reckoning.' Dan Campbell likes the sound of it.
'I think if we keep this type (of mindset), man, we're after it,' Campbell said. 'It's another year, and we're out to finish what we started. We're going to close out some of these debts. That has to be the attitude; that's the mindset across the board. Every day in practice, no matter who we play, no matter what people think — man, we're going. I just think it's a mindset.'
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It certainly is, one shared among player and coach. Montgomery's comments came when asked about the Lions knocking down the door, but falling short. He said they're tired of being close. They don't wanna be comfortable with being close, especially knowing the talent they had last year and how things ended.
'You wanna finish it,' Montgomery said. 'This is the year for us. The year of reckoning and the year that we choose that we need to finish.'
That process is underway, as Day 2 of training camp unfolded.
There's no denying the impact Frank Ragnow had on this offense and this franchise. He was an iron man, an anchor and player who oversaw the turnaround, entrusted to echo the message delivered by this regime when they first arrived. Almost everything they did offensively ran through him and this offensive line. Which is why Ragnow's absence this training camp, as he enjoys retirement, serves as a reason to doubt the Lions.
'Losing Frank, I mean, he's as close to an irreplaceable guy as you can get,' Taylor Decker said. 'I'm happy for him. Over the last couple of years, like him kinda going through what he's been going through mentally and physically, it could have happened sooner. I think he stuck it out for us. I'm happy for Frank. When he called me, I was sad for myself because he's my best friend and I've only played one full season without him. It's going to be different. But for him, I'm like, relieved for you and then I went and saw him a couple days after and it was the right decision. It was right for him.'
His teammates are happy for him, knowing what he put his body through to help them win games. He'll be remembered for a long time because of it. For this unit, though, there's nothing more to be said.
Ragnow is gone — probably fishing on Lake Minnetonka right now — as the Lions prepare for a new season. Life goes on, and the team is ready to see what's in store for 2025.
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'I would say everything good comes with time,' said Christian Mahogany, a second-year guard and perhaps part of the future of this group. 'Last year's O-Line, that took time. So, everything's gonna take time. We've got myself, Tate (Ratledge), people at different positions, some new guys. I think it'll be good. We've got a standard here. The standard has not dropped. Coach Campbell believes that, coach Fraley believes that. So, the standard has not dropped just because there's new people starting.'
That's been the message. You wouldn't expect otherwise. These guys would echo it whenever Ragnow or another player missed time. But at least back then, there was comfort knowing Ragnow would eventually force his way back onto the field. This time, he chose not to. Things will be different now because of it.
They'll lean on Hank Fraley, the mastermind behind the group. Penei Sewell is already one of the best leaders on this team. Glasgow is a veteran who can set an example for the young interior linemen. And then there's Decker, who often doubles as the voice of reason when doom and gloom trickles in.
The Lions have some intriguing pieces along the offensive line. How they perform could determine how this season unfolds for the team as a whole.
'The standard is the standard. We're expected to be one of the top offensive lines in the league,' Decker said. 'You lose big pieces but we've put those expectations on ourselves and put ourselves in a position where we're expected to perform a certain way. It doesn't matter if maybe a guy is out and there is a backup in, maybe there is a guy who has never started games before and he's in there and he's playing — the expectation is the expectation. …It's going to be important to build the guys up because there are going to be bad days. Guys are going to have bad games. I'm going to have a bad game. It's just going to happen. But just continue to build those guys up because there is a lot of expectations on our room.'
Hendon Hooker is a bit of a polarizing player on this team, through little fault of his own. He was a third-round pick in 2023 — not insignificant capital — on a team with a proven veteran at quarterback. Since then, Jared Goff has only further cemented his status as a top-10 quarterback, leaving Hooker without a clear path to playing time.
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The Lions, more than most teams, have made it clear they believe the backup quarterback is an important job. They've submitted rule changes, signed Teddy Bridgewater as insurance and are invested in Hooker's development in the event Goff ever goes down. But Hooker was a bit of a developmental player coming out of Tennessee. He was coming off a torn ACL. The offense he played in doesn't translate well to the pro game. These were all things the Lions knew. However, Hooker's weaknesses were on display for all to see last offseason.
One of the coaching points for Hooker has been getting the ball out with rhythm and timing. There were moments a year ago when it was almost as if he was waiting for the receiver to get open, rather than throwing them open when the windows were there. It led to him holding onto the ball too long and sometimes scrambling — even in 7-on-7 periods. He wasn't giving the coaching staff the opportunity to evaluate the skill players around him as a result.
The game needed to slow down for him. He's worked to ensure that.
'The differences that I made this offseason by playing fast and playing on time and (on) rhythm, it feels completely different from last year,' Hooker said Monday. 'And OTAs, as well.'
This morning's practice was night and day from where he'd been in the past. Easily the best practice I've seen from Hooker. The ball was delivered accurately and on time to receivers. He wasn't checking down — he was letting it up to different levels of the field. The Lions mixed in starters like Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta into the second-team, perhaps to see what they have in Hooker, and he found them. He also worked well with second-string receivers like Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett.
The Lions openly challenged Hooker this offseason. It's his third year in the NFL, but more like Year 2 considering he missed training camp as a rookie and wasn't cleared to return until late in the 2023 season, recovering from a torn ACL. He looked like a rookie last year, and when you factor in his age, it's easy to write him off. But Hooker was receptive to the Lions' points of emphasis and isn't afraid of competition. When he was 11 years old, he had to fight for a starting job on a team coached by his own father. It took a lot of self-scouting and alone time this offseason to get himself right and think less on the field. He knows the offense, he knows where his receivers are going to be and on Monday, he looked like Detroit's No. 2 quarterback.
'I'm a very competitive guy,' Hooker said. 'My love for the game, I'll do anything to make sure that I'm playing at my highest and at my best.'
If Monday is a sign of things to come, Hooker could be figuring things out. This regime believes in depth, and that extends to the quarterback position. Eager to see him this preseason.
• We got some clarity on Levi Onwuzurike's ACL timeline on Monday morning from Campbell. 'I would say this is something that crept up,' Campbell said. 'Once the season's done, it's kind of the normal aches and pains, things that go on after a season. Levi's been through a lot. Probably, call it a month after he signed, a month and a half, somewhere in there, knee's bothering him. We keep working through it and it's not getting any better. Just needed to get this done. We hate it for Levi, man. It's not his fault, and it's just one of those things.'
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• Decker said he's happy about his decision to clean up his shoulder with a procedure: 'It was just something that needed to be addressed. …The rehab has been going awesome. Came back here pretty early for the offseason, so I've been back here for about three or four weeks already. It's been going really good. Something that I'm happy that I did.' Decker said he expects to be back in early August.
• Lions RB Sione Vaki left Monday's practice with what the team is calling a leg injury. He did not return. We'll hear what Campbell has to say in the morning.
• CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is expected to miss a couple of days after suffering a chest injury Sunday, per Campbell. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports it's a chest contusion (bruise) for Rakestraw. All things considered, a very favorable outcome. It's important to remember that not all training camp injury updates are of the season-ending variety.
• Speaking of injuries: Campbell told reporters on Monday that LB Alex Anzalone is dealing with a hamstring injury and his timetable to return is unknown at this time. Odd that it wasn't brought up on Sunday when Campbell announced Anzalone wouldn't be practicing, right after saying Anzalone 'crushed' his conditioning test and said he didn't believe Anzalone was holding in for a new contract.
• Spotted on Mount Patricia: LB Malcolm Rodriguez (torn ACL), DT Mekhi Wingo (meniscus) and CB Khalil Dorsey (broken leg). All recovering from serious injuries, but good to see them get some work in.
• Gibbs and Sione Vaki split positional drills between running backs and wide receivers. Some wheel routes and quick outs from the slot. They're Detroit's top receiving backs, and it could be a sign of things to come.
• John Morton is a receiver at heart, so it makes sense to see him gravitate to the position. During positional drills, Morton was overlooking Scottie Montgomery's group, chiming in with tips and making sure the details were stressed — like keeping their eyes up on routes thrown from three-step drops. That's on-brand for Morton, who was active with Denver's receivers as Sean Payton's passing-game coordinator.
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• Terrion Arnold was blanketing Brock Wright on a crossing route when a pass from Goff came his way. Wright hauled it in, but Arnold was right on his back, perfectly timing a punch-out for a forced fumble, scooped up by Jack Campbell for what likely would've been a touchdown in a real game.
• Jake Bates got some action on Monday. He made his first four attempts from 34, 34, 38 and 43 before a break. He returned for three more later in practice, missing from 37 and 43 but making from 47. On-brand day for Bates in practice. He tends to shine brightest in the bigger moments.
• Jack Campbell had a nice pass break-up on a diving play while covering his old Iowa roommate Sam LaPorta during the 7-on-7 period. The rest of the defense loved it. Campbell becoming a playmaker in coverage could take a defense that was one of the league's best when healthy into an elite unit. On a run by Gibbs to the right, Campbell penetrated the backfield and forced him to change directions, ultimately resulting in a TFL. Good stuff from the third-year LB.
• Jameson Williams was chirping all day. He's been practicing with more fire than usual. I kind of like it. He wants the ball. He's not afraid to get in a DB's face. It's like he knows he's a dude in this offense.
• Marcus Davenport had an excellent day. I had him with at least two sacks and a TFL during team periods, after swatting a screen pass on Sunday. He was hyped for himself after each play, yelling and screaming and looking like a former first-round pick should. Of course, talent has never been the issue for Davenport. But for a guy who looked a bit despondent at his free agency press conference in March, knowing he's running out of chances to prove his body can hold up, it was good to see him celebrating some wins on the field.
• Two of Hooker's favorite targets with the second-team offense include Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett. Both stood out among the group of reserves. Good to see him working well with the young receivers, and Lovett's stock continues to rise as he fights for a roster spot.
• Another day, another two-back set featuring Gibbs and Montgomery. I don't think it's worth overhyping or anything, but it's notable.
(Top photo of Christian Mahogany: Junfu Han / USA Today)