Lions mailbag: How does Frank Ragnow’s retirement impact future re-signings?

Can the Detroit Lions afford to keep more players now that Frank Ragnow’s contract will come off the books?

One of the bigger challenges facing the Detroit Lions in the upcoming years is the ability to retain all of the talent they currently have. General Manager Brad Holmes has talked about this issue several times over the past year, noting that difficult decisions are headed his way. Detroit has been able to find success through the draft, cashing in on cheap rookie contracts for big production on the field. However, that bill is coming soon for many of those players—and for the likes of Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, Derrick Barnes, and Kerby Joseph, their paydays have already arrived.

That has left many Lions fans wondering which Lions draft picks won’t make the cut of a big extension. Many have wondered if one or two players may have to hit the free agency market, be it Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, or maybe even Brian Branch.

However, with the recent retirement of center Frank Ragnow—who was being paid as a top-five player at his position—many have wondered if that alone will give the Lions enough flexibility to retain a player they would have otherwise not been able to afford. On this week’s Midweek Mailbag podcast, Erik Schlitt and I discussed that exact topic.

Did the Lions see this coming, and if so, had they already earmarked those potential savings? How much money do they actually have? And who are the players the Lions will ultimately decide between? Many have framed the debate Jamo vs. LaPorta vs. Branch, but could the decision be more like Jamo vs. Taylor Decker vs. Alex Anzalone vs. David Montgomery? Erik and I discuss everything about the upcoming roster decisions the Lions will face and how Ragnow has shifted the discussion.

Other topics on this week’s show:

• How concerned should Lions fans be about the team’s ability to throw the deep ball with the offensive line losses?
• Could Tate Ratledge really be the Week 1 starter at center? Should he be?
• What will the Lions’ offensive line look like in the preseason?
• What are the chances the Lions re-sign Za’Darius Smith after his most recent comments that he wants to stay in Detroit?
• What is the future of Giovanni Manu? Could he be OT3 this year? Next year? Starting left tackle eventually?
• Who will be second on the Lions in interceptions? Third?
• Which member of the Lions organization is the best father figure?

You can listen to this week’s show by searching Pride of Detroit on any podcasting platform or using the Spotify embedded player below.

Additionally, you can watch the full replay of the PODcast—which includes between-segment discussions—over on our Twitch and YouTube pages.