NFL Trade Rumors
Lions HC Dan Campbell got emotional when asked about retiring C Frank Ragnow during media availability, noting that the team must carry on without the veteran leader.
“Unbelievable teammate, football player, man in the community — man, he’s done it all. And he will be sorely missed, man,” Campbell said. “He’ll be missed. But, man, this train rolls on, the train rolls on. And it’s the next man up. And so, we will be ready to go when camp hits. We’ll be ready to go. We knew he was contemplating it for a while. But there was never yes or no or whatever. And we did our best to give him his space and let him sort it out — which he did. It was time. And, listen, whenever you know it’s your time, it is the right time because it’s not fair to him and it’s not fair to his teammates or anybody else. So, I respect the hell out of him for the decision. It’s not easy to do. But he knows himself, and I’ll always respect that.”
Campbell said they knew this was something Ragnow was considering and weren’t completely caught off guard.
“I think when those come up, they’re a little bit of a surprise,” Campbell added. “But I think everybody’s different. And to answer your question, what happens is, man, there was no indication that — no, he did, he had one of the best seasons he’s ever had. It was the healthiest he’s been in a long time. And you’re like, man, he’s in his prime right now. But if you’re him, you’ve also got to remember the amount of time and work and detail spent on taking care of his body — the training, the rehab that goes into it before he even trains. And so, it’s just the physical and mental side of it, man. You’ve got to be of a certain mindframe. And if you feel like you’re not there, the time is right to walk away.”
He said there’s no getting around how big of a hole Ragnow leaves in their starting lineup but they have no choice but to move forward.
“Look, it’s different knowing that Frank’s out of the fold now,” Campbell concluded. “I hate to use the word ‘unsettling,’ but there is acknowledgement like, OK, you know, that’s where we’re at and we need growth. We need development quickly. And look, that’s why Hank Fraley’s the coach in that room. He’s done a hell of a job developing talent and he’s going to get these guys right — whoever it is, between Frazier, Ratledge, all these guys.”
Packers HC Matt LaFleur said the team could use DL Lukas Van Ness inside on passing downs.
“Yeah, I think situationally you can do that,” LaFleur said, via Around The NFL. “*I think in known passing situations there’s some thought around that. A lot of it’s gonna be dependent on everybody else, as well. Lukas has...
