The Detroit Lions have spent a lot of time and money trying to improve their offensive line.
Frank Ragnow represents the latest investment.
"It starts up front
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Detroit drafted the Arkansas center with the No. 20 overall pick Thursday night, hoping he can boost their lackluster running game and keep franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford upright more often.
"Those are two things he's paid to do and he does both of them equally well," Quinn said. "He played his best games against the best defenses."
The Lions ranked last in the NFL last year in rushing offense and have been among the league's worst on the ground offensively in recent seasons. Their one-dimensional offense and banged-up line led to Stafford being sacked 47 times last season.
Ragnow will have a chance to start as a rookie, likely next to guards T.J. Lang and Graham Glasgow if he plays center. He may also play guard, giving Detroit an option of playing Glasgow at center.
"He's a guy who can help us most the quickest," Quinn said.
Quinn has used the draft and free agency to bolster the offensive line, using his first pick as a general manager two years ago to take Ohio State tackle Taylor Decker No. 16 overall and Glasgow two rounds later. Last year in free agency, Quinn spent big to sign Lang and Ricky Wagner.
And now, Quinn has committed to bolster the line even more by using a first-round pick on a center and choosing to address needs on the defensive line later in the draft or free agency.
The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Ragnow is a big and powerful lineman, who ended his 42-game career without giving up a sack. He had a season-ending ankle injury last year, limiting him to seven games.
"The rehab process went way smoother than I expected
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The Minnesota native played in nine games as a freshman in 2014 and became a full-time starter at right guard as a sophomore. He moved to center as a junior and thought entering NFL draft after grading out as the top offensive lineman in the country by Pro Football Focus.
Ragnow chose to stay in college and was a second-team preseason All-America player, but injury stunted his shot at winning awards. His father, Jon, died of a heart attack during the 2016 football season.
"He was my best friend," he said. "He was my biggest fan. Especially right now, it's bittersweet. I'm just going to keep trying to make him proud."
Despite the loss, he continued to play and was stopped after a game by Alabama coach Nick Saban, who lost his father to a heart attack while in graduate school.
"Embrace the memories and the good times that he had with his father because that will be something he can keep with him forever," Saban recalled telling Ragnow.
The Lions have second- and third-round picks Friday along with slots in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds on Saturday. They went into the draft without a sixth-round selection, giving it up last year to acquire offensive tackle Greg Robinson from the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson started six games for the Lions
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The Lions had relative success a year ago in the draft, getting contributions from seven players it selected.
Detroit won three of their first four games last season and had a 6-4 record, but had setbacks in three of five games to fall out of the playoff picture and the late-season slide cost coach Jim Caldwell his job. Quinn hired Matt Patricia to lead an NFL team for the first time, reuniting with a coach he worked alongside with the New England Patriots for a dozen years.
Eagles players and officials made individual decisions to not go to the White House for a scheduled celebration of their Super Bowl title, leaving two players actually planning to make the trip to Washington before the visit was canceled by President Donald Trump, according to players and a person familiar with the arrangements.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because of the sensitivity of the issues.
All-Pro center Jason Kelce said players filled out forms anonymously indicating whether they wanted to go to the White House, not make the trip or go to Washington and do something else.
”It’s a little bit disappointing as a country right now that we’re so divided, I think that’s the bigger disappointment,” said Kelce, who became a folk hero in Philadelphia for an impassioned, profane rally speech he gave after a day of antics during the city’s Super Bowl parade.
The players did not urge a collective decision on what to do as a team, giving each player his own option of whether to take the trip.
Defensive end Chris Long
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”The players didn’t create this division (in the country),” Long said. ”I’m extremely proud to be part of this team.”
Safety Malcolm Jenkins, an outspoken leader for social reforms, held up handwritten signs on issues important to him and other players instead of verbally answering questions.
”You aren’t listening,” one sign said. Another said that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick gave $1 million to charity. Kaepernick began the wave of kneeling protests in the NFL as a way to protest racism and police brutality, and is working through a grievance case against the league after he was not signed by any team following his run with San Francisco.
Another sign by Jenkins read: ”More than 60 percent of people in prison are people of color.”
Coach Doug Pederson said before practice that he was looking forward to going to the White House to be recognized as Super Bowl champions but he wouldn’t further discuss details of the trip’s breakdown. He declined to provide information on how things escalated to the White House accusing players of abandoning their fans by deciding to not attend.
”What you’ve seen and what you’ve heard is enough. I’m not discussing it,” Pederson said. ”The team is great. We’re united. Our goal is 2018. It’s over. It’s behind us. We’re moving on.”
Trump rescinded his invitation late Monday and instead turned the ceremony for the Eagles on Tuesday into his own brief ”Celebration of America” after it became clear most players weren’t going to show up. Trump tied the dispute to his criticism of players who have kneeled during the national anthem, even though no Eagles players kneeled for the song during the 2017 season.
Also Wednesday, hockey player Devante Smith-Pelly said he would skip a White House visit if the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup. Smith-Pelly, one of two black Capitals players, spoke about Trump to Canada’s Postmedia.
”The things that he spews are straight-up racist and sexist
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On Tuesday, NBA stars LeBron James and Curry both said they wouldn’t visit.
Eagles Tight end Zach Ertz wore a Team USA soccer jersey while answering questions and said he’s ”proud to be an American.”
”Everyone in this locker room understands that everyone’s heart is in the right place,” Ertz said. ”We weren’t going to let someone try and formulate an agenda. What’s unique about this locker room is that everyone’s treated with respect, people truly care about one another, people respect other people’s opinions. We’re united.”
Long took a shot at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for staying silent on the matter.
”If he doesn’t want to stand up for his players, that’s not my business,” Long said. ”I know my teammates are great men. There’s men of faith in this locker room. There’s men who serve their communities. There’s men who have a lot who give back to people with a lot less.”
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