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Bears O-line….
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looking like a pile of crap here….
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with the all new iOL…. being paid $95 million in cash over the 2025 & 2026 seasons….
The LT is a UFA after 2025… so either another high salary…
or a rookie.
And… the RT (Darnell Wright) will be having his 5th year option decided this offseason.
Lots of money involved for this type of execution….
Frazier is the ultimate swing linemen. He’s played LT, LG, RT and RG before. He’s never played center but has openly stated he would love to learn how to play it.
The Lions were planning on cross training him at Center. Which I think still happens.
His hands are smaller than my daughter’s… Rat to C… His hands are almost 1 1/2 inches bigger than Frazier’s. Also, Fraley hand picked Rat to be the center of the future, didn’t he?
I don’t know where you got that from….. can you provide a link to that? …
I know Hank was planning to cross training Ratledge and Frazier at center.
I honestly believe the Lions want to be fluid on the IOL. Having guys cross trained helps in case of injuries.
The Lions could decide to go any number of ways at center next year. Whatever way they decide to do they will cross train their IOL to play center and guard.
He has 9inch hands.
Frank Ragnow’s hand size is 9 inches.
Creed Humphrey’s hand size is 9 inches.
Jason Kelce had 9inch hands.
Heck the NFL is littered with probowl centers who had 9inch hands.
Clearly his hands are plenty big enough to play center. I am sure the Lions wouldn’t cross train him there if they didn’t think he can handle it.
Do you really think Hank Fraley doesn’t know this?
This is closest I could find..
Lions’ Coach Hank Fraley Identifies Tate Ratledge as Top Candidate to Replace Retired Frank Ragnow
The Detroit Lions are facing a significant transition on their offensive line following the retirement of veteran center Frank Ragnow. After years of battling through injuries and earning four Pro Bowl nods, Ragnow made the decision to step away from the game, citing that his body could no longer withstand the physical demands.
With a major void left at center, attention has quickly shifted to identifying Ragnow’s successor. On Monday, Lions beat reporter Nolan Bianchi shared insights from offensive line coach Hank Fraley regarding the team’s current plan. Fraley pointed to rookie lineman Tate Ratledge as the player being groomed for the role.
Ratledge, a second-round pick out of Georgia and a key member of Kirby Smart’s offensive front, is expected to transition into the center position. Although he primarily played guard in college, the Lions are optimistic about his ability to adapt.
“It’s going to start coming naturally to him,” Fraley said, reflecting on Ratledge’s performance during rookie minicamp. “He showed some good things early on… With time, I think he’ll develop into a solid center.”
According to Bianchi, Ratledge still has some developing to do, but the coaching staff seems confident in his long-term potential at the position.
Above uses Nolan Bianchi DetNews beat reporter as source.
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Birkett at Freep June 2
Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley was noncommittal last month when asked about his plans for Ratledge. He called the rookie “an interior player” and talked about crosstraining all of his lineman. He said Ratledge was willing to play whatever position the Lions needed him at most. And may have dropped a hint about Ratledge’s future, too.
“He definitely needs some time (at center) training,” Fraley said. “It’s going to become natural for him. I thought what he did in rookie minicamp was pretty good for handling that.
“Our centers, like across the whole league, they do a lot, they have a lot on their plates. They’re like quarterbacks on that O-line. They set a lot of the protections, a lot of the calls and they work one-on-one with the QB. So in time he’s going to get it down and become a pretty good center here.”
That’s my point.
He was talking about cross training all his interior OL.
He settled on GG as his center.
He wants his IOL to be fluid and able to play any IOL spot incase of injuries.
I don’t think this statement says he “hand picked” Rateledge to be our center.
I don’t think this means with certainty that Ratledge will be our future center.
I think it says we’re cross training him there and it’s going to take some time before it becomes natural for him.
It wouldn’t shock me if he’s our center in the future and it also wouldn’t shock me if we keep him at guard and he becomes the backup center or doesn’t ever play center at all.
I don’t think there’s any kind of certainty in anything Fraley said.
I guess we will find out next spring what they want to do but I’d be willing to bet that if a top center the Lions like is on the board when our pick comes up there’s a better than 50% chance we would take him.
My point is the Lions will stay fluid on the subject and make a decision when a decision has to be made. Nothings for certain.
“low man wins, then you walk his ass into the endzone”
Welcome to the NFL Mason Graham.
LOL
Our very own @QBHATER90 was the source
When I say 9 inches, I mean 9 inches… Not 9 3/8, 9 5/8, 9 1/2… 9 inches… It’s all about the girth anyway tho, right? 
I am pretty sure I heard Brad talking about this and saying that Fraley identified Ratledge ahead of the draft as being a good candidate for our center of the future. Not sure where though.
@QBHATER90 hasn’t posted since June 13th….
hoping he is OK.
Fire Fraley. He did profit from elite OL talent but cant teach sh¥t to average guys
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