Getty Frank Ragnow and Matthew Stafford during a 2020 game.
The Detroit Lions have had an average to below average season thus far in 2020, which has prevented some of their players from getting the love they deserve for good work on the field.
Fortunately, that’s what assistant coaches are for and Detroit’s offensive coordinator clearly has some major love for the work his offensive line is doing this season. Speaking about where the team is at, Darrell Bevell admitted that he is getting some elite play from a few players up front to help matters which is certainly true even in spite of the collective average play.
As Bevell said, Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow deserve some Pro Bowl love as a result of what they’ve done on the field this season for Detroit’s line.
Lions OC Darrell Bevell really happy with his offensive line play. Knows they had to move guys around due to injury.
Said he thinks Frank Ragnow and Taylor Decker should get Pro Bowl consideration.
This past offseason, Decker signed a big extension in Detroit which some folks worried about given his up and down play, but it appears he’s put everything together completely and is on the right track for an elite career at tackle moving forward. Similarly, many worried about Detroit picking Ragnow early but he has developed into a stable option in the center of the line for Detroit.
It’s nice to see the Lions finally have some building blocks that are earning some praise for their play. That’s a far cry from where the team has been in recent history.
Lions Don’t Have Elite OL History
If a Detroit offensive lineman getting Pro Bowl love seems a bit odd to fans, that’s because it hasn’t regularly happened. To find the last Detroit offensive lineman to get such a nod, you have to go back to the days of Barry Sanders and his line. Kevin Glover got Pro Bowl nods from 1995-1997 in Detroit as well as All Pro nods during that same stretch. Since, the Lions have struggled to find and keep elite lineman which has led to their problems. Jeff Hartings wasn’t a Pro Bowler and All-Pro player until he left Detroit and joined Pittsburgh. Otherwise, that would be where the string of elite players ended for the Lions. Hartings left the team in 2001.
To say it’s been a long time coming for the team to develop some elite young players in the offensive trenches is an understatement.
Lions 2020 Offensive Line Quietly Becoming Elite
The Lions have had trouble building a consistent offensive line during the last few decades, but the good news is that work finally looks to be on the road to being done. A big reason that is the case is not only the aforementioned players in this article, but Jonah Jackson as well, who’s stepped up and stepped in as a rookie. Others have struggled at times, but with these three, it appears the Lions have quite the foundation up front for the future to rely on.
Should the team get consistent play moving forward from these players, they will be in good shape to finally solve some of their biggest problems on the offensive side of the ball. Having either of these players get Pro Bowl love would be a major accomplishment for the Lions and prove they are on the right track moving forward.
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