When a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the best in the league at his position retires, there's really no way to replace him. But when he retires in June, when the pickings in free agency or trades are slim (if not non-existent) and the draft is in the books, it's even tougher to fill that void.
General manager Brad Holmes has called the offensive line the engine of the Detroit Lions offense. When Frank Ragnow announced his retirement in early June last year, the timeline to replace the literal center of that engine quickly became immediate with few options to do so.
Ragnow tried to make a comeback in late-November last season, but that ended before it started due to an injury that was revealed during his entry physical. Any idea he'd try to play again in 2026 has already been put to bed by Holmes and quarterback Jared Goff.
The Lions are set to reshape their interior offensive line this offseason, with one guaranteed starter in Tate Ratledge. The ideal scenario would have the second-year man stay at right guard, where he settled in nicely as a rookie, but he is an option to play center if offseason moves push things that way.
Lions beat writer points to 'likely' replacement for Frank Ragnow if they're available
Citing what NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said about the centers in this year's class, in terms of there not being one worthy of picking in the first two rounds, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has pointed to free agency as the best option for the Lions to solidly replace Ragnow.
Lions fans want to dream about breaking the bank for Tyler Linderbaum, the top available free agent center. But it's far more likely someone a bit further down the list of free agent options will be brought in, and there are some solid choices there.
When someone on Twitter/X named three more affordable free agent centers as possibilities for the Lions, Birkett honed in on one of those names with his response.
"If the Cardinals release (Hjalte) Froholdt I think there’s a high likelihood he ends up in Detroit."
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The No. 1 reason Birkett thinks is a "high likelihood" Hjalte Froholdt ends up with the Lions, should he be cut by the Arizona Cardinals, is obvious. He has started every game at center for them over the last three seasons, and those are the same three seasons Lions' offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was the offensive coordinator there.
Froholdt also happens to a notably better player than Graham Glasgow, who replaced Ragnow at center last season and is lined up to either be a cap casualty or retire. In each of the last two seasons, Pro Football Focus has graded Froholdt as a top-15 center.
The Cardinals are entering yet another reset period under new head coach Mike LaFleur, and the 29-year old Froholdt might not fit into the long-term plan. They can also clear a shade over $5.6 million of his $6.96 million cap hit off their balance sheet by cutting him.
If he were a free agent already, Froholdt would be on the list of centers the Lions should pursue even without his tie to Petzing. That tie to the offensive coordinator easily pushes the potential pursuit, should he become available, to strongly likely and practically automatic.