Dan Campbell acknowledged that the Lions' issues on the offensive line have limited some of their play-calling and that the team is seeking reinforcements ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. trade deadline.
"We’ve looked there, for sure," Campbell said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "Anything that we feel like would upgrade us."
Here's what the Lions know: Trading for a proven offensive lineman in the middle of the season is difficult and Frank Ragnow ain't walking through that door. Asked if he's given any thought to calling Ragnow to see if the former All-Pro center might be lured out of retirement, Campbell said, "Here’s what I know about Frank. If Frank really wanted to (return), he would be blowing my phone up, and I haven’t gotten a text yet."
"So I think Frank is feeling good about his decision," Campbell said. "And look, they just had another baby, so happy for them. That ship has sailed."
The Lions have a void to fill at left guard after losing Christian Mahogany to a knee injury that will knock him out until at least late December. Left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder, knee) and right tackle Penei Sewell (shoulder) are nursing injuries of their own -- though Campbell said they're trending in the right direction for Sunday's game against the Commanders -- while center Graham Glasgow is coming off one of his worst games of the season.
Barring a trade, the Lions' solution might be reshuffling some of the pieces on the interior. While Kayode Awoski is still a candidate to step in for Mahogany, as he did in Detroit's loss to the Vikings, Campbell is also considering using Trystan Colon at center and bumping Glasgow to left guard, where he played (but not all that well) last season.
"I see Yode, I see Colon getting some reps at guard, maybe center as well. We may mix some things up here and move some guys around a little bit. I’m still thinking through all this while I’m getting ready for these guys and game-planning," said Campbell. "And then we got (Michael) Niese on vet squad, we got (Devin) Cochran on vet squad, we got Kingsley (Eguakun) on vet squad, so we’ve got options here.
"It’s about finding the right combination of guys, really, and then letting them cut it loose, get used to each other and freaking play relentless, hard-nosed, finishing football."
Colon's natural position is center, where he was a three-year starter at Missouri. His last significant action at the position came in 2020 and 2021 with the Ravens, his first two seasons in the NFL. Colon started seven games at right guard for the Cardinals last season, and four at left guard the season prior. He's only played a handful of snaps for the Lions this season.
Campbell does not intend to bounce rookie Tate Ratledge back to center, where the Lions originally started him in training camp: "I want Ratledge just to home in on guard right now. Once we decided to make that move, he still takes snaps (at center in practice), but really it’s about, man, he needs to improve at the right guard position. He has to get better at it, and he is and he will."
It will be Glasgow or Colon at center, a trade for one notwithstanding. A trade for a guard would seem to make the most sense, though the Lions could also use some depth at tackle as injury insurance for Decker. Campbell said that he'll be involved in trade discussions with GM Brad Holmes if Holmes "knows that it’s somebody that is worth me looking at and the price is right."
Potentially-available guards that could attract the Lions' interest include Kevin Zeitler of the Titans, Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller of the Browns and Jon Simpson of the Jets. The two from the Browns would cost the most, and the Lions don't have a third-round pick in the upcoming draft to offer in trade talks.
"If the price isn’t right, it’s not going to happen, so I don’t even want to know about it," Campbell said. "I’m trying to get ready for Washington. If it’s noteworthy, then Brad will bring it to me. Otherwise it’s not going to happen."
Midseason trades involving offensive linemen are rare in the NFL, "because it's hard to get rid of ‘em if you’re the other team," said Campbell. "So if you are, you’re going to ask an astronomical amount because the later the season goes, it’s hard to find bigs. They don’t just fall off trees, especially tackles."
Injuries and inexperience on the offensive line have started to take a toll on the Lions, especially in last week's loss to the Vikings. Jared Goff was sacked five times, tied for the most of his Lions tenure, and pressured a season-high 18 times, while the run game averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. Most troubling of all, the Lions' rank 25th in the NFL in converting third downs, down from fourth last season.
Their inconsistency running the ball has led to lots of third-and-longs. And their inconsistency up front, Campbell admitted, is "going to take some things out of what you do, for sure."
"But doesn’t take you entirely out of everything," he said. "And I know there's some things we can get to a little bit quicker, which is on all of us. But by the same token, we gotta be able to protect, man. Look, every team in this league runs freaking cross-dog (linebacker blitzes), so we gotta be ready for it, we have to handle it. We can be better. And then we can adjust, too, as coaches.
"But it’s a combination of things. It’s everybody being on the same page, it’s how you set when you know some of these pick-stunts are coming. It all matters. And it doesn’t matter if you’re young or you’re a veteran. Man, you gotta do it right every time. There’s no room for error. And then I don’t care what quarterback it is. When you hit him enough early, it can have an effect, and that’s the way it goes."
One thing the Lions won't do ahead of Tuesday's deadline is make a trade for the sake of keeping up with a fellow NFC contender like the Eagles. Philly has already made several moves for the likes of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips of the Dolphins and cornerback Michael Carter II of the Jets.
"I’ll be honest with you, that’s never crossed my mind, trying to keep up with somebody in a trade war," said Campbell. "I don’t see it that way. Look, they made moves that they feel like are good for them and it was worth it for them. And that’s good, man. To each team his own. But we’re going to do what we feel like is right for us and the right fit at the right price with the right guys. And we’ve always been that way. We’re not changing our stripes."