When Graham Glasgow moved from center to right guard for the Detroit Lions in 2019 to make way for a young Frank Ragnow, the veteran lineman still made a point to help with line calls.
“Like if the tag was wrong I had to fix it,” Glasgow said. “When I was playing right guard and I wouldn’t fix it, then I would just tell my coach like, ‘Just give me the M.A. (missed assignment). Sorry, that’s my fault.’ Like, ‘That’s not Frank’s fault. That’s my fault. I should have did it.'”
Glasgow took a similar approach to the start of training camp this year, when he was back at his old guard spot playing next to rookie Tate Ratledge and double-checking Ratledge’s IDs.
The Lions moved Ratledge from center to guard three practices into training camp, and Glasgow will open the season as starting center Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Green Bay Packers for the first time in seven years.
Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley said having Glasgow at center brings a comfort level to the offense.
“It settles the whole offense down,” Fraley said.
And Glasgow said he’s excited to be back at a position that’s given him new energy entering his 10th NFL season.
“It’s a lot more mental stuff and I’ve always liked that part of football,” Glasgow said. “So that’s been fun, but I mean, football’s still football in my opinion. I feel like it’s not too different, but it’s been fun.”
Glasgow played center his senior season at Michigan in 2015 and three years later with the Lions before sliding back to guard a year after the Lions drafted Ragnow in the first round.
He’s played mostly guard in the NFL, but started the second half of the 2022 season at center for the Denver Broncos, made fill-in starts at the position after re-signing with the Lions two years ago and said he’s not daunted by having to replace one of the game’s best linemen this fall.
Ragnow retired in June at the age of 29 after making four Pro Bowls in his seven seasons in Detroit.
“I feel like it’s not too big,” Glasgow said. “I mean, I know that Frank was the man and he was a great teammate and a great player, but I don’t really think about the way that he would do things or anything like that.
“I was able to watch him play amazing football here ever since I came back two years (ago). In some regards you could say that, that would be the standard, but in other cases I feel like you just have to play and see how it goes.”
By all accounts, things have gone well so far in Glasgow’s return to the position.
The Lions have two first-year starters at guard in Ratledge and Christian Mahogany and struggled some with protections in training camp, but quarterback Jared Goff said Glasgow has been “a lot of fun to work with” at center.
“Obviously Frank is such a great player and it’s hard to replace him in any capacity,” Goff said. “But Graham is a great player in his own right as well and has done a hell of a job stepping into that role, and even last year at times when he needed to step in there. He’s been great. I mean he really has. He’s taken a lot of the responsibility on his shoulders.”
Glasgow joked that Goff has been “a little diva” with some of his demands on the field.
“I get a little sweaty. He always is telling me to change my pants and stuff,” he said.
But after initially preparing himself to play right guard this season, he’s happy he’s back at center and playing the position he is.
“I feel like I have a good grasp of what we’re doing,” Glasgow said. “I feel like if you can’t get everybody on the same page and let’s say if you do even get everybody on the same page but you have people going to the wrong guy, you’re still kind of putting yourself at a disadvantage.
“So I feel like there’s a lot more responsibility on me, but … I’m fine with that. That doesn’t bother me at all. As I said, though, overall it’s been fun. I feel like it’s gone pretty well.”
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions’ Graham Glasgow energized by move to center, comfortable filling Frank Ragnow’s shoes
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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