Former Eagle Fraley ready to grind as OL coach for Lions
He knows his players and they know him. He’ll teach the same techniques he has since he got in this business eight years ago. And the long hours he put in last year? Those won’t be any different this fall, either.
The biggest change, Hank Fraley figures — now that he has been promoted from offensive line assistant to offensive line coach — is he’ll have to get up in front of his room and run the position meeting every day.
“It’s just like when I was at UCLA or anywhere else, you get in a flow of things and how to do things, and that’s what it is,” Fraley said. “I just got to get used to doing that routine.”
Fraley — who played for the Eagles from 2000 to 2005 — made his debut as Detroit Lions offensive line coach at the Senior Bowl this week and he said he felt back at home on the field.
He worked with North team linemen such as Michigan’s Ben Bredeson and Houston’s Josh Jones, a potential firstround pick, and he did so with is former boss, Jeff Davidson, by his side in what amounted to a senior adviser role.
Davidson stepped down as Lions offensive line coach earlier this month, but coached with the team in Mobile to fulfill his contract.
“I’ve been around the guy for a while,” Davidson said of Fraley, his assistant for two years in Detroit and two years with the Minnesota Vikings. “I have a lot of respect for him. It’s the reason I’ve had him around me quite a bit and I know he’ll do a great job.”
Fraley said he’s fortunate to return a veteran offensive line in left tackle Taylor Decker, center Frank Ragnow, right tackle Rick Wagner and left guard Joe Dahl that should ease his transition, though the Lions are expected to let right guard Graham Glasgow walk in free agency.
With player leadership not an issue, Fraley said his plan this year is “to go out there and coach and give my best effort to these guys.
“It’s a fun environment to get down in that room,“said Fraley, who spent three seasons as an offensive line coach in college at UCLA, San Diego and San Jose State in between stops in the NFL. “When they’re back in the building there’s a good vibe to it, and that’s what we love to do as coaches is coach. We have to do all the computer work, all the film work, but to be able to coach them and put hands on and stuff, being around those guys, that’s what it’s really all about. We really enjoy that.“
The Lions will be in the market for an offensive lineman in the draft, perhaps to replace Glasgow, arguably the team’s most consistent blocker over the last four years.
If Glasgow leaves, Fraley said his four sons will be without one of their favorite Fortnite foes, and the Lions will miss Glasgow’s professionalism.
“Right now, that’s between Graham, his agent and our front office there,“Fraley said. “It’s a business in here and I don’t ever get in those guys’ business when it comes to that stuff.“
As for his own business, Fraley said he’s fortunate to have Davidson to lean on for advice, including the most important piece he’s got so far: Be yourself.
“I was a grinder as a player and I want to grind as a coach and try to become great at this,” Fraley said.