Lions' Wood on retirement decision, successor vision, and not being concerned about optics of reclaiming signing bonus money

Phoenix, Ariz. — On Tuesday afternoon, in a not-so-quiet corner of the Arizona Biltmore lobby, Detroit Lions outgoing president Rod Wood met with a small contingent of reporters who had traveled to cover the annual league meeting.

This was the second time Wood talked this week, initially conducting a wide-ranging interview with the Detroit Free Press, where he addressed just about any question we reasonably could have had for him.

Still, we tried to dig a little deep.

Wood reflected on his decision to step down this offseason, what he viewed as his greatest successes and failures, what he’ll miss most about the job, and the role he’ll have in helping find his replacement.

We’ll come back to all that in a moment.

More interesting, at least based on the social media reaction earlier in the day, was the Freep’s reporting that the Lions had recouped a portion of retired center Frank Ragnow’s signing bonus.

Deja vu.

Despite taking a similar approach with All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson a decade earlier, resulting in a nasty, years-long rift between the franchise and Hall of Famer, the Lions opted to pursue the same path with Ragnow after he decided to step away last offseason.

“Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders,” Wood told the Free Press. “And if Barry Sanders paid back money. … And I think the reality is, they’re not paying back their money, they’re returning our money, cause they were paid in advance for services that they hadn’t completed.”

The debate isn’t whether the Lions have the right to reclaim money, because, contractually, they absolutely do, but whether its the right approach in the this situation. That was the same contention with Johnson’s situation.

Wood warned of a slippery slope.

“Once you don’t do it with somebody, even a small amount, it makes it difficult to get the bigger amount,” Wood told the Free Press. “And it’s really, it’s the Lions’ money, it’s not the player’s money.”

The Ragnow news brought about a harsh reaction from some former players, including Jason Kelce and former teammates Quandre Diggs and Alex Anzalone.

“Frank was known for being hurt and playing through injuries most players wouldn’t play through constantly,” Kelce wrote on Twitter. “Broken foot, a torn pec, multiple knee injuries, back issues. There was always something, and I’m sure he was continuously dealing with multiple ailments to try and continue playing the game. His body clearly had deteriorated to a degree that made football no longer a viable option, physically, and probably mentally. In my opinion, the signing bonus is supposed to protect players from future physical ailments limiting their availability on the field, that’s one of the reasons you want more guaranteed money upfront.

”So while I get that the team has a right to ask for money back, in the spirit of the agreement, I think it’s bullshit Frank is being asked to return money,” Kelce continued. “This was clearly a player that the game had physically taken its toll on, and his body was clearly no longer holding up to the rigors of the NFL.”

Anzalone, who had his own contractual disputes with the Lions, was more concise with his messaging.

“Played through fractured throat, one week post meniscus clean up (with) stitches barely out, inoperable/unrepairable toe, etc.. ‘Hey let me get that prorated signing bonus back.’ “Do business as business is being done.”

As with most things, the fan base reaction was split, with some defending the team and others questioning the approach.

I asked Wood if he had studied or considered how other teams approached similar situations and if there was any concern the practice might be viewed as a black eye for the organization. He wasn’t interested in discussing the issue further.

“I don’t really have much more to say than I’ve said, other than I’ll just say, I really don’t spend too much time looking at what other teams do, and I don’t imagine they spend too much time looking at what we do,” Wood said. “We have to do what’s right for our organization, and if I worried about optics, I wouldn’t do a lot of things. But I’m very comfortable with where we are, and every situation’s been handled separately and differently, and I don’t have anything else to say.”

Like with Johnson, the Lions only sought to reclaim a portion of the $3 million they were eligible to take back from Ragnow.

Here are some other notes from Wood’s Tuesday session with reporters.

● Wood intends to stay on through the search for his replacement, as well as the onboarding process. Once candidates emerge, potentially as soon as April, they’ll meet with a panel consisting of owner Sheila Hamp, ownership advisor Chris Spielman, chair William Clay Ford Jr., chief people officer Lindsay Verstegen and Wood.

Wood said he hopes general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell also have an opportunity to weigh in on the process.

The focus is finding an experienced COO or CEO with “the right kind of executive presence and leadership skills.” Wood said it doesn’t need to be someone with a football background — an unintentionally humorous throwback to his own introductory press conference — but that would be a bonus.

Wood’s retirement plan is simple: To settle in Florida with his wife and spend more time with friends family. He said he’ll miss the camaraderie of the position, traveling with the team, dinners on the road, and the impossible-to-replicate experience of being in the locker room after a big win.

● In terms of his proudest moments: Winning back-to-back division titles, the thrill of two playoff victories at Ford Field, and the process of identifying Holmes and Campbell in the search for new leadership in 2021 led the way.

“I think taking a chance on Dan and Brad, and hiring two guys that had never done the job before, never worked together, but believing that we had the right people for Detroit, that’s a big high,” Wood said.

In terms of lows, Wood bemoaned how long it took to find his footing in his role, as well as embracing some of the league’s COVID-19 protocols, including vaccines, without pushing back and asking more questions.

● With the upcoming game in Germany, Wood said he still doesn’t know the date or the opponent, but like many in the organization, he’s expecting something in early November.

The team also isn’t anticipating a bye week immediately after that international contest. The only request Wood has put in with the league is to not have a second Thursday game directly after Thanksgiving, like they’ve had the past two years.

“Assuming this international game in Munich might be in November — because I think the games in Germany have been in November — and then the thing about flying back, playing a game, playing Thanksgiving and playing the Thursday afterwards, it's really tough on the players and travel,” Wood said. “So, that's the one thing I've requested, and hopefully I've made my case. The downside is we've played that game two years in a row, and it's been the No.1 and No. 2-rated game on Amazon, so I've got that fact working against me."

Wood does not see the Lions drawing a second international game this year, as an away opponent, but didn’t rule it out.

“I would never say never, but no one’s brought it up to me,” Wood said. “I’m hoping they would have brought it up if that was gonna happen. So I don’t think that’s likely.”