One of the odd men out in the competition for the Eagles’ No. 4 running back job, Donnel Pumphrey has another gig. He’s expected to sign with the Lions, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report (Twitter link).
The former fourth-round pick, however, won’t join Detroit’s active roster just yet. He’s being added to the practice squad, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). Pumphrey’s potential as a return man intrigues the Lions, per Garafolo (on Twitter).
Pumphrey’s next NFL game will be his first. He missed all of his rookie season due to an IR placement and lost out on the Eagles’ back-of-the-depth chart job to Wendell Smallwood.
The Lions have four active-roster running backs in Kerryon Johnson, Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick and former Eagles teammate LeGarrette Blount. However, they did cut Dwayne Washington and saw him opt to join the Saints’ practice squad. This will represent another chance for Pumphrey to prove he can develop as an NFL running back.
Pumphrey is the Division I-FBS all-time leading rusher. He amassed 2,133 ground yards in 2016 with San Diego State and rushed for 62 touchdowns during his college career.
It was a phantom IR stint last year. He simply has not shown enough to warrant being on an active roster. Dont expect that to change ever.
Exactly, he quickly proved last year that he wasn’t up to snuff to being a professional football player so they basically gave him a redshirt year. With his livelihood on the line he never stepped up to the plate. You got a practice squad player, which is what he is – he’ll give a good look in practice but will never make a contribution on an active roster.